Developing Simple Card Games to Promote Children’s Informal Science Learning

Educational games can introduce young children to scientific ideas, setting the stage for futureacademic success. This paper describes a theoretical framework for creating games that promotechildren’s understanding of fundamental science concepts, focusing specifically on biologicalvariability. We introduce a series of simple card games that emphasize key biological relations,such as lifecycle changes and sex differences, by encouraging players to compare exampleswithin and between species. The playing cards show realistic illustrations of animals at particularstages in their lifecycle, such as the egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages of a Monarch Butterfly orLadybug. We explore how altering the number and diversity of species in the card deck affectsthe learning opportunities in each game. Additionally, we discuss how adults can scaffoldchildren’s scientific thinking through their use of relational language, spatial arrangements, andgestures during play. To evaluate the effectiveness of the novel games, we propose a researchprogram that explores how children’s engagement and learning are affected by the rules andcontent of the game, the players involved, and the context of play. This theory-driven approachto game development can guide future educational innovations to foster young children’slearning in science and other STEM disciplines.