Technology has become a big part of our lives, and tools like artificial intelligence (AI) can open up some surprising new ways to help our little ones learn, play, and explore! While AI may sound complex, it’s essentially just technology that can interact with us in smart ways—like the voice assistant on your phone or other apps.
ChatGPT is one of the most accessible AI tools available to us. You can either download the app on your phone or use it directly from your browser – www.chatgpt.com
Please note, this is not a promotion for ChatGPT! But since it’s something I find very user friendly, I will use it to give you some ideas for using AI. You can adapt this to any other app or software you are comfortable with.
1. Interactive Storytelling
This is one of the coolest things ChatGPT can do. It can turn story time into an adventure by creating personalized, interactive stories. You can prompt ChatGPT to craft a story based on your child’s favourite characters, animals, or places. If your preschooler loves dinosaurs or princesses, simply ask ChatGPT to use that to create a story for them.
For example, here’s a prompt I used and the story ChatGPT gave me:
Prompt: “I have 4 kids – Joel aged 12, Anaiya aged 10, Viaan aged 5 and Samaira aged 2. Give me an adventure story with my kids as characters. It should involve going for a road trip to Goa and something exciting happens on the way.”
ChatGPT:
The Mystery of the Lost Map
It was the start of the long-awaited road trip! Joel, Anaiya, Viaan, and Samaira were buzzing with excitement as they loaded up the car with snacks, games, and their favorite travel pillows. The destination? Goa – with its sandy beaches, colorful markets, and promises of endless adventure!
As they drove along the winding roads, they laughed, sang songs, and even played “I spy.” Joel, who was 12 and loved puzzles, sat next to his dad, keeping an eye on the map and reading road signs. Anaiya, the 10-year-old explorer with a keen eye for nature, had her binoculars ready, pointing out interesting sights along the way. Five-year-old Viaan was inventing funny stories to keep everyone entertained, while little Samaira gazed out the window with wonder, taking in every tree and cloud they passed.
After a few hours of driving, the family decided to take a break near an old roadside inn for some snacks. The inn was charming and cozy, with plants climbing up its stone walls and an ancient tree growing beside it. As they munched on sandwiches and cookies, the innkeeper approached them, holding something curious in his hands.
“Are you heading to Goa?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with a mysterious smile. The kids nodded eagerly. “Well then, I have something that might interest you,” he said, handing Joel a folded, weathered piece of paper.
When Joel unfolded it, he realized it was an old map. But this was no ordinary map; it had strange symbols, faint lines that glowed, and a big red “X” marked in a spot that looked somewhere near Goa.
“What’s this?” asked Joel, intrigued.
The innkeeper whispered, “This is the Lost Map of the Golden Shell. It’s said to lead to a hidden beach where a golden seashell is buried. Legend says that the one who finds it will have a wish granted.”
The kids’ eyes grew wide with excitement. A real treasure hunt! They begged their parents to follow the map, and soon they were back on the road, following the mysterious directions. Joel held the map, guiding his dad to turn left at the next fork and then right at an old banyan tree.
Suddenly, the sky grew dark, and the GPS signal vanished. “We’re going off the map!” laughed Viaan, bouncing in his seat. Anaiya, with her sharp eyes, pointed out a small dirt road leading into a thick forest. “The map says we need to go through here,” she said.
They drove down the narrow path, surrounded by towering trees and the sounds of chirping birds. After a while, the car stopped by a small river, too shallow to swim but wide enough to wade through.
Joel spotted a wooden boat hidden under some bushes. With some help from their parents, they climbed in, crossing the river, while Samaira giggled at the splashing water. On the other side, they found a sandy path leading to the beach, and just as the map hinted, a glittering shell lay half-buried in the sand.
Anaiya and Joel dug around it with their hands, carefully lifting it up. It sparkled in the sunlight, just as golden as the legend described. “We found it!” cheered Viaan, while Samaira clapped with glee.
As they held the shell, Joel remembered the legend about a wish. The kids huddled together, deciding what their wish should be. After some whispers, they closed their eyes and made their wish together: “May we always have family adventures like this!”
With a shimmer, the golden shell glowed and then vanished, as if it had granted their wish. Just then, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, lighting up the beach and creating a rainbow over the water.
Back in the car, everyone felt a little different – more connected, and excited for many more family adventures to come. And as they drove the final stretch to Goa, they couldn’t help but wonder what other magical secrets might lie ahead on future road trips.
The end.
2. Questions & Answers
Preschoolers are full of questions, often very imaginative ones! Ask your children to ask you their questions, type it into ChatGPT and see the fun answers you get back.
For example, here’s a prompt I used and the answers chatgpt gave me:
Prompt: “Give me short answers for my 5 year old. How long do butterflies live for?”
ChatGPT: Most butterflies live for 1 to 2 weeks. Some can live up to a few months if they need to hibernate or migrate.
