Inanimate Alice facts for kids

Inanimate Alice is a cool online story that you can interact with! It's about a girl named Alice Field, who dreams of making games, and her imaginary digital friend, Brad. The story is told through different parts like episodes, online diaries, social media, and even virtual reality.

The first four episodes were written by Kate Pullinger and created by digital artist Chris Joseph. The first episode came out in 2005. Later episodes involved other talented people like Andy Campbell, Lorri Hopping, and Mez Breeze.

The plan is for the story to have 10 episodes. They will follow Alice from when she is 8 years old until her mid-twenties. As Alice gets older and better at things, the episodes become more complex. You get to read, hear sounds, see pictures, and play mini-games to help Alice in her adventures.

In 2018, a special virtual reality experience called Inanimate Alice: Perpetual Nomads was released. It was made by Andy Campbell and Mez Breeze.

Inanimate Alice is used in schools to help students learn digital skills. It's also known as an early example of transmedia storytelling, which means a story told across many different types of media.

Story Adventures

Episode 1 – China

Alice is eight years old and lives in a camp in northern China. Her dad, John, looks for oil. One day, he is two days late coming home. Alice and her mom, Ming, are very worried. They haven't heard from him at all.

While searching for her dad, Alice uses her special ba-xi player. Her virtual friend Brad helps her feel better. They drive for a long time. Suddenly, Alice hears Brad's voice in her head telling her to "go that way." And guess what? They find her dad!

Alice in Australia

After China, Alice's family moves to Melbourne, Australia. Her adventures continue in 12 interactive photo stories. These stories are like a graphic novel. Alice makes new friends, twins Carol and Lewis, and their neighbors. She falls in love with their dog, Tilly. Alice always wanted a pet but couldn't have one because her family moved so much.

Alice is homeschooled in Australia for a year. During this time, she travels to South Korea and Indonesia with her dad for his work. She also visits Singapore and stays with her Aunt Xui Li, her mom's sister. At the end of the year, Alice learns her family is moving again. She has to say goodbye to her new friends.

Episode 2 – Italy

Alice is 10 years old and on a skiing trip in the Italian Alps. It's evening, and Alice is alone at the chalet. The ski lifts are closed, and heavy snow is falling. Her parents haven't come back yet. Alice is worried. She uses her ba-xi player for comfort.

First, Alice shows you a puzzle she made on her player, which you get to solve. Then, Alice calls Ayisha, her tutor in Saudi Arabia. You learn more about Alice's life there. During their talk, Alice remembers she was supposed to go to ski school. It's getting late, so Alice gets dressed with your help. She heads out into the thick, snowy weather. She doesn't know where she's going and feels scared.

Suddenly, she falls down. Brad's voice tells her to stay calm. As she gets up, she hears her parents talking! They go back to the chalet, eat pizza, and talk. Alice feels so relieved and happy.

Alice in Everloop

Between ages 10 and 12, Alice joins Everloop, which was a real social media site for kids her age. She creates a special "Loop" for herself and Brad. For the first time, Alice talks directly to her audience. She posts messages and answers questions. She also invites her followers to join in storytelling games.

Alice shares four personal, interactive diaries. These diaries feature her cool gadgets and interactive content. They also have photo stories from her adventures in Australia. She shares her thoughts about school, friends, family, travels, and her exciting life.

Episode 3 – Russia

Alice is 13 years old and has lived in Moscow, Russia, for a couple of years. Her dad is often away working in Siberia. Her mom and dad have started arguing a lot. Alice was supposed to go to an international school, but her dad wouldn't let her. He was worried about kidnapping risks.

Alice's dad has been dealing with some difficult people in the oil business. The episode starts with Alice hiding in her bedroom closet. She hears men in the apartment arguing loudly with her dad. Her mom is shouting too. Alice's dad is being blamed for a big oil leak, even though it's not his fault.

As Alice hides, Brad keeps her company. She plays a game she made called Matryoshka. While Alice is still in the closet, her mom tells her to get her coat because they are leaving. Alice and her parents quickly pack and leave Moscow in the night. Alice is scared, but Brad reassures her.

As they get close to the airfield, they are stopped at a checkpoint. Alice's dad says the guard will want something. The guard wants Alice's player! Alice refuses to give it to him. Instead, she shows him the Matryoshka game, and he lets them go.

