Eyefind and its guardian app eyefinder

 Children are no longer playing outdoors, why is this and how do we encourage change? 

The average child only spends 7 hours in outside recreation per week which is half the time spent indoors using technology and 1 in 10 would rather do their homework. These are the findings of OnePoll market research. Research in the British Children's Play Survey 2020 says "playgrounds in the UK aren't challenging enough for children" and that "children's playspaces need to offer more stimulation". Against the shift towards technology as entertainment for increasingly young children, the problem identified is 'How to engage children at an early age to see being outdoors as a fun and adventurous place to be while gaining knowledge'.

Kids are now being diagnosed with 'nature deficit' disorder as they spend significantly more time inside than outside, in part, due to the sell off of nearly 100 school playing fields in the last 7 years and change in urban development with a lack of garden space. 

Nature deficit has become such a pressing issue that one study showing that half of all kids spend less time outdoors daily than inmates in maximum security prisons. This is less than 2hrs. 

Another survey for the tv channel Eden, found of 2,000 children aged 8-12, more children could identify a Dalek than an owl.

We must work with technology, we cannot overturn the tide of technological advancement in a society that has become accustomed to and now is structurally and societally dependent on the use of technology for systems, processes and communication.

My design direction was to create a Google Lens device, utilising powerful AI technology,  that helps children define and identify the things they are curious about and drawn towards in new outdoor environments using a simple hand held device. 

It will allow a child to examine any object of interest and return a simple set of facts, to safeguard use but allow independence the child's journey will be logged from start to end and synced to a guardian's phone so they can follow the journey in real time. If the child examines something that poses a threat, the parent will be made aware. 

Utilising AI will make it possible to generate additional entertaining and educational activities from the data recorded. 

This educational tool benefits not just the average child but can help assist children with attention deficit disorders or Dyslexia who require a different pace of education and support.

The design theory appropriate to this concept is gamification. The principle is to add elements of game playing to extend the activity and enhance engagement and motivation. At its simplest, learning through play is particularly appropriate for an age group of 8-10 to extend and build language, understanding, curiosity, independence, confidence and physical activity.