The anthropologist Gullestad stated that the home is the centre of everyday life, as it is from this we depart, and to this we return, as well as where we perform most of our everyday activities. He goes on to describe home as a place to strengthen relationships with the persons one cares for.
How fun is your smart home?
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Once upon a time, in the bustling suburbs of Smartville, there lived the Johnson family. The Johnsons were your typical modern family, equipped with all the latest smart home gadgets to make their lives easier. Little did they know that one lazy Sunday afternoon, their smart home would become the centerpiece of an unforgettable adventure.
It all started when Dad, Mr. Johnson, decided it was time for a little family bonding. He had an epiphany while playing with the settings of their smart lights. “Hey, why not have a color-coded treasure hunt?” he exclaimed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Mrs. Johnson and the kids, intrigued by the idea, eagerly joined in. They divided into teams and armed themselves with smartphones, ready to decipher clues and conquer the challenges ahead.
The first clue led them to the kitchen, where they found a note taped to the smart refrigerator. “To unlock the next clue, answer this riddle: What’s green, crunchy, and loves to be dipped in salsa?” After a few giggles and guesses, they realized it was a cleverly disguised question about cucumbers. They yelled out “Cucumbers!” and the refrigerator door swung open, revealing the next clue.
As they journeyed through the house, the challenges became increasingly absurd and hilarious. They had to imitate animal sounds to activate the smart pet feeder, solve math problems to unlock the smart door lock, and even perform impromptu dance-offs to trigger the smart speaker to reveal the next clue.
Meanwhile, the smart devices, not accustomed to such an unconventional use of their features, started to get a little confused. The lights changed colors at random intervals, the smart blinds opened and closed with a mind of their own, and the thermostat decided to throw in some unexpected temperature changes just to keep things interesting.
Despite the chaos, laughter echoed through the halls of the Johnson household as they raced against each other, stumbling over furniture and tripping over their own feet in the pursuit of victory.
Finally, after much hilarity and a few minor technological hiccups, they reached the grand finale: the treasure chest hidden in the backyard. Inside, they found not gold or jewels, but a collection of heartfelt notes and silly prizes, each one a testament to the joy of spending time together as a family.
And so, with hearts full of laughter and memories to last a lifetime, the Johnsons retired to their smart home, already planning their next adventure in the wonderful world of smart home shenanigans.
Intuitively we can assume that the relationship a person has with their smart home directly relates not only to its ease of use and convenience, but also to their shared experiences. Once we familiarize ourselves with the technology, and start setting routines, it becomes easier to enjoy the experience of arriving home for instance. The welcome home experience is one of the many things that a smart home can offer. For those of us with families, since the home is the central hub of activity, we plan games and activities that can lead to the strengthening of family ties as well as the creation of moments that can last a lifetime!
Here are some fun activities that you can try:
- Voice Activated Games – One would be surprised at the range of activities that you can set up using smart home systems. For example, any sort of voice activated games like word games, trivia, charades or even interactive storytelling adventures.
- Smart Home Scavenger Hunts – Design a scavenger hunt using clues that trigger a particular activity which can then uncover more clues and lead to more activities.
- Smart Home Karaoke Night – Use your smart speakers to play karaoke tracks on your television.
- Lighting effects for Movie Night – Sync your smart lights with your television or media centre to create immersive effects during movie night.
- Smart Home Escape Room – Design an escape room experience where the kids can solve puzzles or riddles to unlock smart locks or turn on smart lights
- Interactive Storytelling – Use smart speakers to create interactive storytelling experiences incorporating sound effects, voice actors or other interactive elements to the stories come to life.
- Smart Light Dance Party – install color changing smart lights or led lights into any room with space for dancing. Sync the lights to your favourite music playlists, and have a dance party with family and friends.
- Smart Home Cooking Classes – Host virtual cooking classes with friends or family. Share tips and techniques while cooking together.
- Interactive Smart Mirrors – Some smart mirrors can display useful information like weather forecasts and traffic updates, or sync with your smartphone camera to merge your schedules. You can even play music while getting ready for work or school in the morning.
Are you hooked yet? By no means is this list complete since there are so many different ways you can have fun with your smart home devices. We already know that Alexa and Siri have a sense of humor. Please Once you start, we promise you will be hooked.
Please feel free to share some your own experiences as well.
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