Dr Kristyn Sommer

Dr Kristyn Sommer

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Dr Kristyn Sommer, Education, New South Wales, Sydney.

Photos from Dr Kristyn Sommer's post 17/06/2026

New paper out today. I’m Dr Kristyn Sommer, a developmental scientist, and I spent this study asking a deceptively simple question: do kids think robots are alive?

We showed children aged 4 to 10 six characters: a child, a dog, two robots, a teddy, and a box. Then we asked whether each one had a mind, feelings, purpose, and a sense of self.

Living things landed at the top. Toys at the bottom. Robots? Somewhere in the middle. More “alive” than a teddy, less than a pet.

The part I keep thinking about: that didn’t budge with age. We expected older kids to see robots as more toy like. They didn’t. From 4 to 10, robots stayed stuck in the in-between.

It turns out robots are genuinely hard for kids to place. And as they show up in more homes and classrooms, it’s important we keep this in mind!

newpaper research

Paper linked in bio. Sommer, Sweezy & Wilks (2026), International Journal of Social Robotics.

12/06/2026

I’ve been building toys for kids for over a decade for my experiments. I suppose this is no different. Let’s see how it goes 😅

12/06/2026

I’ve been building toys for kids for over a decade for my experiments. I suppose this is no different. Let’s see how it goes 😅

11/06/2026

Yes the snake is ours, no she’s not venomous, yes she knows not to handle wild snakes 😅

08/06/2026

Everything you MUST do on your next family holiday!

07/06/2026

I’m definitely not saying to let your kid run through the aisles of the plane…. That would be very disruptive and potentially hazardous. But that does mean a child on a flight for 15 hours straight is going to need an outlet for that energy somewhere and sometime. This is where my planning comes in 🤔 Please send me your suggestions to [email protected]

05/06/2026

Snake update 🐍

04/06/2026

I’m rethinking the beads on planes already because the likelihood of spilling them is HIGH. Maybe I will have a stash of activities in my own bag that are airport only for layovers 🤔 What craft have I missed?

03/06/2026

Fine motor activities for my 2 and 6 year old to hopefully keep their busy little brains entertained as we fly around the world 🫣 What would you add to this category? Bonus points if I’ve got it at home and it’s a random assortment of household items safe for air travel that would blow my kids minds 😂

01/06/2026

Some more long haul flight activities to keep toddlers and kids busy in so many ways! Which one should we do next? Fine motor or creativity? What else would you add?

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New South Wales
Sydney, NSW
2026