Gaming in Public Libraries: Kodu Game Lab
Summer is closer than you think and planning is likely underway at your library to figure out the best, most exciting programming to entertain and educate kids over their long break. Fortunately, there's a new tool available that is perfectly suited to the task: Kodu!
Kodu is a free tool that uses a visual programming language to create games, making it accessible for a wide range of ages. There are an incredible number of possible directions to take a game - from racing to puzzle-style to quest games. A game in the Kodu Game Lab can range from simple to incredibly complex, with the possibility of many pages worth of visual code. There are many layers here that will keep kids (and adults) coming back for more.
Check out the video below of a 12-year-old girl demonstrating her Kodu Game:
For libraries, it makes a great addition to summer programming - it's both fun and educational! Kodu lets kids explore and create their own games and stories, while teaching them programming skills and more. Here, Microsoft reviews some of the other skills that can be learned with this new gaming medium:
- Kodu is a rich tool for narrative creation and storytelling
- Kodu demonstrates that programming is a creative medium
- Kodu helps children with critical thinking, breaking a complex goal into manageable steps, and iterate on the design process - an approach applicable to all academic subjects, business and personal relationships
- Kodu introduces the logic and problem solving of programming
- Kodu introduces conditions and sequences, which teaches cause and effect
- Students learn about cooperation, logic and creativity in addition to programming
If you are interested in running a Kodu summer program at your library, also check out the Kodu Classroom Kit for Educators and this Program Idea, which specifically addresses how to use Kodu Game Lab in a public library.
What do you think? Provide a comment or two to share!!
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If you are interested in taking a class, take a look at LIS 7410: Software Productivity Tools. Part of the class focuses on Kodu! 
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[1] Planet Kodu, http://www.planetkodu.com/
[2] Microsoft Research: Kodu, http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/kodu/
[3] Microsoft Research: Fuse Labs, http://fuse.microsoft.com/page/kodu