Building Learning Games for Kids
The design principles and considerations behind Emerson's Learning Games - creating educational software for tiny hands.
Designing educational software for young children presents unique challenges that you won’t find in typical app development. In this post, we’ll share some of the principles guiding our work on Emerson’s Learning Games.
Designing for Tiny Hands
Young children interact with touch screens differently than adults. Their motor skills are still developing, which means:
- Large touch targets - Buttons and interactive elements need to be significantly larger than in adult-focused apps
- Forgiving hit areas - We extend the touchable area beyond the visible element
- Simple gestures - Tapping works great; complex swipes and pinch-to-zoom are harder
The Right Kind of Feedback
Kids thrive on positive reinforcement. Every interaction in our games provides immediate, encouraging feedback:
- Sounds that celebrate success without being annoying to parents
- Visual effects that feel rewarding but aren’t overstimulating
- Gentle guidance when things go wrong, never punishment
Learning Through Play
The most important principle: learning should never feel like work. Our games are designed so that:
- The core mechanic is genuinely fun, independent of the educational content
- Learning happens naturally as part of play
- There’s no pressure, no timers (in most games), and no failure states
Parent-Friendly Design
We know our apps will be used by children, but they’re chosen by parents. That means:
- No ads, ever - Children shouldn’t be exposed to advertising
- No in-app purchases - Parents shouldn’t worry about surprise charges
- Offline capability - The app works without an internet connection
- Volume controls - Easy access to sound settings for shared spaces
What We’re Building
Our first collection focuses on fundamental concepts:
- Color recognition - Matching, sorting, and identifying colors
- Shape learning - Recognizing and categorizing basic shapes
- Letter introduction - Phonics-focused alphabet learning
- Number concepts - Counting and number recognition
Each area will have multiple games with varying difficulty levels that adapt to the child’s progress.
Coming Soon
We’re working hard to bring Emerson’s Learning Games to the Google Play Store. Follow our blog for development updates and sneak peeks at what we’re building!