When Nintendo unveiled Labo earlier this year, I was instantly struck by how clever of a use of technology it was, and also how, in spite of it probably not being the best tech for games, it had some great implications for arts and crafts, as well as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning in classrooms. Well, it looks like Nintendo has decided to act on those implications, because it announced today that it will be bringing the Labo to classrooms all around the United States.
The initiative will be to bring Labo to elementary school classrooms in an effort to inculcate STEAM learning. They will be teaming up with Institute of Play for this program, and will bring it to 100 classrooms to begin with. Teachers will also be provided with free Nintendo Labo Teacher Guides.
The jury is out on whether or not the Labo was a successful gambit for Nintendo, but it will be programs like these that will truly help the novel concept reach its full potential, and I am glad to see Nintendo making steps towards this.