Kathy Egan
ECB Publishing, Inc.
It sometimes feels as if we are constantly battling to get our kids away from screens. Oftentimes, it seems like we are losing the battle. One time it may be okay for our kids to use phones, tablets or laptops is when learning about the different aspects of agriculture.
There are several software programs and apps that focus on farming, but not all of them are necessarily educational. Some are just time-wasters like other games where players flip cards or smash objects. There are definitely some good options out there, though, and when choosing them, it is possible to put kids' love of screens to good use.
The America Farm Bureau Foundation (agfoundation.org) has some beneficial platforms that parents or even teachers could use when planning lessons. My American Farm is designed for Kindergarten through grade five. It's free and contains resources for teachers or parents to use alongside the games. The games integrate traditional subjects such as spelling or science with agricultural concepts.
National Agriculture in the Classroom (NAITC), found online at agclassroom.org, offers students the chance to learn about agricultural careers. There are three games available – Farmers 2050 (for middle schoolers and high schoolers), AgBadging (for children aged 8 to 11) and Nutrients for Life. Kids can learn about mortgages, keeping equipment running and how much water and nutrients a corn crop needs to grow.
For little ones, the app called Toddler Farm can introduce youngsters to basic information such as taking care of animals or that food is the result of growing crops.
These games and many more are available to introduce your children, students grandkids to the concepts of agriculture, and screen time can be learning time.