I'm not sure how common this is in other countries, but here in Germany we have quite a few "water playgrounds". There are some pumps in the sand, sometimes small aqueducts and the likes, so during summer, the kids can play with water. The pumps used to be real pumps. Now they are electronic. They have a sensor to detect how fast the handle is moving and at a certain speed you'll hear a clicking sound, a valve opens and the water starts flowing.
I think some children will realize how these things work. They might start to find them dumb if they find out that the strenuous repetitive movement is in fact unnecessary. At least to me it feels like a dishonest contraption and I'd prefer if they simply put a button on it.
> I think some children will realize how these things work.
Conversely, I’ve seen some kids play with real pumps and they seem to find it incredibly fun when they realize that more and faster movement brings more water.
Hell, I thought it was fun myself just seeing how fast I could make it go.
This is how the Wii works too. It tells you to swing the wiimote like a bat or a golf club or a tennis racket or steering wheel, but it works better when you just flick your wrist.
I think some children will realize how these things work. They might start to find them dumb if they find out that the strenuous repetitive movement is in fact unnecessary. At least to me it feels like a dishonest contraption and I'd prefer if they simply put a button on it.