Cat in the Hat Builds That is a mobile app that is based on the PBS series, “The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That.” With a target audience of younger children (Pre-K and up), this free app (available on Android, iPhone, iPad, and Kindle Fire devices) is an entertaining introduction to STEM principles, such as the engineering design process, problem-solving, inquiry, and creativity. By solving different puzzles and demonstrating skills such as perseverance, players can unlock more features in the game – opening up more opportunities to explore and create. They can decorate the tree house that serves as the home base in the app as they collect new objects during their adventures.
For those parents and educators concerned about too much screen time, Cat in the Hat Builds That also gives suggestions for STEM activities that can be done at home with parental supervision. In addition, there is a section for “Grownups” within the app that summarizes the games included, and the STEM concepts being taught within each one.
Although children could certainly play this game independently, I would recommend some parental involvement in order to maximize the learning. Recognizing and verbalizing the vocabulary and concepts will help students to develop habits of thinking that they can apply outside of the game for a long time to come.
