The Launch of the Microsoft Surface Go #GoImagine

Last week myself and Holly were invited down to London to attend the launch of Microsoft's latest product, the Microsoft Surface Go. Not only was I interested to learn more about this product but also looking forward to spend a day with Holly just me and her, as it's been a long time since we've had the opportunity. I left Jack with my mum, who was happy to be taken to the cinemas for his treat, and Holly and I boarded the train, much to her excitement. 

We arrived at the event and immediately the children were introduced to the tablet and Holly was shown how to use the stylus on paint and got to have a go herself. She wasn't really sure about using a stylus at first, but she soon got to grips and enjoyed being able to 'colour in' without the need to worry about locating the right colour or with the risk of getting pen everywhere! 

Whilst the children enjoyed having a play, and were shown more ways they could use the device to power their creativity, the parents were taken into the next room and introduced to a panel of experts. These included Ben Fogle and Cath Prisk, an outdoor play expert, who really captivated me when she spoke of how technology has its place not only in education indoors but can also really extend outdoor play and learning hugely.

The Microsoft Surface Go has been launched with children and creativity at the forefront of the concept. There was a great discussion on the panel about the misconceptions many people have of technology and actually how beneficial it can be and can actually encourage creativity rather than stump it. Because today's children are so used to technology as part of their every day lives, it can be a fantastic resource to bridge the gap between learning and creativity in a way that is actually fun.

Finally we were then introduced to Paul Clarke who guided us through Paint 3D, helping us to design and create our own 3D animal. At first Holly didn't seem too eager but once she understood what to do she really got into it. Whilst the children have access to tablets at home they rarely get the chance to use desktops, and as the Surface Go can be both it was interesting to watch how quickly Holly adapted to using it in either form.

I was really impressed by the Surface Go and how adaptable it is. I also learnt a lot about how using technology can really help and benefit our children in their education and will definitely take this going forward. We had a lovely day so a big thank you to Microsoft for giving us the opportunity to spend some much needed quality time together.