Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
11 great games to educate and entertain your kids at home
Excerpts from article by Scott Gilvertson, published in the Wired
If you’re stuck inside and your kids are climbing the walls, but you aren’t yet ready to let them watch Netflix from dawn to dusk, here are some games that are sometimes called “edutaining”. Think of them as fun games that also teach something, but in a way your kids probably won’t notice.
I do suggest setting some screen time limits before handing your children a device. However, with these options, you can at least rest assured that your kids are learning something.
1. Animal Jam (Ages 6-12)
Animal Jam is an online virtual world originally created in collaboration with the National Geographic Society. It teaches kids about zoology and ecology with games, adventures and online social elements. With 160 million registered users, this is one of the largest virtual worlds for kids. Know that the parental controls are pretty good, allowing you to lock down the game if you desire.
2. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Ages 5 and up)
This is a great game that encourages spatial thinking and unique puzzle solving. Kids can pilot Toad through courses based on the Super Mario Odyssey game while hunting down treasures and solving puzzles.
3. Prodigy (Ages 6-12)
This math-based role-playing game is free to play. Kids proceed through the game by answering skill-building math questions to earn rewards. There’s an interactive element, too; they can go on quests with friends. The difficulty levels increase as your kids make progress in the game.
4. Thinkrolls 2 (Ages 3-8)
This physics puzzle game features rolling aliens that teach your kids about acceleration, buoyancy, gravity, and more. Like games of yesteryear, there are no ads, no in-app purchases, and it doesn’t need an internet connection.
5. Tinybop Games (Ages 4 and up)
Tinybop has dozens of learning-oriented apps. The Curiosity Kit ($16), includes apps about the human body, animal anatomy and space.
6. Dragonbox Math and Chess Games (Ages 4 and up)
Dragonbox games are primarily math-related, though they also partnered with chess champ Magnus Carlsen to create Magnus’ Kingdom, a chess-learning game that’s been very popular. It uses an adventure-style approach to teach kids about different chess pieces and how to play.
7. Endless Alphabet (Ages 3 and up)
It’s time you let delightful animated monsters teach your kids everything from basic ABCs to complex sentences. It has puzzle games with talking letters and well-illustrated definitions to help your child learn to read. Originator, the publisher of Endless Alphabet, has many other games as well, including Endless Reader.
8. Starfall Kids Games (Ages 4-6)
This language, arts and music learning site has dozens of games and activities to help your kids learn to read, add, subtract and identify shapes.
9. PBS Kids Games (Ages 4-8)
PBS Kids has dozens of apps, many of them related to the shows on PBS Kids. If your kids like a particular show, they’ll probably really engage with its related game, as well.
10. Stop Motion Studio (Ages 4 and up)
Stop-motion animation is a fun form of art that teaches patience. This animation app will help your kids start creating their own little animated masterpieces. The interface is reasonably simple, but it might require the help of an adult the first time through.
11. Try Some Kids’ Podcasts (All ages)
Check out our guide to kids’ podcasts for some ideas on great podcasts that will keep your kids entertained. If you’re a podcast fan yourself, you should try using Pocket Casts app. I suggest getting a separate podcast app for your kids, so there’s no way they’ll accidentally end up listening to any adult content you don’t want them to hear.
Career
Rise of pet ownership in urban India: Consider a career in pet care
Excerpts from article by Purnima Goswami Sharma, published in Deccan Herald
The rise of pet ownership in urban India has led to a huge scope for employment in the pet care industry, in turn leading to various career options. For those who love animals and enjoy working, there are interesting career options that go beyond just being a veterinarian.
Canine trainer
The most important prerequisite, if you want to be a dog trainer, is that you should love a dog and have ample patience. You will have to teach the dog basic obedience through positive reinforcement and reward-based techniques. You will also have to study different facets of animal behaviour.
The job can also entail training dogs for special assistance, especially for assisting the physically challenged. Since a career in this field demands a lot of hands-on training, it is a good idea to apprentice under an experienced trainer. The best part is that this job offers a lot of flexibility.
Canine behaviour counsellor
The pet behaviour counsellor advises owners whose pets have developed inappropriate behaviour. The problems range from dominance, housetraining, aggression, destruction and compulsive behaviour. This is different from standard obedience training offered by dog trainers.
A canine behaviour counsellor must be qualified in pet psychology and have the ability to communicate effectively, in addition to having practical handling skills and solutions to problems.
Pet groomer
Today, owners don’t hesitate to spend money on their pets and getting them the best treatment. With pet salons mushrooming, there is a vast potential to make a career out of grooming cats and dogs. People in India are increasingly getting exotic breeds from all over the world and these breeds have specific grooming requirements, which can only be done at a professional salon.
These treatments involve haircuts for the pet, detangling treatments, flea and tick control baths, medicated baths, ear cleaning, teeth brushing and nail clipping. There are various specialised pet grooming courses and one has to learn about different pet breeds, understand the anatomy of dogs and cats, gain knowledge of the grooming equipment.
Pet food and other services
Pet food, pet boarding, sitting and walking pet animals, dog and cat cafes, pet relocation are some other segments that are emerging as viable career options. If you like to take care of pets, another choice is to manage kennels and pets when owners are away.
One has to make sure that the kennels are properly built and are safe and hygienic; people also need well-trained staff to take care of pets. Pet products, which include items like beddings, bowls, collar, identity tags, toys, travel equipment, cleaning products, dietary supplements and medicines are all in demand.
Pet owners are investing more time and money into giving their pet a healthier diet and this has led to various career opportunities. The market for pet food is growing and there are various jobs in sales and marketing in pet food companies. Besides commercially packaged food, the customised pet food market is poised to evolve as there is a demand for special nutritious customised meals in the metros.
One can also work as a pet party organiser, pet toy designer, pet travel agent or an animal activist and create awareness in society and work for animal rights.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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