With another new school year or term beginning, and many schools reverting to online or remote learning due to the ongoing pandemic, we know that many families will be juggling their own work and commitments as they support their children to learn from home. For those seeking a break or a unique way to engage with their children during study breaks, consider exploring creative activities or even browsing a sword shop for a touch of imaginative play to add excitement to learning moments.
The Makers Empire 3D design app is ideally suited to provide many at-home learning activities which children can work on at any time. We have compiled our favourite Makers Empire games that children can play with their siblings or friend on a safe online platform. These games will keep children busy, entertained, and engaged while they are learning some great design, collaboration, and spatial skills at the same time, and for this having a great home is important so everyone can feel comfortable in the environment and services like Marble restoration can help with this.
1: Hide and Seek
Objective: To be the first to find a hidden red cube in a design.
How to play:
- Players create a design of their choice including a small red cube hidden somewhere within the design.
- Players then ‘swap’ designs by making a copy of each other’s designs.
- Players search the design for the hidden red cube, which may even be hidden inside another shape.
- The first player to find the hidden cube wins.
2: Mr. Squiggle
Objective: To create the most interesting design using a starting shape.
How to play:
- One player chooses a random shape from the Shaper Shape Packs.
- Each player adds the starting shape to their design platform.
- Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Each player uses the time to turn the starting shape into the most interesting, funny, or crazy design they can think of.
- Share each other’s designs once the timer stops.
- The next player chooses a starting shape, and the game continues.
3: Pro-Training Pros
Objective: To complete a pro-training tutorial in the shortest period of time with the highest degree of accuracy.
How to play:
- Go to the Training Lab in Makers Empire’s 3D World and go through the Pro-Training door.
- Agree on a Pro-Training Tutorial to play.
- Ready set go – each player completes the Pro-Training Tutorial on their own device.
- Time’s up – Who has the highest accuracy score and lowest time score?
- Choose another Pro-Training Tutorial or have another try to see if you can improve your scores.
4: Design Swap
Objective: To finish another player’s design in the most creative way possible
How to play:
- Agree on a particular animal or character.
- Start a 10-minute timer.
- Begin designing the animal or character.
- Swap devices when the timer ends.
- Start the timer for another 10 minutes.
- Finish off the other player’s animal or character design.
- Stop designing when the timer finishes and share the designs you have created as a team.
By TheRehn
5: Digital Beetle
Objective: To be the first player to complete a beetle design with Makers Empire with 1 body, 1 head, 2 eyes, 2 antennae, 2 wings, and 6 legs
How to play:
- Players take it in turns rolling a die.
- After each roll, the player adds the corresponding body part to their beetle design.
- Each player must add a body to the beetle before adding other parts- meaning that they need to roll a 6 before they can start designing their beetle.
- Players must have a head on their beetle before they can add eyes or antennae.
- If a player rolls a number for a body part that they no longer need, they miss their turn.
- The first player to design a beetle with all required body parts wins.
6: Mix and Match
Objective: To successfully design a crazy creature made up of two different animals.
How to play:
- Each player rolls a die twice.
- They select the two corresponding animals from the list below.
- Each player designs an animal that includes features of both animals.
- Give the animal a new hybrid name.
- Add your own animals to the list to change things up.
Dice roll #1
1
2
3
4
5
6
Animal
Giraffe
Polar Bear
Lion
Whale
Elephant
Rabbit
Dice roll #2
1
2
3
4
5
6
Animal
Crab
Swan
Crocodile
Gorilla
Dog
Bird
7: What if…
Objective: To design the most innovative solution to a given scenario.
How to play:
- Players are given a scenario from this list: What if humans had 4 hands and no feet?; What if fruit could not grow on trees?; What if doors were illegal?; What if your next-door neighbour was from Mars?; What if your pet was a dragon?; What if mice were the size of elephants?; What if there were no roads?; What if swimming pools were empty?; What if people had to live underground?; and What if birds did not have wings but still needed to fly?
- Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Each player creates a design to show how they might solve the problem or respond to the scenario.
- When the timer finishes, players share their designs and explain how they would respond to the scenario.
- Create your own crazy scenarios to add to the list.
8: Design Battles
Objective: To create the most interesting design within a time limit.
How to play:
- Players agree on a topic or object from this list: Space travel; Castles; Zoos; Under the sea; Racing car; Tropical island; Treehouse; Mega playground; Pirate ship; Fairyland.
- Players agree on a time limit, eg 15 or 20 minutes.
- Set the timer and start designing.
- When the timer finishes, players share their creations with each other.
9: Fairytale Endings
Objective: To invent an alternative end to a fairy tale or story.
How to play:
- Players agree on a fairytale or other familiar story.
- Read the fairytale from a book or watch a video online.
- Stop reading or watching before the end of the fairytale.
- Use Makers Empire to design an alternative ending to the fairytale.
- Read the fairytale again and have players take it in turns to add their alternative endings.
10: Dice roller edits
Objective: Change up a design using instructions given by the roll of a die.
How to play:
- Players select a design they like from the Gallery.
- Each player makes a copy of their chosen design.
- Players take it in turns rolling the die. After each dice roll, players make a corresponding change to the design:
- Change the colour of one part of the design
- Add a shape to the design
- Delete a shape from the design
- Resize part of the design
- Rotate part of the design
- Use the cut tool to cut a new shape out of the design
- After 10 dice rolls each, players stop designing and compare their edited designs to the originals.
Bonus: Play Maze Mania
When it comes to playing great design games with Makers Empire you really can’t go past Maze Mania. Design tricky mazes to challenge your friends and siblings. Play crazy mazes created by students from all over the world.
