Educational game company Atlas Mission launches COVID-19 handwashing game

Educational game company Atlas Mission, in conjunction with Bengaluru-based non-profit Learning Yogi Foundation, has launched an innovative and engaging free online game to teach children around the world how to wash their hands effectively.

The interactive game, which aims to help stop the spread of COVID-19, is based on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) handwashing recommendations.

Through the power of play, Super Iris Beats Coronavirus teaches children in a non-threatening and reassuring manner about COVID-19, and the importance of handwashing to help prevent the spread of the virus. The game’s central figure, Super Iris, encourages kids to wash their hands regularly by showing where germs can hide and providing clear, guided instructions and hands-on learning on how to wash these germs away.

Atlas Mission’s co-founders and the game’s creators, Rubia Braun and Sumantra Roy, experts at crafting games that combine play with a learning objective, developed this game to furnish parents with the perfect tool to help young children and families stay safe during this pandemic. The award-winning children's educational game’s immersive directives are both educational and entertaining, holding kids' attention and motivating them to figure out the proper way to wash their hands.

According to the founders, children not only learn core curricular skills like reading, writing, and STEM, but also the key 21st century skills that they will need in the future - things like creativity, problem solving, and coding.

The Learning Yogi Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide children living in underprivileged communities in India with easy access to high-quality education opportunities. Learning Yogi is also advised by Rahul Tadimala, the partner at RSVP Capital Advisors.

Braun and Roy say they recognised play and exploration as powerful tools to educate children on the vital importance of handwashing. "Given the urgency of the situation, several members of our team worked night and day for a week to create the game,” said Roy.

Research clearly demonstrates that children are highly motivated to learn when they are having fun.

“When the coronavirus situation started escalating a few weeks ago, we spoke to a number of parents around the world who were concerned about how to teach their children to wash their hands properly and regularly. We realised that we could do our bit to help stop the virus by creating a fun and free game that would teach kids how to do just that. And that's how the Super Iris Beats Coronavirus game was born," says Braun.

By making the game available free of cost world-wide, the Atlas Mission hopes to help save lives and contribute to flattening the curve.