Community Corner
Do Your West Orange Kids Use Apps to Learn? Well Now They Can
The Red Cross launches an app to help children ages 7 through 11 learn emergency preparedness while playing a game as monster characters.
The free app, “Monster Guard: Prepare for Emergencies,” is a game designed to help children to learn how to prevent emergencies, such as home fires, and what to do if severe weather or natural disasters occur.
Set in the “Monster Guard Academy,” the your child is a recruit who trains to prepare for disasters and practice what to do if one happens. Kids can role-play as various monster characters, go through the initiation and engage in interactive training episodes for hazards such as home fires, floods and hurricanes. If your child completes all the episodes, he or she will graduate and become a member of the “Monster Guard.”
“Monster Guard teaches emergency preparedness while young players are having fun,” said Mathieu Nelessen, regional CEO, American Red Cross North Jersey Region. “The game provides an exciting and interactive way for children to learn about preparedness as they direct the monsters to identify fire hazards, practice an escape plan, select items for an emergency kit and more.”
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Do you think this app is a good idea? Would you let your children learn about preparing for disasters using the app? Let us know in the comments!
The best user experience is playing the game on a tablet, but it also works well on other mobile devices. Monster Guard runs on iOS 7 and 8 and Android OS 4x and up.
You can go to redcross.org/monsterguard or text ‘MONSTER’ to 90999 for a direct link to download the app.
Find out what's happening in West Orangefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Monster Guard App game is a complement to The Pillowcase Project, a free Red Cross youth preparedness initiative, for 8- to 11-year-olds, designed to increase children’s awareness and understanding of natural hazards and reduce their fears. Participants learn safety and emotional coping skills, and personal emergency preparedness skills. Information on The Pillowcase Project is available atredcross.org/prepare. The app and The Pillowcase Project are both sponsored by Disney.
People can download the apps by searching for Red Cross in their mobile app store or by going to redcross.org/apps.
image via gettyimages
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