Like many kids today, my nieces and nephews—aged 7 to 13—are glued to their screens. Whether it's YouTube, TikTok, or mobile games, the digital world often takes over their attention. And while I’m not against technology (after all, I’m a tech founder myself), I’ve always believed that kids deserve something more magical—something that sparks curiosity, movement, and real-world exploration.
That’s when the idea struck me: why not use Destplore, the platform I co-founded, to create an educational outdoor game just for them?
My niece and nephew enjoyed playing Destplore with their dad.
The Idea: A Universe Adventure in Our Local Park
Turn Any Place into a Magical Playground with Destplore.
We were all spending the weekend in my hometown, where there’s a lovely local park called TNR Stars. The name alone—Stars!—was enough to get my imagination going. Kids love space: planets, galaxies, aliens, rocket ships. So I thought, what if I designed a game where they became space explorers on a mission, using clues hidden in the park to "unlock" knowledge about the universe?
I started walking around the park with new eyes—just like a kid would. I noticed everything: signs, statues, the patterns on electric boxes, the shape of light poles, even how many windows a nearby house had or the design of the small bridge over a pond. All these little details became the foundation of my game.
Building the Game: Turning the Park into a Puzzle
Using Destplore’s creator tools, I built a quest where the kids had to read questions and riddles on the app, then find answers hidden in the real world. They needed to count, observe, decode, and sometimes think a little deeper about what they were seeing. It wasn’t about speed—it was about awareness.
They still had to use their phones to read the prompts, but for once, they were looking up, not down. Running from one clue to the next. Debating with each other. Cheering when they figured something out. Laughing when they got it wrong.
Screenshot of the creator tool - Adventure can be in any language.
The Game Day: 6 Explorers, 2 Teams, 1 Mission
On game day, we split into two teams of three—kids and their parents mixed together—and kicked off the adventure. Both teams were excited and competitive, racing across the park like tiny astronauts on a cosmic scavenger hunt.
What surprised me most was how engaged everyone was—not just the kids, but the adults too. It took about an hour and a half for both teams to complete the full adventure, and they finished just one minute apart! It was a photo finish, but the real win was seeing all six of them smiling, sweaty, and full of stories to tell.
Certificate after completing the adventure.
Why This Matters
That afternoon reminded me why I built Destplore in the first place. It’s not just about travel or tech—it’s about connection. Between people and places. Between stories and surroundings. Between kids and their imagination.
Video my niece and nephew enjoys playing Destplore Adventure at TNR STARS
It doesn’t take much to spark curiosity. Just a little creativity, a walk around the park, and a willingness to look a little closer.
Want to Try This Too?
If you're a parent, teacher, or just someone who loves the idea of helping kids rediscover the world around them, you can do this too. Use Destplore to create your own adventure—whether it's space-themed like mine, or focused on nature, history, or your neighborhood’s hidden stories.
You don’t need fancy tools. Just your phone, a bit of time, and the belief that real adventures are just outside the door.
👉 Learn how to create your own adventure
#OutdoorAdventure #LearningThroughPlay #DigitalDetoxForKids #FamilyExploration #DestploreJourney
