Building Focus with Minecraft - Racing Challenge!
In this workshop, our expert Gamer Guides lead kids through fun Minecraft activities to improve their focus skills.
Today’s Activity: Focus on Racing!
This is a live minecraft course filled with activities set up by learning works for kids to have fun and help practice your child’s focus skill! We will be playing minecraft together for an hour and relating the skills they are using in the game to situations and scenarios they use in their everyday life!
For this session the theme is Introduction to focus while racing!
We will start by introducing what focus is, asking some questions to the participants and getting the brain rolling!
Once their minds are going a bit and we are all familiar with one another we will take it to the race tracks set up by the Learning Works For Kids gamer guides!
The races will include pig and boat races with a track the gamer guide previously prepared.
Throughout the races and after we will reflect and talk about how focus has helped them conquer today’s challenge and how they can use it to help solve problems at school or at home as well!
We will wrap up by talking about things they can do for homework as well.
For more information about Focus, visit the Focus Page at LearningWorks for Kids.
Have more Questions feel free to contact us at live@learningworksforkids.com
Workshop Schedule
To join the live session, simply select the appropriate date and time below, then click on the Join Live Session button. If this is your child’s first Minecraft session, please make sure to view and follow our setup instructions.
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Workshop Activities
The LW4K method to using video games as teaching tools relies on strategic teaching principles and our approach of “Detect, Reflect, and Connect.” The purpose of the Detect, Reflect, and Connect steps is to mold the child into an active learner who becomes aware of, engaged in, and contemplative of what she is learning. These steps can enhance motivation and concentration. They also assist in extending learning beyond a particular game or technology and connecting it to the real world.
Before we start racing the Learningworks For Kids gamer guides will make it clear that today’s session is about focus. As we get to know each other and line up to race we will talk about how focus is used in minecraft and how they plan to use it in the challenges to come.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Reflect” list_icon=”Defaults-wechat weixin”]Reflect or consider how the thinking skills used during gameplay helps them to achieve their goals.
After a lap or two of the pig race we will reflect back on the previous races and talk about how honing in on the race and learning from each lap will end in a faster time or better position. The Gamer Guides will then guide the students to the boat race and talk about how using what we have been talking about will help them sail to victory. Then reflect back on the boat race as well.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Connect” list_icon=”Defaults-refresh”]Connect or apply game-based thinking skills to real-world activities.
Through out the session we will relate the focus your child is using in minecraft with tasks they must overcome on a daily basis. For example, talking about how focusing on their minecraft race the entire time is not too different then focusing on finishing a chapter in a book, and explain why it is important to practice this skill for tasks in their life to come.[/info_list_item][/info_list]
Follow-Up Activities
[bsf-info-box icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”32″ icon_color=”#1e73be” title=”Activity #1″ pos=”left” title_font=”font_family:PT Sans|font_call:PT+Sans” title_font_size=”desktop:20px;”]Play Together – Creative Mode Build & Race
Recreate our session but with less limits and as much time as you’d like to give your child! This can be done by opening a new creative mode map in Minecraft and asking your child to focus on building a racetrack themselves and trying it out! Before your child starts building ask how they can use focus for this build. Ask them what specific parts they want to focus putting their attention too. Then let them start building! While they are building make sure they keep attention and do’nt get distracted! We encourage to set a time limit as unlimited screen time isn’t healthy and it will encourage them to stick to their plan. Once finished or throughout it, ask some questions, get involved! Did they stay focused the entire time, what distracted them? How could they have done it faster next time? How could they use these skills outside when playing?[/bsf-info-box][bsf-info-box icon=”Defaults-check” icon_size=”32″ icon_color=”#1e73be” title=”Activity #2″ pos=”left” title_font=”font_family:PT Sans|font_call:PT+Sans” title_font_size=”desktop:20px;”]
Make It Work – Create a Piece of Art
Find your child’s favorite medium of creativity, whether it be a piece of Artwork, a short story, a sculpture, or even Lego creation. Sit down and create something with them or along side them. Set a goal with this creation and help them focus on achieving this goal and nothing else. Turn off the TV, put away the cell phones and help ignore all distractions. Relate it to the session and how your child focused on completing the race in minecraft.[/bsf-info-box]