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How an Aussie Dad Stopped his Kids from Spending Hours on the Computer A father managed to get his kids off their screens and spend time outside cleaning up beaches and parks in a move that "immediately led to them becoming more active and engaged'. Sydney father Jon Owen, 47, came up with the idea while watching a nature documentary with his kids Molly 10, and Eve, 8. He started by taking his children and their friends to the beach where they would take on different projects. One day the kids went to Bondi and picked up trash at the basketball courts. Daily Mail Australia's Owen said that the kids were so excited, it became a game to see who could pick up more. Mr. Owen said that his kids, Eve, 8 (pictured at Bondi's basketball courts) and Molly (10 (pictured second from right) are so excited about the projects that he has given them. The app lets kids take on real-world challenges such as gardening, making bird boxes, worm farms, and even frog hotels. Two-time dad said he noticed a difference in his kids 'instantly when he started giving them mini-projects. Mr Owen also challenged the children with challenges such as making a meal from leftovers or making a project using old clothes. Minecraft Packs He noticed positive changes in his children "absolutely instantly" with the added benefit of educating children about responsibility and making them more environmentally conscious in a fun way. Jon Owen (pictured) stated that he would like to make it enjoyable for children to learn to live sustainably. Mr Owen decided that he would invest in the education of children in primary schools in Australia have the same experience. Genus was founded by him in collaboration with other entrepreneurs. Genus is a tech startup that created an app that 'enables children to undertake real-world tasks and acquire valuable life skills. The Genus app is being trailed in 40 schools across Australia and serves as a platform to take children out to work on environmental projects. Some of them include creating worm farms, frog hotels, bird boxes and doing arts and crafts with the app demonstrating to how to make it. Once the 'mission' is completed, they upload the images to the app prior to going to the next stage. Mr Owen developed the app as an environmentally friendly and educational answer to the games that kids are engrossed in such as Minecraft and Fortnite. It also offers word searches and quizzes that incorporate environmental themes. There are also exercises where students can make use of math to calculate how much soft material they can save from landfill. Tragic twist: High school classmates become legends of the sport after a note was found at the site of an... Owen stated that it was all about taking children on an adventure that has an immediate benefit. 'Saving the planet has always been seen as boring and hard... Genus is making sustainability fun for kids", Mr Owen said. Owen acknowledges that today's children are raised in a digital age. However, it is crucial to maintain a healthy balance that encourages kids to be active and to get dirty. The app is free to schools, but after 2023 it will cost kids two dollars per year. Genus's aim is to use technology to solve real-world issues and plans to crowdfund the idea to further build the application. Minecraft Packs
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