Implementation of the A* Algorithm for Cognitive Stimulation of Children Aged 5-6 Years through 8 Puzzle Games

Abstract

Implementation of the A* Algorithm in the context of cognitive stimulation for children aged 5-6 years through the 8 Puzzle game. The 8 Puzzle game is a sliding puzzle game that requires players to arrange numbers from 1 to 8 in a 3x3 box with one empty space. The purpose of this research is to develop and test a game application that can improve children's cognitive abilities by using the A* Algorithm. This algorithm was chosen because of its ability to find the shortest path efficiently, so that it can provide challenges that are suitable for children's cognitive abilities. The application development process involved creating an attractive and child-friendly interface, as well as an optimized algorithm to provide immediate feedback to the player. Through an experimental approach, children were tested before and after playing to measure the cognitive improvement that occurred. The results of the study indicate that the use of Algorithm A in the 8 Puzzle game can significantly enhance the cognitive abilities of children aged 5-6 years. These findings provide new insights into the use of technology and algorithms in early childhood education and open up opportunities for further development of algorithm-based interactive learning tools. This research concludes that the integration of technology in early education holds great potential in supporting the cognitive development of children. The study used an experimental method involving a number of children as research subjects. The results of the testing showed that children who played with the app showed improvement in several cognitive aspects such as problem solving, memory, and logic. The conclusion of this study is that the use of A* Algorithm in educational games can be an effective tool for early childhood cognitive stimulation.