上周，我们在新西兰南岛的旅行体验实在太棒了～尤其值得一提的是我的儿子七喜勇敢地完成了他人生中的首个10公里徒步挑战！
为了帮助他顺利完成这次徒步，我动用了一点小策略，采用了游戏设计的思维，将这趟徒步之旅变成了一场极富趣味的游戏。这种方法带来了意想不到的效果。以下是我的具体做法：
游戏规则的设定：我首先确定了七喜的兴趣点——那就是动画片。把观看动画片的数量变为他一路上的收集任务。
分解目标和路径：我们的路线途径三座桥梁、一片冰川湖、一个厕所，最后到达停车场。这其实是将整个旅程切分成了易于实现的小目标。每经过一座桥，七喜就能获得观看1个动画片视频，而通过其他特定地点，则获得两个视频。这样就为他提供了清晰的目标和方向。
实时反馈至关重要：在整个徒步过程中，我也持续给予七喜鼓励，并在每个奖励点接近时抱起他，让他看到自己的进度，鼓励他继续前行。
设定惩罚机制：像所有小朋友一样，七喜有时也会耍赖或拖延。这时我会提醒他，这样会减少他的视频奖励。确保他为了守护自己已经赢得的成果而坚持到最后。
娱乐与游戏：为了让旅程更加有趣，每次经过木质的长坂道时就玩“开火车”游戏；当他感到特别累或有受伤时（没走好摔倒了。。），可以选择使用一些视频数量来“乘坐飞船”（被背或抱）前往下一个目标。
寓教于乐：这趟旅程不只是追求完成任务，我还融入了数学学习。每当获得或失去视频时，我都会引导七喜自己来计算，这既增强了他的使命感，也提前学习了基础加减法。
增强社交互动：当然我也加入了这场游戏，与七喜形成了PvP（玩家对抗）的竞争关系。我会通过故意犯错来减少我的视频数量，这样的”放水“能让七喜在大多数时间里保持领先，增强了他的成就感和自信。
我对这次游戏的结果非常满意。而且七喜一上车就秒睡，甚至连回到酒店都没醒来！这次徒步不仅锻炼了他的身体，更让他在享受乐趣的同时学到了新知识，培养了坚韧不拔的性格。为他感到无比骄傲，并期待我们的下一次冒险！
Last week's trip down to the Southern Island of NZ was a blast, and guess what? My 4-year-old son Archie smashed his first-ever 10km hiking like a champ! To make sure he nailed it, I got a bit creative and turned the whole hiking into an epic game, using some game design tricks. And wow, did it work wonders! Here's the scoop:
Game Rules: Kicked things off by zeroing in on Archie’s love for animated movies. Watching movies became his quest, collecting them one by one as we trekked.
Breaking it Down: Our adventure path crossed three bridges, skirted a glacier lake, hit a restroom stop, and ended at the parking lot. Basically, we chopped the journey into bite-sized pieces. Each bridge meant Archie scored a movie to watch, and special spots nabbed him two. Gave him clear targets to hit.
Feedback’s a Must: Kept the encouragement flowing the whole way, lifting Archie to show him how far he’d come at each milestone, spurring him on.
Penalties? Yep: Archie, like all kids, tried to wiggle out of walking now and then. A gentle reminder that slacking off meant fewer movies did the trick to keep him on track.
Fun and Games: To spice things up, we played "train game" on long wooden walkways; too tired or after a stumble, Archie could "fly a spaceship" (a.k.a. get carried or piggybacked) using his movie credits to zoom to the next point.
Learning on the Go: Wasn’t all about walking. I squeezed in some math, turning movie counting into a lesson in addition and subtraction—made him think and kept him engaged.
Playing Together: I jumped into the game too, setting up a friendly PvP. By making deliberate mistakes, I let Archie lead, boosting his confidence and sense of victory.
End of the day? Archie crashed out in seconds flat once we hit the car and didn’t wake till we were back at the hotel. Not only did this hiking get him close to the breathtaking scenery, but it also taught him a thing or two, all while having a ton of fun. Super proud of the little trooper and can’t wait for our next wild adventure!
