OK, so you all know that Spore isn't based on how evolution actually works. There has been some concern that playing the game would cause players to develop a faulty understanding of evolution.

So I was pleasantly surprised tonight at my 8 year-old's response (completely unprompted, honest!) when I read her the following:

How does life change over time, and how did all those different forms of life come to be?... [Evolution] is the result of tiny changes adding up to bigger changes. These changes happen deep inside the cells of every living thing - in the genes, the instructions that make that living thing what it is. Genes are passed along from a parent to its offspring, and every living thing has its own unique combinations. Every individual is different. Just like you are different from your parents, every generation of living thing is different, in small ways, from the last.

Over time, these small differences add up. With enough time, they can add up to whole new forms of life.

My daughter's response: 'That's not how Spore works, Dad. In Spore I can put wings on a creature all at once."

If the differences between Spore and real evolution are obvious to a 4th grader, then hopefully the hordes of kids and adults addicted to Spore won't be too confused when they are exposed to good teaching about evolution. Unfortunately, good teaching about evolution is in short supply.

BTW, the quote comes from one of the best childrens books on evolution I've seen so far, Evolving Planet, by Erica Kelley and Richard Kissel. The text is superb and the illustrations will grip any kids' imagination. It just came out this fall. If you're looking for Christmas ideas for an 8-13 year-old, give it a look.

h/t to my wife for finding the book at the library :)