Introducing “Unplugged Tots” - The Book
I'm delighted to share that my book, "Unplugged Tots", will be published by Raspberry Pi on August 12th in the UK and October 17th in the US.
Designed for parents, caregivers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and anyone with children in their lives, my book offers screen-free activity ideas that introduce and develop problem-solving, critical thinking, logical reasoning and computational thinking skills —essential skills for navigating our tech-driven world.
Cover of “Unplugged Tots”
How did it all come about?
Back in 2018 my family and I attended a Raspberry Pi Jam event. My girls, who were 2 and 4 at the time were struggling with something called ‘ScratchJR’ [an introductory block coding application designed by the MIT Media Lab.] Seeing their frustration with this due to not being able to read, write, use a keyboard and mouse sparked my mission.
Inspired by my two young daughters, I created Unplugged Tots.
I realised that some children needed a bridge to help them understand the core concepts of Scratch and I knew that they could be taught this in a way that appeals to children - through screen-free, play-based learning experiences.
Since then, it's been a busy few years (balancing a career in legal IT marketing and serving as a Chair on an infant school governing body) co-authoring academic articles, and appearing on podcasts and at events.
Why announce today at CamJam?
Today, I'm attending my third CamJam which is an event and meet-up for those interested in the Raspberry Pi family of computing devices and other technologies which encourage making and education.
Events like CamJam are particularly special to me. At my first CamJam in April 2023, I showcased my unplugged activities and met Eben Upton, the founder and inventor of Raspberry Pi. We reconnected at another CamJam in November 2023, leading to a meeting at the Raspberry Pi offices in Cambridge Science Park.
That meeting kicked off an exciting project with the extremely talented team at Raspberry Pi. And although it's a bit early, I wanted to announce the publication of “Unplugged Tots”, the book, at CamJam, to honour the community where Eben and I met.
It’s been a real labour of love for myself and the fantastic team of Editors and Designers and I am so excited to be seeing my ideas in print!
"Unplugged Tots" is available for pre-order on Amazon now and I'd love it if you pre-ordered. Yes, yes, yes, I know you'll have to wait a little while until it’s in your hands, but it’ll come round soon enough!!
💜 Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey so far. 💜
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unplugged-Tots-Hannah-Hagon/dp/1916868223/