technology - Children`s Technology Review

Expert Guidance on Children’s Interactive Media, Since 1993
Children’s
TECHNOLOGY
REVIEW
TM
• Don’t fire the
Storyteller, p. 3
• LittleClickers: Geocaching, p. 4
A fun, and scary
geocache in the
Hunterdon County
Arborium near
Flemington NJ
Children’s Technology Review
May 2014
Volume 22, No. 5, Issue 170
Adventure to Fitness, 5
Alphabet of Insects*, 5
Animal Band*, 5
BeBop Blox*, 5
Bug Art*, 5
Club Penguin (for iPod Touch or iPhone), 7
Crackers and Goo, 7
Curious About Letters, 7
Disneynature Explore*, 8
Doodle Critter Math: Shapes, 8
Endless Numbers*, 9
Endless Reader*, 9
Facciamo (Let's Faces!)*, 9
Flexdex Skateboards, 9
Furreal Friends Butterscotch, My Walkin'
Pony, 10
Furreal Friends Get Up and GoGo, My
Walking PupPup W/App, 10
Geocaching*, 11
Green Screen by Do Ink, 11
Home KG, 12
Incredible Numbers*, 12
Kid's Play Phone: Fun Activities for Kids, 13
Kids Music Factory, 13
KidsFunFood, 14
LeapBand Activity Tracker, 14
LEGO Friends (Nintendo DS), 14
LEGO The Hobbit, 15
Let's Imagine Elmo, 15
Max Tow Truck, 15
MetaWars: Blood Nexus - Episode 1, 16
Mini-U: My Home, 16
Mini-U: The Bathroom, 16
Mini-U: The Kitchen, 16
Monki Animal Builder, 17
Mr. Potato Head: Create & Play, 17
My Chinese Copybook: Elementary Class, 18
NERF Combat Creatures Attacknid, 18
PicoToons Coloring Book, 18
PiggyBot, 19
Quick Clocks*, 19
Rabbids Invasion Toys, 19
Ravensburger Puzzles on iPad, 20
Sago Mini Monsters*, 20
Shutterbugs: Wiggle and Stomp*, 20
Skylanders Trap Team, 21
SpeakaZoo, 22
Star Wars Command Star Destroyer Set, 22
Superhero Sheep*, 23
Tower Math*, 23
Wonky Donkey, The, 24
* Donotes “Editor’s
Choice.”
Our 11,394th Review • $60/year • http://childrenstech.com • #childtech
May 14 News and Trends
in Children’s Tech
Children’s
TECHNOLOGY
REVIEW
Children’s Technology Review
May 2014
TM
Literacy Theory Meets iPads
Literacy researcher William Teale
sees a yet -to-be-released app demonstrated by Michel Kripalani, President
& CEO of Oceanhouse Media at the latest Dust or Magic eBook Retreat. Yes,
you should have been there. If not,
don’t worry, some of the videos will be
posted this month on Dust or Magic’s
YouTube channel.
Volume 22, No. 5, Issue 170
Editor Warren Buckleitner, Ph.D.,
([email protected]) [WB]
Director of Publishing Matthew DiMatteo
Editorial Coordinator & Circulation
Lisa DellaFave ([email protected]) [LD]
Office Manager & LittleClickers Editor Megan
Billitti ([email protected])
It’s a great time to take the kids Geocaching
Looking for a fun way to make geography, history, writing and map reading
real? Toss in some fresh air and sunshine and you have Geocaching, a GPS treasure
hunt that is becoming incredibly popular. There are several companies and organizations that maintain lists of geocaches, but the most developed is Groundspeak,
which maintains www.geocaching.com, where you’ll find links to a free app
http://bitly.com/R3w7hN and tips for taking a group of kids geocaching
http://bitly.com/R3vp4d: I sent some email questions to Eric Schudiske of
Geocaching.com. Here are some of his answers. Q. Who "invented" geocaching? Who hid the first geocache?
A: At http://www.geocaching.com/about/history.aspx you’ll learn that geocaching
flickered into existence, when GPS signals were unscrambled and the public received a 10x upgrade in their GPS
location. That was in the year 2000. When Geocaching.com
went live in September of that year, there were only 75 geocaches. Now there are more than 2.3 million in 180 countries.
Q. Do you have a favorite children’s geocache?
A: There are many like this one http://coord.info/GC3G71V
I've enclosed an image, it's a simple, whimsical gnome
house that kids love to find.
Enjoy this issue of CTR, and go find a geocache.
iPad Tip: Managing Push Notifications
HELP! I downloaded the free version of Endless Reader on my
iPad, and now keep getting this nagging message whenever I start
the app, that says it wants to send me push notifications. Should I
pick yes or no?
