Experiencing the port of Antwerp through educational games
Key takeaways
The port of Antwerp has an unusually interesting and complex ecosystem. How do you translate these daily activities into something kids and teenagers understand?
In our case, by using a visually appealing interactive app that vividly tells the stories of this fascinating and vibrant environment.
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Client
Havencentrum
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Services
Game design — Interfaces for kids — Edutainment —
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Links
Detail page
Introducing young people to the world of the port
The Antwerp Port Centre wants to introduce young people to the world of the port. For the digital natives of today, this introduction ideally takes place with the combination of a physical tour and a gaming experience that directly addresses this need. This way, many of these ‘invisible’ processes can be made clear.
This project is a perfect fit for Bits of Love, which has extensive expertise in game design and serious game development for children. In collaboration with the creative minds of Curious Cats, they came up with the ‘Journey of the Banana’ app after several workshops, which virtually transports kids between the ages of 10 and 12 to places they would otherwise never have visited, as well as showing them what possibilities the port has to offer as a future workplace.
An intuitive & interactive learning experience
Seeing as most children haven’t (yet) mastered the Dutch language well enough for detailed explanations, the app needed to be developed in a very intuitive way. For the first chapter, we opted to showcase the journey that our bananas go on before they reach the port in Belgium, as well as what happens to them afterwards. Using short films, questions and interactive assignments, children learn more about these trade & production processes.
In concrete terms, the app consists of five minigames: all built around specific tasks to be carried out during transport. For example, the players don’t just load and transport the bananas, but they also guide the cargo boat safely through the port.
Result
The client’s response has been very positive. The initial suspicions of the supervisors – “this app will take away our jobs!” – soon gave way to enthusiasm. Especially so when they noticed that, thanks to the app, the children were even more committed to learning something during the boat trip around the harbour.