Prompt: “How does water come out from my eyes when I cry?”
ChatGPT: When you feel very sad, happy, or hurt, your brain sends a signal to tiny glands above your eyes called tear glands. These glands make tears, which are mostly water, and they flow out to help you feel better.
Prompt: “Why do I have to go to school everyday?”
ChatGPT: You go to school every day to learn new things, make friends, and discover what you’re good at! School helps you grow smart and strong so you can do amazing things as you get older.
3. Rhyming Fun & Silly Poems
Kids love rhymes and funny poems, and ChatGPT can quickly come up with verses about nearly any topic. Ask your child to start a rhyme by saying a sentence and let chatgpt add the next line.
For example here’s the prompt and the reply:
Prompt: “Give me a rhyming line with this line for my 5 year old: I like to play cricket”
ChatGPT: “I like to play cricket,
And run fast to the wicket!”
Prompt: “There’s a rainbow in the sky.”
ChatGPT: There’s a rainbow in the sky,
Is it where the unicorns fly?
Prompt: “I’m feeling very shy.”
ChatGPT: I’m feeling very shy,
Like a little butterfly.
Prompt: Viaan is a big boy.
ChatGPT: “Viaan is a big boy,
He loves to jump and play with joy!”
You can go on and on like this! And have lots of laughs along the way. These poems can be about animals, colors, or even their toys! It’s a fun way to use language, rhythm, and sound together.
4. Learning New Things
ChatGPT can introduce preschoolers to lots of things in a language that they can understand. By asking it to explain about something they are interested in or come up with a fun fact, you can help them learn lots about the world around them.
Here’s my prompt and the reply:
Prompt: “Tell my 5 year old about dinosaurs. Also add some fun facts.”
ChatGPT: Dinosaurs were giant reptiles that lived a long time ago, even before people were around! They came in many shapes and sizes. Some were as small as a chicken, while others were bigger than a house!
Here are some fun facts about dinosaurs:
- T-Rex: The Tyrannosaurus Rex, or T-Rex, was one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs. It had very tiny arms but a huge mouth full of sharp teeth!
- Flying Dinosaurs: Some dinosaurs could fly! They were called pterosaurs and had wings made of skin, just like bats.
- Long Necks: The Brachiosaurus had a long neck, so it could reach high up into trees to eat leaves. Imagine a dinosaur stretching its neck like a giraffe!
- Colorful Eggs: Many dinosaurs laid eggs, and some of them had colorful shells, just like bird eggs!
- Fossils: We know about dinosaurs because of fossils. Fossils are the hard remains of dinosaurs that turned into stone over millions of years. Scientists dig them up to learn more about these amazing creatures!
Dinosaurs roamed the Earth for millions of years, and even though they aren’t here anymore, we can still learn a lot about them today!
5. Jokes and Riddles
Preschoolers love jokes and riddles, especially simple, silly ones. ChatGPT can generate age-appropriate jokes that my little ones love! This is a fun way to introduce humor and wordplay.
Prompt: “Can you give me a riddle for my 5 year old.”
ChatGPT: Of course! Here’s a fun riddle:
I have wings and I can fly,
I can be colorful and very shy.
What am I?
What’s your guess? (Answer: A butterfly!)
6. Simple Games
ChatGPT can lead your child in easy, short games that help with language development. Games like “Guess the Animal” or “What’s the Opposite?” are quick, fun, and ideal for preschool attention spans.
Prompt: Play the game – Guess the animal, with my 5 year old.
ChatGPT: “Great idea! Let’s play “Guess the Animal!” Here’s how it works: I’ll give you some clues, and you can guess which animal I’m talking about.
Clue 1: I have a long trunk and big ears.
Clue 2: I love to eat peanuts.
Clue 3: I’m the largest land animal.
What animal am I?”
“Elephant”
Awesome! Here’s the next one:
Clue 1: I have stripes and I look like a horse.
Clue 2: I live in Africa and often travel in groups.
Clue 3: My stripes are black and white.
What animal am I?
These are just a few ideas. The world of AI is endless. You can do so many more interesting things like creating a quiz on a topic for your preschooler, asking it to give you ideas about what your preschooler can do with a cardboard box, asking it to give your child age – appropriate information about a festival, etc.
Before I end, there’s something important to add. There’s always a danger with using too much technology with preshoolers, so here are a few things to note:
- Stay Involved: Don’t let your child sit alone with AI, always do it with them – besides it being a fun way to interact with your child, it will also ensure that your child is safe.
- Keep Sessions Short: Limit interactions to a few minutes at a time to keep it light and engaging, and also to make sure it doesn’t get addictive.
- Balance with Other Activities: ChatGPT is just one tool in a range of play options, so balance tech time with plenty of offline play.
Hope this post has given you some ideas about how to use AI to engage with your child. Using AI with preschoolers can be an interactive, creative experience that adds a new twist to learning and playtime. Enjoy exploring together!
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