all-in-eco

All-in-Eco is a game that teaches kids from 7-12 to years old the complexities of the earth’s ecosystem. Through gameplay that makes the players themselves actors in a simplified ecosystem, children will be able to recognize what the widespread effects of one simple interaction between two system elements can be. Children will be encouraged to identify with the different actors in their ecosystem and recognize the needs and goals of these different actors. This identification will help them to empathize with human and non-human actors in the world around them.

All-in-Eco is designed to be played in a large open area, preferably out in a natural environment like a forest or park. The game encourages an active and playful mode of learning, in which the players gain knowledge by moving around and assessing their situation as they go. Through playing, the concepts that drive our ecosystem and keep it in balance will become clear.

When a game starts, players are handed a card with a role in one of four factions: Flora, Animals, Humans or Water. Players run around the play area, not knowing the roles of their fellow players. By tagging each other, they are allowed to see each other's cards, but at the risk that the other player's role is a predator or poisonous plant. A faction wins the game if all the players in the faction have been able to find each other.

Our goal with All-in-Eco is to reconnect kids with nature, and to teach them to care for and empathize with the other non-human actors in our ecosystem. In our research we found that there is a structural deficiency in care for the ecosystem in Dutch society. This shows itself in aspects of society from littering the streets to the government's policies. We identified this as a problem of mindset, which we wanted to tackle at a young age, by redefining the skills that are essential for kids in elementary school to learn. All-in-Eco is based on this skillset and teaches it in a playful and fun way.