Trinitonian 19

KIDS FEATURE
EA IS A SPORT!
Extramurals 4.0
Today’s children are putting
down the bats and balls and
entering EA, AR and more in
the 4IR. Confused? Don’t be.
In this piece, we break down
the extracurricular activities
we didn’t have growing up –
but that your kids do.
By Kerryn Massyn
The world has changed irrevocably and
immeasurably since we were kids, so it only
makes sense that extra-curricular activities
catch up and offer children additional
learning and experience in skills that will be much
needed in the future. As a result, after-school
activities in the 4IR see our children gaming in AR,
building robots and more. Now, for those of us still
stuck in the last millennium, 4IR refers to the Fourth
Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0,
meaning the digital age in which we are now living.
It’s not just technology that’s changing how our
children spend their time after school. Life in a
pandemic has had many rethinking our approach
to traditional learning and activities, and there has
been an increase in online or distanced options.
Plus, there’s a lot more choice afforded to today’s
children. In this ever-evolving world, it’s safe to
say we didn’t have the option of these super-fun
extracurricular activities when we were growing up,
but our children do. Here’s a breakdown of a few of
the exciting options now available.
FIRST LEGO LEAGUE
First Lego League introduces children of all ages
to oodles of STEM exposure without them even
knowing it! This is perfect, as skills in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are
the way of the future. Using a LEGO League set,
children work in teams to complete a challenge
based on a real-world problem through building
and commanding their very own walking, talking
robots. The League has different age-appropriate
levels, and each team requires four members
and one coach. Teams meet once a week at the
premises of their choice, and no special skills are
needed. As they say, “This is the only sport where
if you show up, you can play.”
WHAT IT TEACHES
• Critical thinking
• Coding
• Robotics
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Creativity
AGE GROUP
• FIRST Lego League Discover: 4 to 6 years
• FIRST Lego League Explore: 6 to 10 years
• FIRST Lego League Discover: 9 to 16 years
GET STARTED!
Go to firstsa.org and click on the First Lego
League to find out more and register your team.
44 | The Trinitonian