From Saturday 13 April, these fantasy creatures will be hiding in Magical Park, which is located at the beautiful Gemmel Tassie Reserve, in McLaren Vale.
Ideal for tech-loving children and their families, the virtual reality games encourage children to explore worlds such as Prehistoria, Augmentia and Evergreen, while interacting with the natural environment. There are skills to be learned beyond technology, but the main vision is to get children outdoors, physically active, and socialising with other enthusiasts.
The Healthy Active Lifestyles Onkaparinga (HALO) team has led the initiative with Recreation Services Officer, Gail Burns, saying the new app is “fun and active”.
“Magical Park is developed by Geo AR Games and we’ve partnered with them as a way to target sedentary children – dubbed screenies – who’ve been born into a world of computers, tablets, smartphones and associated technologies,” Gail says.
“We know children won’t stop using their devices, so our aim is to get active by turning one of our local parks into a digital fantasy land.”
All that’s needed is a smart phone or tablet and the free Magical Park app from either the App Store or Google Playstore. From here players will find the geo-boundaries and a selection of worlds and creatures to discover.
For nine-year old, Tyler who got a sneak peek, Magical Park is “the best”. “The games are exciting, and I like playing outside. I want to play here all the time”.
Logan, 10, says the fantasy critters are a highlight. “The games involve finding and rescuing animals, like cats and dinosaurs, which is really good fun, and healthy, because it gets you outside the house to play the games.”
Amber, 13, commended the concept of the fantasy playground, saying the games “are designed to be a lot of fun but they teach you things and you get exercise at the same time. I love it.”
Click here to find out more about Magical Park.
There are tennis courts, a playground, a BMX track, and much more at Gemmel Tassie Reserve. For details click here.
Adult supervision is required to ensure children are safe while playing, and all participants should be careful and look where they are going.