Screen-Free Summer + Season 2 Recap and Finale

Curious about raising AI-literate kids without more screen time? Our Season Two finale delivers a thoughtful recap of our AI journey while offering creative ways to keep the learning going all summer long.

We've explored the fascinating world of artificial intelligence through conversations with remarkable guests who bring diverse perspectives to children's AI education. Each guest reinforced our core belief: understanding technology doesn't require endless screen time, it requires curiosity and creativity.

This episode includes a treasure trove of screen-free summer activities to reinforce AI concepts through play. Design and build your dream AI helper using art supplies or building blocks. Go on an AI scavenger hunt that mimics how computer vision works. Host a family "prompt game night" where everyone takes turns creating imaginative AI instructions. These activities transform abstract technological concepts into hands-on experiences kids can enjoy away from devices. We've even included a quick quiz to test how much you've learned about AI fundamentals throughout the season!

Looking ahead, mark your calendars for September 2nd when Season Three launches with fresh perspectives and activities. 

We're also thrilled to announce our upcoming AiDigiCards, starting with the ABCs of AI Activity Deck for ages 4-8—another way families can explore technology concepts without screens. Get on the waitlist here: https://www.aidigicards.com/

Sign up for our free newsletter for bi-weekly activities to keep the learning going all summer. Newsletter here: https://aidigitales.com/newsletter

Remember, our mission isn't just about technology education—it's about "letting kids be kids, not robots." We're raising a generation that doesn't just use technology, but truly understands it while preserving the wonder and joy of childhood. Thanks for bringing us into your homes, classrooms, and family routines, we can't wait to continue this journey with you!

Chapters

• 0:58 Welcome to AI for Kids Podcast
• 1:28 Season Two Finale Highlights
• 2:49 Screen-Free Summer AI Activities
• 5:03 AI Summer Quiz Challenge
• 6:53 Newsletter and AI DigiCards Preview
• 8:12 Season Three Announcement

Transcript

Amber Ivey (AI): 0:29

Welcome to the AI for Kids podcast, the podcast for moms, aunties and teachers who want the kids they love to understand AI without more screen time. We keep it simple, safe and fun. No tech degree required. Each episode breaks down AI ideas and includes activities to help kids use AI in ways that keep them curious and creative. No pressure, no overwhelm, no extra screens, just clear, engaging learning you can feel good about. Let's get started. Hey there, kids, welcome to our season two finale of the AI for Kids podcast. I'm your host, amber Ivey, aka AI, and I just wanted to say wow, what a season we've had this year. We've been on a journey together this season. I really appreciate you all for joining me and going along, whether you've been listening from the beginning or just found us. I am so happy you're here.

Amber Ivey (AI): 1:24

This season was packed with curiosity, creativity and community just the way we want learning about AI to be. We've explored how AI works, why it matters and how kids like you are already leading the way in thinking about the future of AI and already using it and interacting with these tools. We met some incredible guests along the way. Terysa Ridgeway, a rocket scientist turned children's book author, reminded us that tech is for everyone and that coding can be fun. Reed Coke, an AI engineer and longtime teacher, made tricky topics like neural networks super simple to understand. Kashvi Mittal, a teen advocate, showed us how young people are using AI to drive change in their schools and communities and how she's bringing AI literacy to kids for free. And Dipti Bidet, founder of LittleLit, talked about the power of storytelling and how families can explore AI through everyday moments and what it means to be AI literate as a kid. We also tackled some pretty big questions like what is a prompt and why does it matter? Can AI help us feel better or even relax? Is Apple's new AI safe for kids? And how can AI be smart but still not really truly understand us? There's a lot to explore. So if you're just joining us, go check out the over 40 episodes we released across season one and season two.

Amber Ivey (AI): 2:47

We've got something for all kids, from playful ABCs to deeper conversations for curious tweens and teens. And since it's summertime, you might be wondering how do I keep learning without spending all day on a screen? One get outside, get away from these computers, get away from these screens and go enjoy yourself. If you need some screen-free activities to try this summer I got you One is design your own dream AI helper. So draw it, sculpt it or build a model of your very own AI robot or AI assistant. What would it do? Would it help you with homework? Would it tell jokes, translate languages, give it a funny name, write a little story about it and share it with friends and family. Also, feel free to build it. If you have a robot kit or Legos, or even cardboard boxes, build it and share it with your friends.

