One of the joys we’ve found as we’ve developed inQubi Virtual Pets is considering how we can create an opportunity for parents to use them as learning tools for their children.
Taking care of pets has been proven to help children develop social skills and life skills that transcend the home environment they grow up in. However, there are many factors that make owning a pet difficult or impossible, such as rules against owning a pet in a rented home/flat, vet and food expenses, lack of time at home, and more.
Owning a real pet means you have to consider whether your child is mature and gentle enough to care for one of their own – and if they are unable to, the responsibility undoubtedly falls back on your shoulders.
So, if you’re considering adopting a real pet or would love to but can’t, we’d like to propose that you use inQubi as a resource for your child to learn, grow, and experience the companionship a pet can provide. The following explains our rationale and how it can work.
Why Pets Are Important to Children
Children raised with pets have been proven to reap many benefits including:
● Increased self-esteem and self-confidence
● Building trust with others
● Stronger non-verbal communication skills
● Increased compassion and empathy
● A deeper connection to nature
● Stronger sense of responsibility
● Greater respect for living things
Of course, not all children can have pets, which can be quite devastating for those who love them so much.
Thankfully, inQubi is an excellent substitute, making it possible for children to learn many of the above life skills. Plus, if they have a love for exotic animals, it makes the experience even more exciting.
Now, they can experience the joy of caring for an octopus, a giraffe, a sheep, an owl, a penguin, and more, while learning all about their personalities, what’s needed to care for them, and more.
How inQubi Works for Kids
When you adopt an inQubi with your child, you will be immediately tasked with caring for them.
This means feeding and playing with them and then going on learning adventures along the way.
So, not only will your child learn about caring for them from a physical standpoint, but they’ll also learn about scientific principles during their adventures. For example, they may learn about gravity, what various planets are composed of, specifics about the animals they’re caring for, and more.
It all starts when you adopt Flappy the flapjack octopus. He’s our mascot and the official pioneer of the inQubi. Downloading our app and adopting Flappy is 100% free.
Your child will learn all about caring for an octopus. They’ll also go through learning experiences and unlock new experiences and games as they care for their pet.
It’s also important to mention that other animals will be available for purchase when you download the app. If there is another animal your child wants to care for from the outset, you have the ability to purchase them, but this is not a requirement.
In fact, you can make this an important part of the learning experience for your child.
Over time, they will be able to unlock other animals, but only after earning them by caring for Flappy and the other animals they unlock over time.
The concept of earning their future animals offers a lesson in delayed gratification, which is a hugely valuable skill that we all need for success.
Tips for Making the inQubi Learning Experience Powerful
We strongly recommend that you play an active role in the inQubi experience. Why not adopt an inQubi of your own and share your experiences with each other?
This can open up all sorts of conversations surrounding how carefully you’ve cared for your pet, what you’ve learned through your inQubi adventures, how far you’ve progressed, and more.
Plus, you can have fun accessorising your pets and comparing your sense of style.
We strongly believe that parents/guardians are the most important role models a child can have – and they will learn responsible pet ownership by observing your behaviour.
How to Get Started
All you have to do at launch (which we’re expecting mid-February) is to download the inQubi Companion App and you’ll be on your way!
Also, click here if you’d like to see the full collection of pets, our project roadmap, and more.
