"Alexa?" she said shyly.
No response.
"Alexa" she repeated with more rigour.
No response.
"Alexa!" she commanded.
Our Amazon dot lights up.
"Play twinkle, twinkle little star" she requested.
"Playing twinkle, twinkle little star" said Alexa.
Her eyes light up, her expression is of excitement and disbelief. She dances and smiles. She looks curiously at the lights flashing around the rim of the Dot.
This was the beginning of many conversations our 4 year old has had over the last couple of months. "Alexa, How are you?" "Alexa, Hello" "Alexa, Bye". Then inevitably a few days into having an Amazon Dot in our home our daughter asks us "Who is Alexa?".
My husband gives a brief explanation but our daughter wants to know more. She asks lots of questions and confirms her knowledge on Alexa with her friends and teachers in school. Another few days pass by and our daughter announces that she wants to learn how to program!
It's not a coincidence that she wants to code as she had experienced a moment of wonder and delight by conversing with Alexa. She realised that magical things can be created through programming and she wants in on the action.
A moment of wonder is a powerful, informative experience. Think to when you were a kid or an adult for that matter and had a moment of delight or wonder. Can we make delight and wonder a part of the products we're making?
Aisha Yusaf is a serial entrepreneur & designer making a magical camera for kids @TeamPeeka Previously founded Said.fm & The Super Times