Episode 4 – Hometown

Alice is 14 years old and lives in a small town in the middle of England. Her friends dared her to climb to the top of an old, empty building. They said it had the best view in town. Alice accepts the dare. As she climbs, the stairs break! She almost falls but is now stuck at the top. She has to find a way out. Alice is very frightened.

At this point, Alice tells us about her journey from Moscow to this new home. Her dad is no longer in the oil business. He is teaching now, and the family has a lot of debt. Her mom also had to get a job. They rent a small, narrow house in town. Alice's parents still argue often. Alice is the only one who likes living here. She can finally go to a regular school and has made friends her own age.

Episode 5 – Hometown 2

Alice is 16 years old and has lived in England for almost three years. She calls this "a lifetime record." She spends time with friends, explores the city, and goes to nightclubs. Alice's dad is trying to get back into the oil and gas business but isn't having much luck. He still has debt with some difficult people. Her mom, however, is doing well. Alice isn't doing great in school, except for her Art & Tech class.

Alice's Gap Year Travels

At age 18, Alice becomes more independent. She goes on a year of world travel by herself. Her aunt in Singapore pays for the trip. Alice writes about her adventures in Indonesia and Japan in five interactive travel diaries. These diaries include pictures, videos, sounds, and language games she designed. She made these games to help her make new friends from other countries.

Episode 6 – The Last Gas Station

Alice is 19 in Episode six. She's at college and works at a gas station outside the city to earn money. Alice is late turning in her college work and keeps running into problems.

Alice in Virtual Reality – Perpetual Nomads

In this Virtual Reality episode, Alice finds herself stuck on a broken bus in the middle of nowhere. She tries to download a new app but can't. Each part of the game is a different place, like the bus, a desert, or an empty building. In these places, Alice faces challenges as she tries to charge her phone to get help. Alice must look for an outlet and text her friends to fix the bus and continue her journey. This episode, Alice in Virtual Reality – Perpetual Nomads, was first released on March 14, 2018.

In the Classroom

Even though Inanimate Alice wasn't first made for schools, teachers found it very useful. It helps students learn many different skills. Classrooms around the world now use Inanimate Alice to teach various subjects.

Teachers' Edition Suite

Released in 2016, the Teachers' Edition Suite helps you quickly move through the first five episodes. You can read all the text and explore Alice's journey more deeply. Students can focus on the story on their own screens and learn at their own speed.

Multimodal Learning

Inanimate Alice shows how kids naturally learn by combining different things. When playing, children use speech, text, sounds, games, music, and art together. Inanimate Alice does the same thing by mixing text, pictures, music, videos, and games.

Problem Solving Skills

Solving problems is also a natural part of playing. Whether you're solving a puzzle, building with blocks, or playing pretend, you're learning to solve problems. You try things, get feedback, and change your plan. The games Alice creates in the story help you practice problem-solving skills. As the games get harder, they help you become better at solving problems.

Cultural Learning

Inanimate Alice can be a great tool for learning about different cultures. Each episode takes place in a new country and shows a different way of life. Teachers can use Inanimate Alice to create fun lessons about these cultures and countries. The interactive nature of the story helps students understand different viewpoints through role-playing.

Social-Emotional Learning

The themes in Inanimate Alice can inspire lessons that help with social-emotional learning. Alice is an only child and often feels lonely as she travels the world with her parents. She is often scared when she faces dangerous situations. For example, her father gets lost in episode 1, she's left alone in episode 2, and faces dangers in episode 3. In episode 4, Alice also deals with peer pressure. Alice's fears help students connect with her feelings. This opens up chances to talk about emotions.

Awards

• 2017 – Inanimate Alice won Silver in the Digital Content Category at the 2018 Reimagine Education Awards.
• 2017 – The early version of Inanimate Alice: Perpetual Nomads received an Honorable Mention in the Turn On Literature Prize. This award celebrates electronic literature that uses computers in important literary ways.
• 2017 – The early version of Inanimate Alice: Perpetual Nomads was a finalist in the Opening Up Digital Fiction Writing Competition. This was the first UK competition to find the best new digital fiction.
• 2016 – Inanimate Alice: The Last Gas Station received an Honorable Mention for The Robert Coover Award for Electronic Literature.
• 2015 – The Inanimate Alice Series was a finalist for the Cool Tool Award – Academic Gaming Solution by EdTech Digest Awards Program 2015.
• 2012 – The Inanimate Alice Series was named a Best Website for Teaching & Learning by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).