Virtual Reality for Kids

Virtual Reality (VR) can offer many benefits for children’s exploration and learning experiences.

1. VR can provide an immersive and interactive learning environment that can enhance children’s learning experiences. It can make learning more engaging and fun, and provide children with a better understanding of complex concepts.
2. It can also help develop creativity. VR can offer children a creative outlet to explore their ideas and imagination. With VR, children can create and explore in ways that are not possible in the physical world.
3. VR is also able to create a safe and controlled environment for children to explore and learn about new places, cultures, and experiences. It can encourage them to be curious and adventurous, and develop their understanding of the world around them. Of course, we’re not talking about using Meta’s Horizon or any similar platforms, rather VR education platforms, purposefully built for children.
4. Furthermore, virtual technology can help develop spatial awareness when a child is learning to interact with three-dimensional objects and environments. This can improve their spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills.
5. VR can also be used as a therapeutic tool for children with developmental disabilities, anxiety, or phobias. It can provide a safe and controlled environment for exposure therapy and help children overcome their fears.
6. Finally, such tools can assist fostering empathy. VR can provide children with a sense of empathy and understanding by allowing them to experience different perspectives and situations. This can help them develop a greater understanding and appreciation for the diversity of human experiences.

VR goes far beyond gaming for 18-35 men, VR can provide children with an engaging and interactive learning experience that can enhance their learning and development. (However, it is important to ensure that the content and experiences offered in VR are age-appropriate and safe for children to explore).

Here are some fantastic examples of virtual reality options available for children and their families:

Access Mars: Have you ever dreamed of exploring Mars? This VR experience allows you to do just that. It is made with real data from Nasa’s Curiosity Mars Rover and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. And talk about perfect timing. With a fleet of spacecraft from UAE, China and the USA due to reach Mars this month, this web-based virtual reality experiment is perfect preparation for those excited by what’s found beyond planet Earth’s ozone layer.

Solar System Scope: If Access Mars doesn’t, Solar System Scope virtual tour is guaranteed to awaken the inner astronaut in you. It comprises an extremely accurate solar system tour which allows you to discover the night sky and outer space in real-time. Read all the interesting facts about the many objects in space. Zoom into each of the planets. Become Buzz Lightyear. 

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington DC: This museum has an awe-inspiring 146 million objects. Surely enough for those who love factoids on animals, fungi, and plants. From narrated tours to exhibits — past, current, and permanent — the Smithsonian allows visitors to take self-guided, room-by-room tours of selected exhibitions and areas from their mobiles or desktops. You can also access select collections and research areas at their satellite support and research stations.

The Natural History Museum, London: Here, you can simply take a trip through this incredible museum with their virtual tour. Alternatively take their virtual venture into the life of the blue whale while exploring the deep oceans; or flick through the awe-inspiring, and often comical photos from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. We love this place.

The British Museum, London: Explore the museum through its virtual tour. Alternatively, browse the totally impressive Museum of the World online tour. One of the Circus Team’s all time favs, this is where you’re presented with mind-blowing large selections from the museum. You can search through the exhibits by date, continent and category (including art and design, trade and conflict). It offers a truly fascinating backstory to each piece; each one comes with accompanying audio.

San Diego Zoo, USA. This world famous zoo attracts more than 3.2 million visitors a year. To make up for their closure during the pandemic, they’ve installed live cams through their website.

London Zoo, UK. Another fabulous world-famous zoo with webcams and live streams, but also zoo keeper diary updates and behind-the-scenes footage, allowing you to get up close and personal with the animal world in an entirely new way. Check out the London Zoo YouTube channel too. This brings you footage of baby animals in action and you can learn more about the conservation work carried out by the Zoo.

Woburn Safari Park, UK. Take a virtual visit to this awe-inspiring safari park created by the award-winning Circus team. Choose the Road or Foot Safari and navigate your way through the different lands to meet the animals through beautiful imagery. You can even stand in the enclosures with the predators if you’re feeling brave!

The Houses of Parliament, London, UK. Visit this historical institution through its first ever 360 walkthrough. Step into the shoes of the Prime Minister, Speaker, Opposition Leader. Wander corridors and rooms which are steeped in history. Even get to see areas normally off-limits to the public. The VR experience has made learning fun, and you get to discover a whole spectrum of key features, from the despatch boxes to the voting lobbies, at your own pace. 

The Royal Opera House, London, UK. The 360 virtual tour of the stunning Royal Opera House showcases the venue’s most prestigious performance spaces. It invites children and adults alike to enter and explore, to absorb its cultural heritage, to sit in its cafes, and experience night time on its famous Terrace. You can even choose your own music in the Linbury Theatre!

Supreme Court, London, UK. The place where the most important legal decisions in the land are made. This virtual tour aims to open this all-important venue to the public, allowing you to explore the rooms where everything happens, and to learn about the history of this all-important building. 

The World of Harry Potter, UK. Enter the wizarding world by exploring the places J.K. Rowling’s magic cosmos was based on. Your kids may be budding writers or just major HP fans. Either way, this is wonderful for the imagination. Discover the real Diagon Alley, the cozy cafe in Edinburgh where the stories were first imagined, and Platform 9¾ that took the budding witches and wizards to Hogwarts.

Goodrich Castle, UK. Step into England’s history through this stunning virtual tour, another by the Circus team. One of English Heritage’s top attractions, explore the historic fort and take a pole-top 360 view from above the main turret.

Windsor Castle, UK. One more great experience for children that are fascinated by history. This is the largest occupied castle in the world – used by the Queen both privately at weekends and for formal duties such as State Visits. The Tour is set up for a state banquet no less. You can zoom in, out and around and learn more about each room through the “i” icons.

Buckingham Palace, London, UK. Peek inside the Queen’s royal residence. For kids interested in fashion, this tour brings the works. Originally commissioned in honour of London Fashion Week 2018, extravagant clothes are found on display in the rooms.

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. If your little one has an interest in painting or even an upcoming school project on Van Gogh, this is a fabulous opportunity to see his incredible work close up. “Sunflowers”, “Irises” and many of his paintings hang here. Take a trip through the galleries and explore the world of this astonishing artist, through this virtual tour. 

The National Gallery, London, UK. Take a walk through the Renaissance era and discover over 300 of their paintings in their virtual tour. What’s more, the National Gallery’s Instagram page offers tutorials with creative activities to keep your kids entertained. Like how to create your very own Van Gogh’s Sunflowers piece using flowers from your local walk!

Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA. Take a look at the museum’s most impressive art works through its online collection. You can explore the worlds of artists including Piet Mondrian, Jeff Koons and Pablo Picasso.

We hope this helps to keep your kids informed, entertained, and most important of all – happy – during these Christmas holidays!

And if you’d like to explore what Circus can do for you in the virtual world, please contact our award-winning team today.

The Natural History Museum, London, UK.  Take their virtual venture into the life of the blue whale while exploring the deep oceans; flick through the awe-inspiring, and often comical photos from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition; or simply take a trip through the museum itself with their virtual tour.

The British Museum, London, UK. Explore the museum through its virtual tour, or alternatively, browse the totally impressive Museum of the World online tour, where you’re presented with large selections of the museum. You can search through the exhibits by date, continent and category (art and design, trade and conflict etc). Each one comes with accompanying audio, offering a truly fascinating backstory to each piece.