Kids can draw their own mobile games then *actually* play them with Pixicade! | Source: BitOGenius

We know that kids could sit and swipe at their screens playing mobile games for hours. Whether they’re racing to collect coins, flinging birds to avoid pigs, building up worlds, or trying to fit Tetris pieces just so, they’re a generation that is intuitive to how to play mobile games. But what if they were also able to learn how to make mobile games themselves? Thanks to BitOGeniusPixicade, now they can.

The set comes with three activity books for kids to draw their own mobile games. Kids can use the specific marker colors — also included in the kit! — to draw obstacles, moving parts, objects to collect, and more in order to create a variety of different types of video games. Whether the games are swipe-to-race, brick-breaking, or any other type, the booklet walks kids through how to build each one and teaches them what each part does. They’ll learn the inner workings of coding video games in a simple, attainable, and approachable way.

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Once kids have drawn their game, they can then snap a pic and upload it into the Pixicade app. The picture of the drawing they created turns into a mobile game, complete with moving parts. Pro tip: When kids are taking pictures of their game page, help them to make sure that they are just capturing the elements they want in the game. Any extra things on the page, as well as any surrounding table area, will be included in the game screen if it’s in the picture. Kids can then try out their game and see if it’s successful. If it is — great! They can continue to play.

Source: BitOGenius

If they are seeing any issues with their games — their dinosaur avatar is too big, there’s not enough room to jump between a platform and a fire obstacle, the goal is too small, etc. — kids can edit the different aspects of the game right in the app, so there is no need to redraw the whole thing. Kids can also share their games with friends — then their friends can download them, edit them, and send them back, or just play them as is.

Some of the best tech toys lend to “healthy screen time,” or screen time that is educational and fulfilling for kids. It’s a tough task to pull modern kids away from screens — so it’s great when you find a way for them to engage in screen time that’s also beneficial. Pixicade mixes digital and physical play, so they’re getting a full hands-on, creative, IRL design experience, that then translates to the on-screen experience with which they are so familiar.

Pixicade has all of the gaming and drawing fun that kids love combined with all of the STEAM skill-building that parents love. Overall, this game-coding kit is a huge win!

About the author

Ali Mierzejewski

Ali Mierzejewski

Ali Mierzejewski is the editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider. With more than a decade of industry experience, Ali is a trusted source for parents, gift-givers, manufacturers, retailers, and more on the latest trends and hottest products. Whether you’re shopping for the best toys for kids — or looking for the latest in geek culture and entertainment for yourself — Ali’s expertise has you covered. When she’s not building LEGO sets or unwinding with a puzzle, Ali is obsessing over the latest season of The Bachelor, scrolling through Gritty’s Twitter, or rewatching The West Wing (for the 100th time). She is also a self-proclaimed expert on the history and lore of the entire Bachelor franchise. Ali has been featured on TODAY, The Wendy Williams Show, Yahoo Finance, Fox & Friends, HLN, The Weather Channel, ABC World News Now, and more. You can follow her on Instagram @hashtagtrendy.

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