Sparky’s Brain Busters Sparks Conversation

October is Fire Prevention month and this week is National Fire Prevention (NFPA) week and I now realize that since we have moved into this new house we don’t have a plan in place. Sure, I clear a path from their bed to their windows each night and then the bed to their door making sure it is free of toys, clothes and whatever else my kids have crammed into their rooms; but that is not enough. We need to educate ourselves as a family on fire safety and now is the perfect time.

Meet Sparky

sparkysbrainbusters

What’s the best way to get my kids excited about something, especially the one in the 6-11 year-old range?  Use and app, of course.  Sparky’s Brain Busters is a free app that uses trivia in math, social studies, science and fire safety to get kids learning.  Check it out.

She loved that it challenged her but also allowed her to use information she had learned elsewhere like television, books she has read (I Survived the Great Chicago Fire) and school.  The fact that one question asked her about a Taylor Swift song made her an addict for the app.  She gave it a whole-hearted thumbs up!

sparkysimage

I love it too!  It is great that this is a timed game (20 questions in 2 minutes) that asks a variety of questions based on kids grade level.  Kids range from Rookies (grades 2-3) to Stars (grades 4-5) to Legends (grade 6 and up) and no personal photo or information is needed, though you can add a photo.  Their profiles are created quickly by adding their name and choosing an icon or photo and then they are ready to play.  Kids spin the wheel and are randomly given a category in math, science, social studies or fire safety to answer their question in.  The more correct answers the better chances they have at collecting one of the five character models in the game.  This gives them badges.  All of it has to be done in 2 minutes or less.  They love racing against the clock.

Even better the same app can be used for solo players, multiple players and in the classroom at the SparkySchoolHouse site.  There is no need to download anything additional making it a fun, engaging way to get kids excited about fire safety and learning in general.  It is also an excellent jumping off point for family discussions about how to stay safe during a fire.

Download the brand new Sparky’s Brain Busters app. The app is available in the following places: iTunesAmazon for Android.

Parents and teachers alike can access lesson plans here.

 

*This is a sponsored post with WeAreTeachers.com and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)’s resource for kids, Sparky.org. All opinions are 100% my own.

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