Inspired by the traditional children’s game “hopscotch,” Phan Nguyễn Châu Anh devised a concept for mobile scoring squares that won third place in the National Youth and Children’s Creative Competition 2023.
The front yard of a kindergarten in Trảng Dài Ward, Biên Hòa City, was bustling as Châu Anh, a fourth-grade student from Nguyễn Thái Học Primary School, guided younger children in participating in a physical activity game using squares made from artificial grass.
The activity game with children is a product co-created by Châu Anh and three other classmates, recently awarded third place in the National Youth and Children’s Creative Competition 2023.
While many children are drawn to gaming and watching dance videos on their phones, Châu Anh and her friends prefer traditional games like “ô ăn quan” (a Vietnamese board game), hopscotch, jump rope, and playing with bamboo sticks. From the hopscotch game, Châu Anh got the idea to create movable squares to be played anywhere.
The model combines mechanical elements and electronic lighting with six rectangular squares measuring 90 cm in length, 60 cm in width, and 5 cm in height, made from rubber bases and topped with artificial grass. The squares are encircled with LED lights, which illuminate unexpectedly when activated. Players must jump onto the squares that light up. The product features a scoring system that deducts points from 10 to 0. If a player jumps incorrectly within 60 seconds, points are deducted. The player who reaches 10 points by the end of the time wins.
Model of the Activity Game with Children created by students from Nguyễn Thái Học Primary School, Biên Hòa. (Photo: Phước Tuấn).
The idea was proposed by Châu Anh and enthusiastically supported by her friends. However, turning the idea into reality required guidance from teachers and parents to refine the mechanical and electronic components. “After a period of working and adjusting, the group completed the playset designed for children to enjoy in limited spaces and anywhere. With this game, children are more excited than when they hold their mobile phones to play games or watch movies,” said Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Phương Anh, the teacher guiding the group.
Students from Nguyễn Thái Học Primary School with their guiding teacher. (Photo: Phước Tuấn).
Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Dung, Principal of Nguyễn Thái Học Primary School, noted that Châu Anh’s group’s playset has high practicality and can be applied in kindergartens and primary schools in the area at a low cost and with great effectiveness.
“The school implements activities every year to encourage students to express their creative passions in both learning and play. From students’ ideas and solutions, teachers will guide them to refine products to be more relevant to real life,” Mrs. Dung stated.
The model is currently being regularly used in a primary school in Trảng Dài Ward, Biên Hòa City, for preschool children.
Creativity Born from Love for the Sea and Islands
Also participating in the competition, the group of Tạ Quang Vỹ (Nguyễn Công Trứ Middle School) and Nguyễn Hoàng Thiên Ân (Ngô Sĩ Liên High School) from Trảng Bom District won second place with their product A Library of Marine Life by Water Depth.
The idea from Vỹ and Ân arose from their passion for the ocean and their desire to create a learning model that helps students reduce their use of mobile phones.
The library features a model of 10 water depths ranging from 60 to 7,900 meters, with each depth corresponding to a question about marine life at that level. Each question has three multiple-choice answers for players to select. When answered correctly, the system displays the correct answer along with information about that marine organism.
“If the answer is still incorrect after two attempts, the machine will automatically display the remaining correct answer with full information and images,” Vỹ explained, adding that the model includes both Vietnamese and English languages to help students improve their foreign language skills.
To realize their idea, Vỹ’s group faced many challenges regarding sensor knowledge, control microcircuits, technical structures, assembling components, and controlling devices. To implement it, they researched online, read books, and received guidance from teachers. The initial assembled product experienced many issues. “We reviewed and gradually fixed any missing parts, and after several tests, we felt it was stable enough to compile the knowledge,” Thiên Ân shared.
Thiên Ân and Vỹ beside the Library of Marine Life by Water Depth model. (Photo: Phước Tuấn).
Mr. Thân Trúc Điệp, Vice Principal of Nguyễn Công Trứ Middle School and the supervising teacher, praised the creative research spirit of the two students.
He stated that the product is useful, but it currently has only 10 questions. In the future, it could be further developed for use in visual biology lessons or extracurricular activities.
“The creativity of the students lies in creating a product that combines play and learning, helping students develop a love for the ocean, which can also integrate knowledge about the sea, islands, and sovereignty into their education,” Mr. Điệp noted, adding that the product costs approximately one million VND.
Mr. Điệp also mentioned that to nurture students’ creative passions, the school has established a scientific and technical innovation club where students can propose ideas and solutions for learning and life. Through this process, students apply their learned knowledge to solve real-world problems, understanding the significance of knowledge.
The 19th National Youth and Children’s Creative Competition 2023 features five categories: educational tools; software; environmentally friendly products; household items and children’s toys; technical solutions to address climate change, protect the environment, and promote economic development. The competition is organized annually by the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technical Associations, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
This year, the organizing committee awarded one special prize, five first prizes, ten second prizes, thirty third prizes, and sixty encouragement prizes. The special prize went to a project on folk music information by a group of students from Cầu Giấy Middle School, Hanoi. In addition to cash rewards, the winners receive certificates of merit from the Vietnam Fund for Technical Innovation Support (Vifotec).
