Most children use AI every day without realising it. This activity turns the house into a hunting ground and gets children asking the most important AI question: is this just following instructions, or is it learning from data?
- Ages: 7–12
- Time: 30 minutes
- Skill: Recognising AI in everyday life
What you need
- Paper and a pencil
- Access to household devices with a parent
Step by step
- Make a checklist. Write "AI", "Not AI" and "Not sure" at the top of a page.
- Explore the house. Look at phones, TVs, speakers, apps, games, a calculator, a microwave, a light switch.
- Ask the key question. Does it learn from data or make predictions? Or does it just follow fixed instructions?
- Sort each item. Video recommendations and voice assistants: AI. A calculator or a light switch: not AI.
- Discuss the "not sure" list. Talk through the tricky ones together.
- Pick a favourite. Choose one AI example and guess what data it might have learned from.
Answers to expect
| Item | AI? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Video or music recommendations | Yes | Learns from what you watch or listen to |
| Voice assistant | Yes | Recognises speech and predicts answers |
| Phone face unlock | Yes | Learned to recognise faces |
| Calculator | No | Follows fixed rules |
| Microwave timer | No | Follows fixed instructions |
What your child learns
To notice AI in everyday life and understand the difference between fixed instructions and learning from data: the first step in AI literacy.
This activity is a taste of our free AI Explorers workshop (ages 7–10). Older children can take Artificial Intelligence for Kids.
More free activities for kids
- Spot the AI mistake: a fact-checking activity for kids
- Decision tree guessing game: an AI and logic activity for kids
- Family AI rules poster: an AI safety activity for kids
- Robot sandwich: an unplugged coding activity for kids
- Grid maze directions: a coding activity without a computer
- Loop dance routine: learn coding loops by moving
- All free activities for kids →