Recap: The AI Lernparkour at Play Festival

At this year's Play Festival, the AI-themed Lernparkour ran in front of a large group for the first time: 40 kids aged 8 to 13, split into four small groups, in a single morning.

The centrepiece was once again the "peanut butter jelly" exercise, this time with an AI twist: one child gives instructions, another follows them literally – and feels, quite physically, how much context a machine simply doesn't fill in on its own. That exact moment, when a child realises "oh, that's why the AI got it wrong," is the actual learning effect.

What surprised the kids most

• How often the AI "guessed right" instead of actually understanding
• How small differences in wording led to completely different results
• How much fun it was to play the machine's role themselves

The session closed with the usual reflection round and smiley-face feedback – and the result was clear: plenty of laughing faces, a few thoughtful ones, but not a single bored one.

Thanks to the Play Festival team for the invitation, and to every kid who joined in. The AI parkour is now a permanent part of the regular offer.