Kids & Parents Talk Stem, Space Exploration, and Apollo 11

Kids today labor under the stereotype that they are preoccupied with video and online gaming, mired in digital routines to the exclusion of real-world exploration and imagination. A recent study by Kid Bunch and Touchstone Research, Inc. however, shows that today’s youngsters still dream of exploring the great beyond and learning about space exploration – both at school, and through fun and educational digital apps. An infographic prepared by Kid Bunch, juxtaposing the views of 7 – 10 year olds with those of their parents, indicates that most kids think there could be aliens in space, a third of parents believe that Mars will be colonized during their child’s lifetime, and a majority of families agree that the Apollo 11 mission that first brought mankind to the moon really happened. The study reveals that only a quarter of kids feel they’ve learned a lot about space exploration in school. Realizing the importance of science in their kids’ lives and the potential for “stealth learning”--using technology to engage and involve kids while they learn , 80% of parents agreed that there needs to be more quality educational material for kids on mobile devices. Coinciding with this need, the study found that 2/3 of kids and parents would download a mobile app that combined digital gaming with learning about space science and the Apollo 11 mission. While 90% of kids believe STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) learning subjects to be very important for children today, learning-while-gaming apps just might be the middle ground that kids and parents are looking for.