Game-related Teaching & Homeschooling Resources

Digital Schoolhouse

Ukie's Digital Schoolhouse programme provides a wealth of support and resources for teachers and education professionals to teach computing, primarily via easy-ti-understand, non-traditional play-based-learning techniques.

As well as the many resources available to parents, carers and the education sector available via the Digital Schoolhouse website, a selection of resources specifically geared towards homeschooling are listed below:

Live Workshops

• DSH Live Workshop Calendar - Free online workshops via Twitch teaching computing at home with everyday household objects.

DSH Homeschooling Resources

• 10 Unplugged Activities - 10 playful activities to teach computing at home with everyday household objects.

• Crazy Mazes - This workshop teaches learners how to create a maze game in Scratch.

• Let's Play Code Combat: Playing with Python - Code Combat is a multiplayer game to help people learn to program. Through solving puzzles and defeating ogres players progress through the game levels to learn increasingly complex programming concepts. This workshop uses the Code Combat resource to help set the context for the day. Pupils begin the workshop by registering and playing a few levels of the game for themselves, before being asked to apply their computational thinking skills to attempt to decompose the main elements of the game. The magic of computing is then introduced through magic tricks to teach sequencing and algorithmic thinking.

• Loopy Games: An Iterative Games Design Workshop - Loopy Games aims to help pupils design and create their own game using methodology that reflects the processes followed in the UK Games Industry. Developed in consultation and collaboration with Kuato Studios and the Video Games Ambassadors, this workshop brings industry expertise into the classroom.

• Oddventurous Gaming: Play the Game, Be the Game! - We all play games; it’s one of the most popular leisure activities in the UK. Whether it’s playing video games or board games or even physical games; participating in them can help spark curiosity and develop important critical thinking & problem solving skills as well as address whatever issues the designer originally intended. This workshop aims to teach pupils key concepts of games design. Developed in collaboration with Disney and Playniac the Digital Schoolhouse brings knowledge from the games industry into the classroom

• Just Dance with the Algorithm - Just Dance with the Algorithm was developed by Digital Schoolhouse in partnership with Ubisoft, and is based upon the original workshop ‘Get with the Algo-rhythm’. This workshop combines dance and video games to teach core programming and computing concepts in a way that appeals to a diverse range of students. The workshop begins by creating flow charts of instructions to perform dance moves from popular music tracks.

• Machine Code Mario - This workshop introduces students to binary in an innovative way. Starting with investigating why computers use binary, students explore how to represent decimal numbers in binary and then how to use this knowledge to create Super Mario courses using Super Mario Maker 2 that test the players understanding of binary representation. The design, exploration and development stages of the beginner workshop fit nicely into KS2.

• Part-Baked Games - Often, learning how to create a game can be quite daunting, especially when you consider all the elements that are needed to build it. Part-Baked Games provides the learner with the opportunity to create five different games that are inspired by the BAFTA YGD rule cards in order to teach learners how to build common game mechanics and therefore provide them with the tools needed to create their own game at a later date. Each of the games are provided in a ‘Part-Baked’ form which means that all assets required for the game have been added and laid out as though the game were complete.

• Part-Baked Games: Chef's Edition - Part-Baked Games: Chef’s edition has been developed in partnership with Outright Games and introduces students to the concept of prototyping; both on paper and digitally. Learners begin by creating a paper prototype for their own version of Gigantosaurus and then a digital prototype based on these ideas. Students can use the recipe cards included in the resource pack for this workshop to aid them in building their games. They then compare this prototype to the realised title and choose one feature to add to their own game. Students then modify their game.

• Starlink: Battle for Atlas - Develop your own version of Starlink in Scratch, Construct 3 or Unity in this workshop.

• Switched on Sound - This workshop gives students the opportunity to explore some of the history of computerised music, including automation, punch cards and the development of digital music by composing their own multitracked piece of music using a Nintendo LABO piano. LABO is Nintendo’s DIY cardboard kit crafted to work with Nintendo Switch.

Family-Friendly Games

You can find more information about the kinds of games that work best for families here:

• Ask About Games - Everything parents and carers need to know about video games.

• Family Video Game Database - A database of games aimed to help parents and carers discover suitable games for their children.

Other Resources

• Code Combat - Code Combat is a multiplayer game to help people learn to program. Through solving puzzles and defeating ogres players progress through the game levels to learn increasingly complex programming concepts.

• Code Kingdoms - Learn how to make your own Minecraft mods and Roblox games with Code Kingdoms.

• Rapid Router - Rapid router is a game that has been created to teach the first principles of computer programming that are covered in the National Computing curriculum.

• MicroBit Game Projects - A set of ideas for simple games that you can code for your MicroBit

• Lightbot - LightBot is a puzzle game based on coding; it secretly teaches you programming logic as you play!

• Cisco Binary Numbers Game - Increase your understanding of binary numbers and conversion speed by playing this fast-paced game. Before long you'll be doing these conversions in your head.