Last week, Boston Dynamics’ released a new demonstration of their Atlas robot. In case you missed it, here it is:
Isn’t that cool?
This evening, I showed it to my kids, who agreed that it was pretty awesome (though they were slightly less impressed than me, as their screens are often full of clever robots who already jump, throw stuff, and fly).
Things like this are great for kids. It gives them a taste of current events that don’t involve politics or celebrities, and it opens the door to interesting conversations.
To prompt their minds before showing it to them, I asked my kids what they picture when they think of robots. Their answers ranged from “Wall-E” to “the robot I drew last weekend that has a heart and long arms, and does whatever you asked him to, like math homework.” Impressive.
After, I asked some other questions like:
- Would you like to have a robot in your house? (Yes)
- What would you use a robot for (besides doing your math homework)? (To play with me)
- Do you think you could be friends with a robot? (Sure)
- How would you feel if that robot gave you a hug? (If it was comfortable because he it fuzzy arms or something. And if he had a smile and eyes.)
- Do you think robots like that would cause any problems? (If they fall on you, or crash into things)
It’s amazing to see where kids’ minds go.
Imagination and hypothetical thinking are important muscles to stimulate, and robots are a pretty interesting topic for most kids.
Or pick another topic. What matters is finding simple ways to connect with your kids that you’ll both enjoy.
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