Would you trust a game that sends your children off the screen?

[MossIslandGame]

Hello Mumsnet, posting via the Non-member requests board, fee paid.

We're a design studio called Hue & Heal, and we've designed a game for children aged 5 to 15 called Moss Island. We'd really value honest views from parents while it's still early.

Instead of keeping children on the screen, it deals them quests to do in real life: build the best den they can, make a grown-up a drink without being asked, hide five kind notes for people to find. Each quest builds a named skill, like teamwork or patience, and a grown-up approves it once it's done.

There are no ads, no chat and no strangers.

Our mission is more joy and more of childhood lived off screens, with children who look out for others. A few of the types of quests built around that:

Calendar quests: festivals and awareness weeks arrive as quests, so children learn what the people around them are celebrating or going through, and do something kind about it.

Showdowns: every school holiday brings one, five a year. Children take on the season's challenge.

Together quests: made for brothers and sisters to do as a team, so they're on the same side.

The images show these far better than we can describe them.

Three things we'd love your honest answers on:

1. What would make you trust something like this with your children?
2. What would put you off straight away?
3. Would your children actually go and do a quest, or would it become one more thing to nag about?

If you'd like a look before answering, it's at mossislandgame.com/mumsnet, We look forward to hearing what you have to say.

We're also offering a free month to anyone who wants to try it, and a year to anyone who joins our founding family research programme.

Thank you.

Why do parents need to outsource ‘why don’t you make a den’ to an app? And pay for it! And then mark it as complete!

What problem are you trying to solve? A book would be a far better media for encouraging non-screen activities than an app surely?

5-15 is a very wide age range. Are there different modes in the game for different ages?

Generally I dislike the idea of an app for this, I wouldn't let a 5yo use a phone full stop, and the ideas don't seem particularly interesting or new. There are lots of books with rainy day ideas, quests etc, and I'd be more likely to use something like that (especially as once a child is on the phone half the battle is lost).

I would love something like this by post- a fun pack delivered at the start of every school holiday with quests, charts, stickers, craft things etc etc- and things in the post are always exciting. But that's obviously a completely different idea to the proposal.

Thanks both @titchy @Toomuchturron , really glad you asked, because it’s what we asked ourselves too!

A book is great, but we wanted something that keeps surprising children and evolving. Being digital is what makes that possible. Moss asks how they’re feeling each day and deals quests to fit that emotion, and new quests arrive with festivals, school holidays, trips and more. It's a growing world.

@Toomuchturron, you’re right that 5 to 15 is wide, so quests change with age: some are only for older children, and younger ones get simpler steps. And a 5 year old doesn’t need a phone of their own. One family phone is enough: each child taps their own Moss, picks a quest, and off they go. There are no ads and no chat, and all the fun happens away from the screen.

We also love your idea of something exciting through the post! We plan to add physical cards as special extensions once the game is more established, so that’s really useful to hear.

The best way to get a feel is to play it, and it needn’t cost a penny. The everyday deck has 200 quests that stay free, with no card needed. Tell us what you think if you try it, we’d really love to know, even if a book still wins!

personally I would not, “mum I need help to perform a quest on this” every day would drive me insane. I’d rather be in control of what I do with my kid over an app.

my son is about to be 3 and I don't plan to have him accessing a screen himself at 5.

Suspect OP doesn’t have any kids of their own!

@Mulledjuice that makes complete sense, and it isn't what we have in mind at that age. At 5, a grown-up uses their own phone to share a quest with their child, and then the phone goes away. As children get older they can do more of it themselves, which is why the age range is so wide. Would you feel differently about a 10 to 15 year old?

It feels like a more parent led version of getting your child involved in Girlguiding or Scouting.

This exactly. My primary age child has limited screen time when I want her out of my hair for a bit, and I can't see her doing a lot of this stuff independently. And I can already imagine the eye roll if I suggested such a thing to my 14 year old.

Yes but at 5 I dont want the phone to be brought out at all if not necessary. i assume you've looked at yoto for how they approach a digital but screen-free entertainment?

I don't presume to know how I will parent a 10 or 15 year old!
15 year old certainly I'd expect to have independent, albeit limited, use of the device when they are on it - you'd need a way to pull them into the app so they then got off the phone (I have ADHD and phone use is definitely an issue for me) that was acceptable to teen and parents, otherwise they'll just disappear into tiktok or whatever.

10 yo I'm less clear on how it would work.

I definitely applaud the aim - I spend far too much unproductive time on my phone, absolutely want my son on it as little as possible, and save items from instagram etc with ideas for offline fun.

I don't want or need more things I am responsibility to sort sharing quests or be updated with. Enough of that.

Isn't it teaching them that entertainment/imagination does revolve around screens and apps though? I think most parents are (hopefully) trying to get away from that.

further thought - we receive Imagination Library books for my son. He loves receiving something through the post with his name on. I think that supports engagement and also other caregivers (grandparents, babysitters) facilitating the quest.

I am open to this idea and would give it a go with my 4 and 6 year olds.

No. DD8 is screen free and I love seeing her creative play.

"Moss asks how they’re feeling each day and deals quests to fit that emotion"
For that to work DD would have to be on the app every day and interacting with it. No.

It’s a bit like a digital version of the National Trust’s ‘things you need to do before you turn 11’. It’s a booklet with stickers and is lovely. I quite like the emerging independence ideas, but we struggle with screen use here. He wasn’t allowed near one and only got a kindle at 7or8.
The only thing we might do is have a treasure/scavenger hunt where the screen is left on the table with a timer counting down, and more of a race for everyone to chip in and find/do something. So the teen makes hot chocolate for everyone whilst the 7 year old completes a physical challenge and the 5 year old collects something orange, blue and red that are manmade, natural and/or edible for instance. When you complete your challenge, you press the button to complete it and are given the next challenge. Obviously you put in the amount of players and their ages.