Homeschooling and distance learning can be a challenge. However, Amazon Alexa might be able to help you out. This virtual assistant and can do much more than playing your favorite songs or telling you the weather. Alexa can be an invaluable teaching tool that can immerse children in fun learning experiences and games. Whether you’re looking to test students’ knowledge, brush up on math skills, or are merely looking to complement your curriculum, Amazon Alexa may be just the tool you need. Here are a few of our favorite skills to enable.
Queen’s Mathematician
Queen’s Mathematician is a fun, creative, choose-your-own-adventure game for children ages 6-8. Children are tasked with rescuing the queen after she’s been kidnapped. To save her, players must use elementary math facts like addition and subtraction (nothing over the number 99), as well as solve word problems. A great benefit of enabling this skill is students never encounter the same game twice. With thousands of different combinations, students can play again and again. To enable this free Alexa skill, say, “Alexa, start the Queen’s Mathematician.”
Kids Quiz
If you’re looking for a fun way to test students’ knowledge, Kids Quiz is the skill to enable on Alexa. With over 2,500 reviews giving it 4 ½ stars, children ages 5-12 can test their knowledge every day with new questions. This game has four difficulty levels and a variety of subjects that can make it fun for everyone. Children will learn and discover new things about animals, science, and the world. You can also check out their Facebook page for more ideas. To enable this free skill, simply say, “Alexa, play Kids Quiz.”
Spelling Bee
Do your students have what it takes to make the national spelling bee? Now they can test their knowledge to find out by enabling the skill “Spelling Bee” on Amazon Alexa. Students can play alone or against their friends. This fun spelling game is so much like the real thing that students can even ask for a spelling’s origin, definition, and example sentence. To enable this free Alexa skill, say “Alexa, open Spelling Bee.”
Travel Quest
Travel Quest is an Alexa game that will take your geography lesson to the next level. Designed for children ages 13 and under, this game allows students to get a virtual passport by learning facts and answering questions as they explore different countries. While on their virtual field trip, children will learn about the country’s geography, important landmarks, cuisine, and much more. Currently, the countries are limited to Japan, Canada, France, Brazil, Egypt, and Australia, but more are coming soon. To enable this skill, say, “Alexa, start Travel Quest.”
Escape the Room
Escape rooms are trending, and now students can experience the excitement from the comfort of their own home. This exciting but challenging game will test students’ critical thinking skills to escape the room. Using simple directions, students gather clues and solve puzzles to get out of places like the garage or the office. To play the game, there are three basic actions: look in the direction, inspect an object, and use an object. There are also hints and other useful commands to help players escape the room. If children can’t escape the room, Alexa offers free walkthroughs. To enable this skill, say, “Alexa, open Escape the Room.”
Daily Dose
Looking for a fun way to teach students a new language? The Daily Dose is an Alexa skill where students can learn 34 languages. Each session is an eight-minute audio lesson by real teachers. Students will listen to a short dialogue, then break it down line-by-line to better grasp each word and grammar usage. To activate, launch the game by saying, “Alexa, open Daily Dose.”
Curiosity
If you’re looking for an educational Alexa skill that will deliver interesting facts and in-depth knowledge, then “Curiosity” is a great way to keep your students’ brains sharp. With in-depth knowledge of thousands of subjects, this skill will give students a deeper understanding of the world around them. To launch this skill, simply say, “Alexa, open Curiosity.”
Focus Game
Sometimes you need an activity to settle children down and get them re-focused; this is when you’re going to want to enable the “Focus Game.” This quiet activity will relax students as they listen to sounds until they fade. To enable this skill, say, “Alexa, ask Focus Game to start.”
Amazon Alexa is a great way to bring education into games in a fun and interactive way. With hundreds of skills in a range of categories, there is a game for every type of learner. To find even more skills, download the Amazon Alexa app or go to the Amazon website. You can search by category or go to the education section. If there is a skill that you want students to learn, but you can’t seem to find it and you’re feeling a little ambitious, you can even create our own.
