Game Builder Garage helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Planning: Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.

When making a video game, planning is everything. The player needs to have a vision for what the game will look like, what the characters will do, and what the goal of the game will be. In order to execute all of these things simultaneously, the player needs to use their planning skills to make sure that all of the correct Nodons are being used and that they are placed in an organized way so that when things are added and the screen becomes more complex, the player will still have a clear vision of what is happening. Players who struggle with planning or seeing an end goal for a project will want to complete all of the tutorials before trying to create their own games as well as visiting Alice’s information center if they get stuck on a certain aspect of their game creation. 

Self-Awareness: Caring and connecting emotionally with others. 

No game is made overnight and learning to program games can come with a certain amount of frustration and confusion. Players of Game Builder Garage need to be aware of their emotions and know when they are becoming impatient or frustrated with their game creation. Taking frequent breaks or using the tutorials or Alice’s information can help make the experience fun and keep it from feeling like making games is too difficult or frustrating.