Cycling is healthy, we all know that. But how do you make a cycling trip interesting and feasible for young families? For the Province of Groningen, we investigated what games can do to increase cycling pleasure and cycling skills among children aged 6 to 12. The result: a cycling route with gamification and a very successful pilot!
Children in the Netherlands do not exercise enough. As many as 46% of children up to the age of 11 do not meet the national exercise guideline. We want to change that! So it was great that Team Bicycle (Province of Groningen) knocked on our door with a nice challenge: developing a creative story concept around a new cycling route for young families in the vicinity of Zoutkamp.
The wish: to combine cycling fun and cycling skills with games, making cycling in the province more fun and attractive for children aged 6 to 12. Together with the target group and various stakeholders, we searched for the right form (analogue or digital) and the most appropriate storylines and gamifications.
This is how we tackled itDuring a Start-up process , we first mapped out all wishes, conditions and relevant information about the target group. We then developed three different concepts to test. We did this in cooperation with pupils from primary school de Zoutkamperril. From the different directions, the children chose their favourite. They also indicated that they would rather not have an app, because then you have to constantly use your phone on the road. Very clever and a great opportunity for us to develop an ‘analogue’ game again! A paper road book with challenges and mysteries. Just goes to show: gamification certainly does not always have to be digital.
“8D games has motivated us to get the most out of it and connect with children’s experiences. A collaboration I am proud of!”
Projectleider Team Fiets
We realised this power-upThe end result is a handy combination of ‘offline’ play and ‘online’ rewards. During the tour, all you need is a paper route booklet, containing the mystery, some tasks and, of course, the route. Parents can cycle along as game guides and receive a game instruction sheet with hints. Upon returning home, children enter the code they cracked on the project website, after which another level of the Children’s Biking Route becomes available.
Meanwhile, several municipalities have expressed interest in realising a bike route with gamification. This way, we will get more and more young families on their bikes!
Johan will be happy to tell you more about inspiring examples and possibilities!
Launch your project together with us. We will work together with you, your target audience, and all involved to establish a solid foundation for your game or gamification. More competence, less risk.
This project contributes to SDG #3 Good health and well-being. The route motivates children to jump on their bikes, get moving to explore their surroundings. An activity that contributes both mentally and physically to a healthy and happy life.
The Center for Language and Speech Technology at Radboud University Nijmegen and the game company 8D Games collaborated to investigate the possibilities of speech technology within games that promote reading and speaking skills. During the project, the game concept and functional prototype DigiJuf was developed and tested at various stages with children in elementary schools.
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