Awakening: Math and Science Game for Kids

This post is written in partnership with Legends of Learning. I was compensated for my time. Opinions are 100% my own.

Over the years, I’ve been asked to review a wide variety of education-centric games. Always eager to find supplemental educational activities to vary our homeschool instruction, I happily agree to see what’s out there. And while many games in the education arena are more enjoyable than completing a worksheet, they often fail to hold my children’s attention. Awakening was different.

So what is Awakening? Excellent question! (I’m genuinely excited to tell you more!)

Awakening is a way for kids to increase achievement in math & science through game-based learning!. Legends of Learning is on a mission to make learning fun, accessible, and effective. (Already intrigued? Find out MORE.)

So, what makes Awakening different? (Glad you asked!) 😉

Math and SCIENCE!!!

Can we be honest? Not every child has a natural love of math and science. Many students need a little boost or extra incentive to spark their interest, build momentum, and establish their confidence as STEM learners.

The master designers at Legends of Learning know that PLAY is important. It’s not just something kids do – it’s a strategy AND the very best way to learn. Kids aren’t only more engaged when they’re having fun, they actually retain more information and want to continue learning. My kids never ask for another math worksheet – but they asked to play Awakening.

I almost fell off of my chair when I found out Awakening didn’t just cover math skills – but science as well. Yes. A comprehehsive, developmentally appropriate, fun, SCIENCE-based game. It’s practically unheard of and also fundamentally important.

The first missions of Legends of Learning (the incredible company behind Awakening) are Mathematics, Life Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, and Physical Sciences. (SWOON.)

Autonomy!!!

Another feature we loved? Autonomy! In nearly every online learning game we’ve encountered, students progress through a pre-determined path, assigned by either the computer or a teacher. While still fun and of educational value, removing a child’s choices also tends to lower their interest and engagement.

The freedom and autonomy provided to students in Awakening provides for a more enjoyable learning experience.

Since grade level learning may look different from not only state to state but from child to child, you have the option to change your grade level during play. If your child discovers that the questions are either too challenging or cover topics not yet learned in class, they can simply move down a grade level. Kids wanting a challenge can also choose to play at a higher level.

AND, kids can quickly and easily switch between math and science. My son loved not being “locked in” to a pre-programmed game. He loved getting to choose where to explore, what to do, and which subject to focus on.

Choices!

Kids can choose between a variety of learning experiences and games while playing Awakening. Kids can explore the Math and Science Rooms (where a whole host of other games become available!), play a game-show style game with the Quizzler, answer questions on the Playground, kick a soccer ball around the periodic table, and so much more.

A big favorite at our house was the opportunity to collect, train, and battle beasties. Kids select which beastie to battle and which action to take before being provided with a math or science question to answer. Answer correctly and watch your sparring partner’s energy bar deplete.

Safety

Parents can rest assured that this game is child-safe, meaning no in-app purchases, no sharing of personal information, and no outside text or communication features. Yay!

One safety feature that both kids and parents will love are the cute customizable avatars students will make upon creating an Awakening account. After customizing their look, the game creates a fun math or science themed screen name for your child. No first names. No hometowns. NO personal information shared. (And, look how cute!)

Not Your Average Math Game!!

When I asked my children to play the math portion, I could almost sense them bracing for the traditional “fact drills” that seem to be the standard quo when it comes to math “gaming” for kids. However, when they realized they weren’t being asked to repeat their multiplication table over and over (which seems to be the standard line of questioning for other math games), they were SO excited. The questions are challenging without being frustrating, wonderfully varied, nearly always contain a visual aid, and are delightfully grade-appropriate.

So, what are you learning, really? (It’s a LOT!!)

I cannot say enough about just how much a student will learn, review, and be introduced to while playing Awakening. I was literally blown away by both the breadth and depth of the curricular content!

I decided to explore Awakening first for myself, selecting first grade as my benchmark. (My kids are both older, so I was curious to see what Awakening had to offer younger learners.) In my time exploring the world through the eyes as a first grader, I practiced patterning, counting, place value (using both numerals and visuals like base ten blocks), explored the properties of physics and light, worked with the concepts of least and greatest, ran around an interactive multiplication table, and explored the periodic table. (Did I mention I explored all of these topics in about 20 minutes?!) 20 minutes is about the length of the average cartoon show. As a parent, I know I would prefer my child to spend those 20 minutes working through math problems and exploring scientific concepts to sitting on the couch watching a cartoon.

Next, I decided to allow each of my children at home to play Awakening for 20 minutes to see what they were able to learn, review, and practice. My middle school son was asked in-depth questions about properties of matter (including chemical vs. physical properties), thermal conductivity, found the volume of geometric solids, and practiced missing number multiplication and division.

My fifth grader solved for x, practiced complex multiplication, played a money management game, and solved story problems.

Without realizing it, in a span of 20 minutes, my kids were exposed to physics, introductory algebra, basic chemistry concepts, math fact practice, money, geometry, and MORE! Not bad for 20 minutes on the computer!

Awakening is suitable for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and you can create a FREE student account by visiting https://awakening.legendsoflearning.com/play. (And I highly recommend you do! You AND your student will love it!) Happy learning!

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