A blog turning into a game

We’ve been away from this blog for some time (we know, quite a long time), but we’ve gotten more requests for iPhone games for kids, so wanted to send you some of our favorites.  A growing number of kids are using the iPhone so it is not surprising to see so many more new iPhone applications for kids on the market today.  Given that the holidays are approaching, what better gift for your kids, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren, than an under-$2-educational game on the iPhone? Here is our list:

1) Learnl Baby - Colors and Shapes (from Orange Design) - Your youngest kids can learn about colors and shapes through this simple, yet engaging educational iPhone application.

2) Learnl Preschool - Animals Coloring Book (from Orange Design) - There is no better way for kids to use the iPhone to learn about nature and animals.

Hi -

We’re looking to make a list of the top educational games ever made, the top 9, in fact.  Do you have any suggestions? How about classics like Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego? Or perhaps newer, more socially conscious games like FreeRice?

Send us your top picks.  We’ll tally up the results and let you know the winners in a future post.

Yesterday, EA released its long awaited massively single-player online game, Spore.  The game has received widespread acclaim over the past several months because of its technological richness and creative storyline and game design.  Spore allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its earliest beginnings, through its entire development.  The game is in the tradition of classics like Civilization and SimCity.

Players can populate their world in Spore using creatures that they, or others, make.   Even though the game is single player, objects or creatures built by users get uploaded to a master database for others to download and rate.  The game uses a sophisticated form of design called procedural animation.

The game has transplanted real-world debates into the realm of educational game design.  For instance, critics note how the game raises questions on creationism vs. evolution.  Game creators have even referred to their perspective as “creativolution.”  When it comes to educational games, does the content have to project a specific pedagogical theme? Or it can be open-ended? Spore allows for unbound creativity in universe design, but how much should that design reflect real-world constraints imposed by science? One might expect a similar debate when thinking about how real environmental concerns like global warming should be reflected in the game environmnet, if at all.

Here is a TV ad for the game and a link to the official website: