Meet Olly. Your guide to a world of discovery.
Olly is PlayOwl's owl guide. He can show you how things work, read directions aloud, help you explore, offer a hint when your teacher or family allows it, and celebrate when you make progress.
Olly is a friendly character, not a real person, and he doesn't always know the answer. Working things out is part of learning.
Olly's hello
Olly only speaks when you ask him to. His words are always on screen, he never needs the microphone, and nothing you hear is recorded or sent anywhere.
Olly's hello can be read below.
Hi, I'm Olly! I'll help you explore, learn and try new things. Tap my wing when you need a hand. Ready to begin?
Olly speaks with a voice from your browser or device, tuned to sound like a kid or a teen. How it sounds depends on the voices you have. What this means for privacy.
Olly's many moods
Olly is drawn in code, in the same paper-cut style as the rest of PlayOwl. Here are a few of the ways you'll see him around his world.
- Says helloTap him at the top of this page
- Reads alongDirections aloud, when you ask
- Points the wayTo the button you need
- Cheers you onWhen you finish something
- Thinks it overWorking things out is part of learning
- Flies aheadBetween the places in his world
- Lights the wayA lantern for evening adventures
- Takes a napEven owls need a rest
Try Olly safely
Pick something for Olly to do. Everything he says here is written in advance and runs in your browser; there's no open chat. In real lessons, teachers and families choose which kinds of help Olly may offer.
Choose one of the buttons and I'll show you what I can do.
See how he helps
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Pointing the way
Not sure where to go? Olly points to the button you need.
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Replaying an instruction
Olly reads the directions again, as many times as needed. Read-aloud of a test passage stays a teacher's decision.
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A hint, not the answer
When hints are allowed, Olly nudges your thinking without giving the answer away.
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Celebrating progress
A small cheer when you finish something. Quieter for older students, and still when motion is off.
Choose comfort settings
Decide how Olly moves, sounds and appears. Changes apply right away, everywhere on PlayOwl.
As a guest, your choices are saved in this browser only. You don't need an account to turn off sound or motion. Signed-in family accounts keep these choices on every device.
Saved in this browser.
Optional guidance, under your control
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Optional guidance
Olly is a helper, not a requirement. Lessons still teach with him hidden, and accessibility tools stay available.
Accessibility -
Assessment controls
Teachers and schools choose whether Olly may offer hints, and can switch him off for quizzes and tests. Protected tests turn off hints and offers.
How teachers control help -
Privacy
No microphone, no camera. Olly speaks with the device's own voice and nothing is recorded. Children never need an email address.
Safety & privacy -
Quiet mode
Sound off, motion off or Olly hidden: each is one choice, saved without an account.
Comfort settings -
Age-respectful
Older students can choose a calmer voice and see a more grown-up look; celebrations get quieter too.
Questions and help
PlayOwl doesn't claim proctoring or device lockdown: a website can't stop help from another device or another person.