Summer is here and technology has failed my house. We're a couple of weeks in and already the kids are glassy-eyed, having plowed through the new video games that they swore they were going to play all summer. They've binge watched all the shows they can (and are deep in a heavy rerun cycle). And whenever I say "play outside" they check the 100+ heat index and look at me like I've grown a second head.
In my new "Never Bored" series, I'm looking for novel tech solutions to keep the kids busy. First up is Netflix, who's bringing a new spin on some old tech that's guaranteed to engage the kids more than another Teen Titans, Go! episode.
Slicing his way into your Netflix stream
Image: NetflixToday, Netflix is launching a new Puss-in-Boots feature that uses "Interactive Storytelling." The show will use interactive cut scenes to allow viewers to select from branching decision paths. Your child will get to choose how the story develops. Which path should Puss take through the forest? Should he fight the evil queen or kiss her? Are the bears he just met friends or foes? It feels similar to those old branching-story interactive DVDs (or, for my generation, Choose Your Own Adventure novels). But in none of those old stories did you have as much agency as viewers will here. As much as I wanted the wizard to stop torturing me and teleporting me to random spots in the dungeon, no matter what page I flipped to, I couldn't make him my ally!
Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale is the first interactive show. Just around the time your kids exhaust all the possible story options in Puss, Netflix will release Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile on July 14. While Netflix hasn't announced any additional shows, I'm hoping that they tackle other animated properties (I'd love to see them use this with Voltron: Legendary Defender) or even some of their original scripted series (I know more than a few Sens8 fans who would be thrilled to see the show brought back using this technology).
So let your kids plunk down in front of the TV and direct their own story for a change, rather than just consuming TV mindlessly. It might be just what you need to break the summer doldrums. (And if you need help finding the "good endings" check out the gallery below with spoilers for both shows!)