Amber Ivey (AI): 3:38

Next, I want you to go on an AI scavenger hunt. Pretend you either have AI vision and can search your home or neighborhood for items based on shape, color or pattern, like something red and round or shiny and square. This helps you understand how AI learns to recognize objects, just like you did in the game. Another version of this game is to take time over the summer to identify different things you see that are now using AI and keeping a catalog of those to see how AI is changing and becoming a part of your everyday life. Last but not least, feel free to host a family prompt game night. Right, take turns giving each other prompts like tell a bedtime story about a pizza that wants to be a hero and respond like an AI would. It's silly, fun and teaches how important clarity is when talking to these AI systems. Now I want to see how much you remember with a quick AI for Kids summer quiz.

Amber Ivey (AI): 4:34

What does AI stand for? Take a second, shout it out. Ok, now, what is a prompt? Explain it in a way that your little sister or cousin could understand. Make it really easy. Ok, what kind of AI learns from rewards? Now, can AI have feelings? And then, last but of course not least, name one guest you met this season. Name one guest you met this season. Okay, I hope you shouted out your answers. Now let's see if you got them right. What does AI stand for? Ai stands for artificial intelligence. Of course, all of you should have got that one right, especially if you've been a listener. If you didn't get it right, feel free to start with episode one and we'll get you right to where you need to be. What is a prompt? A prompt is what you say or type to tell AI what to do. That's the most basic way to explain it. Did you get that one right? What kind of AI learns from rewards? It's reinforcement learning, remember we talked about that in a previous episode. And can AI have feelings? Nope, ai doesn't feel, even if it sounds like it can, at least today it doesn't feel. We'll see what happens in the future. And then, last but not least, name one guest we met this season. You could have named Tersa, kashvi, reed or Dipti, which I named earlier in the episode, and that would be a great job. You get bonus points if you name any other guests that were not in the list.

Amber Ivey (AI): 6:22

And real quick for grownups. If you want to keep your kids learning this summer without adding more screen time, sign up for our free bi-weekly newsletter at aidigitales. com backslash newsletter. I put the link in the show notes. You'll get fun screen-free activities that teach AI concepts, simple updates on what's happening in the world of AI or even conversation starters for the dinner table or the drive to camp this summer.

Amber Ivey (AI): 6:48

Oh, and one more thing we're launching something super exciting this fall. It's called Ai DigiCards and we're kicking it off with the ABCs of AI Activity Deck, where your kid will be able to learn about AI through games, stories, hands-on challenges, and this first deck is made for kids aged four to eight. It's totally screen-free to start. It's designed in a way that helps kids understand this concept in an easy way, and it allows them to learn about technology without being glued to a tablet or a smartphone, and even if you don't know much about tech for yourself, it's also easy for parents, teachers and caregivers to use. So if you want to be one of the first to get a set, join the waitlist at aidigicards. com. That's A-I-D-I-G-I-C-A-R-D-S com, so you don't miss out. I've also dropped the link in the show notes, so you don't miss out. I've also dropped the link in the show notes.

Amber Ivey (AI): 7:41

And finally, kids and parents, mark your calendars. We'll be back with season three on September 2nd of this year, with new guests, new stories, new activities and more ways to help you feel confident about living in a world filled with AI, whether it was your bedtime routine, your classroom breaks or long car rides. Thank you for bringing us into your lives and into your homes and into your classrooms. We appreciate it so much. You're helping raise a generation that doesn't just use technology, that actually understands it and creates with it. I want you all to have the best summer ever. Stay curious, stay kind and remember let kids be kids, not robots. Bye for now, and we'll see you in September. And always stay curious, bye-bye. Thank you for joining us as we explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. Don't keep this adventure to yourself. Download it, share it with your friends and let everyone else in on the fun. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. See you next time on AI for Kids.