Habitica offers the best way to provide your kids with a positive digital learning experience. Habitica is a popular application among children, as its activities are presented in the form of engaging and attractive challenges. Its rewards and point levels keep the kids interested and ready to do it again.
This piece will examine what Habitica offers and the steps required to get started. We will also discuss how to ensure that you oversee the way your kids use it as they progress.
What is Habitica?
Habitica is an app that helps kids keep track of their habits and manage tasks in an engaging way. While it helps kids manage tasks, it also holds them accountable as they track their progress toward their targets.
It employs a game-based design, making task management both engaging and enjoyable. The primary goal is to incorporate motivation, consistency, and feedback on how children are developing their habits. With every task management, kids develop and sharpen their habits, which parents will later evaluate.
The Deci and Ryan self-determination theory is a psychological framework on how motivation is influenced. It stresses the importance of competence, relatedness, and autonomy as motivators. Autonomy involves having a choice, while competence is the feeling of being capable. On the other hand, relatedness involves forming meaningful connections. These principles help children organize their activities and receive rewards for their efforts.
Parents should also cultivate good digital habits in their children.
Key features of Habitica
The first step in understanding what Habitica has to offer is to familiarize yourself with its features. Each feature has something valuable to offer and positively impacts the lives of kids. However, they’re all used for different purposes.
Task management
When kids use Habitica, they can access tasks such as Dailies, Habits, and To-Do lists. All these provide different ways to manage tasks and promote consistency. Kids can track their progress and receive reminders. After that, they will get rewards when they complete tasks. This idea of getting rewards helps kids develop routines. The routines then shape how they manage their task efficiently and in time. Parents can also get involved to help kids. They can help kids set realistic goals and follow up when they are achieved.
Gamification elements
Habitica has options for tasks in an RPG-like format. This helps kids level up, earn points, complete quests, and achieve their goals. Because it uses gamification, kids feel quickly rewarded when they complete tasks. Without even realizing it, they become engaged and motivated, much like when playing a game. The site also features friendly competition, which encourages children to strive for their best when managing tasks.
Social functionalities
The platform has a way to help kids with social functions. It offers parties, guilds, and challenges to help interact and collaborate. While the social aspect makes the tasks more interesting, it also makes them more about accountability. Kids are able to motivate each other, complete task,s and help each other achieve their goals. This makes it easier to learn and enjoy the tasks.
Benefits of using Habitica for kids
There are many benefits that can be attributed to Habitica. However, each of them serves a different purpose. Everything, like rewards and tasks, helps build consistency and a pattern in managing duties. They also play a role in motivation and accountability. These are some of the benefits that will help you understand Habitica better:
Improved habit formation
Through Habitica, children can easily demonstrate their habits. They are able to make their routines, which they practice every day. Through it, they will be able to follow their activities and see whether they have achieved their objective. Most tasks are enhanced with visual elements, which make them more engaging and enjoyable.
After they have completed a certain task, they are rewarded. This aids in sustaining addiction that will be long-lasting in terms of how they deal with matters. These tasks and routines become an integral part of their way of life over an extended period. And now they are able to do them without reminders.
Enhanced time management
Habitica is the most efficient time management tool to assist your kid. It imparts to children skills that can help with time management. They also come in handy when it comes to prioritizing tasks. As children grow, they learn how to break tasks into smaller steps, helping them stay productive and avoid procrastination.
They accomplish every task they handle by the due date. Most tasks are enhanced with visual elements, which make them more engaging and enjoyable. They are now in a position to achieve a good balance between their personal projects and homework.
Increased self-motivation
When children earn points for completing tasks, it encourages them to keep going. The points motivate them to improve and strive for more rewards as recognition for their efforts. These points make them feel that they have accomplished something, which gives them relief and satisfaction. What motivated kids even more is that tasks in Habitica are presented in an enjoyable manner. After some time, children will no longer need motivation to undertake these tasks. They will feel an intrinsic duty to follow up on their tasks.
Social engagement and accountability
Social engagement is one way to make kids accountable for their tasks. They can offer support to one another to ensure that everybody accomplishes their goals on time. This makes them accountable to each other.
It also brings unity as they can help those who have difficulty seeing through their projects. Through social interactions, there’s also healthy competition that can motivate kids to strive for improvement. Once they gain a grip on their activities, they become competitive and take responsibility for their actions.
Setting up Habitica for children
A study in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics highlights the importance of content and parental supervision in ensuring age-appropriate material. Children under 6 are not allowed to spend a lot of time on screens, while those over 6 can use educational applications like Habitica freely. This is how you can get started with Habitica:
Step 1. Get Habitica in the App Store (iOS) or on Google Play (Android).
Sign in using a parent-monitored email address to be safe.
Step 2. Choose a fun, non-threatening username and avatar images that do not reveal any personal information.
Customize who can see my progress, join parties, or send messages.
Input Habits, Daily Tasks, and to-do Lists that align well with the child’s age and schedule.
Step 3. Parents are advised to review tasks, rewards, and social interactions periodically.
Describe the use of points, experience, and in-game rewards in order to encourage completion.
Help children follow through, monitor their progress, and celebrate their accomplishments.
How parents can help kids use Habitica healthily
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AACP), children 6 years and above should have 1-2 hours of recreational screen time per day. It shows that excessive screen time use affects sleep, physical activity, and behavior. That makes the issue of online access one to be aware of. It also means that parents need to find ways to help kids use Habitica in a healthy manner. Here are some ways parents can stay ahead and promote healthy use of Habitica:
Limit screen time with monitoring tools
Without proper supervision, many children can become engrossed in apps like Habitica. This can lead to sleeplessness, low activity, and a shorter attention span. Social skills and school performance can also be affected due to excessive use. It implies that parents require effective parental control to help manage their children’s digital access.
An app that may be useful in such a scenario is FlashGet Kids. It also has additional features, such as screen time, that can be used to limit the time your children can spend on their devices. After the time has passed, the screen time tool will make sure that the screen has been locked. This will help children put down their devices and focus on other aspects of their lives.
Guide task creation and rewards
Parents should help children develop age-appropriate tasks and rewards in Habitica. This makes activities doable and encouraging. Children also learn planning, responsibility, and self-discipline as they review together with their parents. Adequate instructions would help prevent children from becoming overwhelmed and abusing the app.
Engage and discuss progress
When parents co-play or review their children’s Habitica progress, they become engaged in the learning process. Discussing success and problem-solving fosters self-motivation and responsibility. These discussions allow parents to explain a balance between online and real-life commitments. It is an effective way to help them grow healthy and strengthen good habits.
FAQs about Habitica
Users can receive gems through tasks, quests, and daily bonuses. However, you can also get Gems by visiting their online shop. With gems, users can get rewards, equipment, and more.
Tap on your profile and go to the Class option. Then pick a new course once you’ve upgraded your level requirement. This will give options to different skill sets that are valuable.
Find friends using their usernames or email addresses and request to be their friend. Accept party and guild invitations. By playing together, there is a fostering aspect of teamwork and good social interaction in a safe manner.
Conclusion
As you have seen, Habitica has a positive impact on children. It encourages them to manage tasks and time better. Habitica is also interesting and enjoyable through the rewards offered after completing a task. Parents should encourage the use of Habitica, as it helps shape patterns, foster interest in tasks, and promote accountability.
That does not mean that kids should be left unsupervised. Parents should ensure kids don’t have excessive screen time by using apps like FlashGet Kids. This app ensures that kids use Habitica responsibly and don’t spend too much time on their devices.
