I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’ve had a new friend visiting recently.
Her name is Lyka, and she is a small robot scientist from the planet Ahmee.
Did I just lose you? Do you need me to back up a little?
Keep reading, my friends!
Learn Through Stories with Lyka’s Adventure
*Disclosure: I received Lyka at no cost in exchange for a post. I was not required to write a positive review and, as always, I only share resources I believe other families would enjoy and those that I would use with my own children.
Who is Lyka?
Lyka’s Adventure is a unique learning opportunity for grade K-2. This project is currently in development and was created by the ed tech and toy development company, Connected Sparks, in conjunction with the Digital Storytelling Lab at Columbia University.
The Lyka’s Adventure Teacher Kit brings STEAM, Maker, and 21st-century skills into any learning space and helps to connect students globally.
Lyka’s Adventure is broken down into six story components. Each includes activities and mini-missions. The Teacher Kit covers a variety of topics including space, land, water, animals, plants, weather, seasons, and more.
Lyka’s Adventure Teacher Kit includes a Mission Control Manual to guide you through the process, complete with supporting materials such as a free app that is filled with global-themed stories and music, and several mystery learning packages which provide stepping stones for learning, imagination, and creativity. The Mission Control Manual suggests ways to use these mystery learning packages, but there are no hard-and-fast rules here. Like play itself, Lyka’s Adventure is creative and open to unique interpretations. Teachers also have access to an online community for idea-sharing.
Once a kit is purchased, Lyka arrives at your doorstep. She is an adorable plush toy with a big heart and your children will fall in love with her immediately. Mine sure did!
Lyka is a small robot scientist from the planet Ahmee with a big problem. Her planet has been destroyed by overuse and climate change and she’s on a quest to save it. She has come to our planet for help, and she needs your children to assist her!
Learn through stories and play with Lyka’s Adventure
Lyka is adorable. She is sweet and snuggly and my kids loved her at first sight.
But Lyka is so much more than just a toy. She’s a story, and a mystery, and an adventure. Lyka encourages children to be curious and to explore the world around them. As your children teach Lyka about our planet, they will be using a host of important skills from communication to empathy to science to geography. In the process, children learn to be responsible citizens of the planet Earth!
Lyka’s story is a perfect metaphor for our time. If your children are fans of The Lorax, they will adore Lyka and want to help her on her mission.
Through story-driven learning, the Lyka’s Adventure Teacher Kit brings STEAM, Maker, and the following 21st-century skills together:
- Leadership and responsibility
- Creativity and innovation
- Collaboration
- Media literacy
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Global and environmental awareness
So, what did the kids think?
My children love to get lost in play. They have fantastic imaginations and are super-creative. They are also environmentalists who care deeply about the world around them.
They loved Lyka immediately.
Lyka has quickly become an extension of our family. She has accompanied us on multiple day trips and even a vacation. She has provided countless learning opportunities and oodles of play.
Here are just a few ways we have used Lyka in our homeschool:
The kids made a fort for Lyka AND gave her a gardening tutorial.
The kids have journaled about Lyka.
The children have made SO MUCH Lyka art, to help her feel at home here on Earth.
Lyka has a “house” in the corner of our playroom, complete with artwork and a rocketship.
They loved reading Lyka’s stories, making paper circuits with KitHub, and participating in learning challenges.
The kids delighted over each and every mystery box.
They loved listening to Lyka’s stories together!
Together, the kids wrote and illustrated a book about the United States to read with Lyka:
Lyka even came on vacation with us!
I wholeheartedly support play-based education and hands-on learning and Lyka combines the two in a unique way. Lyka is still in development, but this mom sees great promise for both classroom and homeschool settings.
Related links
If you like what you see here, check out these related posts:
Want to take the learning to the next level? Check out these fantastic storytelling games:
You know us, we love to use games in our homeschool. Here are some great games that build those storytelling skills. They would be a great Sparkle Stories follow-up activity.
The kids are LOVING Build and Imagine. Stay tuned for a post soon!!
Be sure to follow Connected Sparks
You can follow Connected Sparks on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: How do you incorporate storytelling and play into your homeschool? Share here!
Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley
Cait co-hosts The Homeschool Sisters Podcast and is co-founder of Raising Poppies, a community for parents of gifted and twice-exceptional children. Cait is also founder of the Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a fantastic community of book-loving parents and the Gameschool Community at My Little Poppies, a vibrant community of gameschoolers.
Cait is a contributing writer for Simple Homeschool and GeekMom. Her work has also appeared on The Huffington Post, The Mighty, and Scary Mommy. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram
and G+.
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