DR. IPAD SAYS A push notification gives the publisher the right to
“push” you messages. This can be important, such as when a
major update is available, or promotional, such as a nag to play with their app. There are two types
that vary in nudginess: Alerts which show up in your lock screen, and banners that appear at the top
of the screen. It is easy to avoid Push Notifications. If you say “don’t allow” you won’t see the message
again. If a child accidentally chooses OK, don’t worry. You can turn off push notifications later in your
control panel. Here’s how: Go to Settings > Notification Center, and scroll down to the app list. Find
the pushy app and adjust the settings (slide “show in notification center” so the green is not showing).
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Children’s Technology Review, May 2014
2
Story Power
by Chris Cheng
Once upon a time some creative types decided to make digital books. They made amazing experiences, with graphics that whizzed and twirled and animals that squawked. The orchestrated music
was beautiful, prompting kids both young and old to sing along. The pixelated words floated across
the glass, with colors that were just right for the young readers, with the perfect font for the target
audience.
But when they tested the books with children, they were confused. The children had swiped and
poked, pinched and tapped, and asked "What's next?”. Sometimes they stopped and didn't even finish a screen. Sometimes they played with the effects but didn't read the print, or would read and not
understand. The developers were puzzled.
They had forgotten that the heart of any book is a story. It matters more than the illustrations,
animations, music or coding. It simply has to be a story that can hook a young child and keep them
eager to see what happens next.
A children’s author
reminds digital
designers not to
underestimate the
power of a story.
So, developers and designers, don't do it on your own.
Utilize the expertise of an accomplished story writer. You wouldn't have a second rate programmer write your code, so why would
you use a storyline written by a part-time storyteller? This leads to the question -- What is a good story? I’m not going to give all the
secrets away, but it's a lot more than throwing a few words on a page.
It all starts with the story. There needs to be a beginning, a middle and an end and it has to flow. If your story rhymes, the experience of a wordsmith shines. The story should evoke emotion and have action. It must bend and curve, and build feelings of empathy
with the characters. You may even be able to predict what could happen next; or there might be a surprise. The words and the language
must also be age appropriate. The font must be the right size - suitable for the intended audience. It may be possible to tell the story
with no words because the story elements can be revealed in the pictures but it will still start with a planned story.
And after the story is written, it must be rewritten, edited, and edited again -- often many times. Then a storyboard is created, well
before the artists and programmers are pulled into the creative process; and this may lead to more tinkering, tweaking and revision.
So don’t do it on your own. Utilize the expertise of a children’s storyteller. Some of us have been doing it for a very long time!
Chris Cheng (www.chrischeng.com) is an award-winning children’s author based in Newtown, Australia. He has written both fiction and
non-fiction in both traditional and digital media. He submitted this essay following the 2014 Dust or Magic Masterclass in Bologna. z
A Quote to Note: “Fairy tales are extraordinarily robust, which is why we like
to turn them into apps. You can bend them and you can twist
them, whether it’s in a book, film or app — and they don’t
break. There’s a good reason they’ve been going for 100s of
years.”
KATE WILSON is the Managing Director of Nosy Crow, a 15 person company
based in the UK that has published 100 print books and 12 apps, including Jack
and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and The Three Little
Pigs. She made this observation during the 2014 Dust or Magic Masterclass in
Bologna.
3
Children’s Technology Review, May 2014
Geocaching
5 sites & ten videos about
April flowers mean May geocaches. In case it’s been a while since you’ve found or hidden a
geocache, here’s a refresher course.
1. What is geocaching? http://www.geocaching.com tells us that
Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt powered by GPS technology. To play, you navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and
then try to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location.
Once found, you sign a log book, take something from the cache,
Zand leave something interesting behind.
2. Who invented geocaching? At http://bitly.com/1jOaCtO
you learn that on May 3, 2000, a guy named Dave Ulmer hid a
bucket of trinkets in the woods outside Portland, Oregon to
celebrate the fact that GPS technology could be used by the
general public. He announced the coordinates online and
invited people people to try to find it. We found a video with
Dave Ulmer in the YouTube playlist, below.
is made possible by
LittleClickers is brought to you by
Computer Explorers, who is offering
camps on programming. Visit
www.computerexplorers.com to learn
more. The web-based (html) version of
this page is at
http://www.littleclickers.com with live
links, plus a place to report any errors.
Note that CTR and COMPUTER
EXPLORERS do not have commercial
interests in the sites listed on this
page. Librarians and teachers are
permitted to copy this page for nonprofit use. To suggest a future topic or
to report a bad link, please contact
the editor, Warren Buckleitner [WB]
[email protected], or the
web editor, Megan Billitti [MB]
[email protected]; or call
908-284-0404 (9 - 3 PM, EST).
NEXT MONTH: Famous Geeks
3. I want to Geocache! What do I need? At
http://bit.ly/1dqFpz7 you can see a list of things you’ll need,
including a smart phone, an app and a good pair of shoes.
4. Is there a geocache by me right now? There are over 2,368,183 active geocaches
worldwide, according to Geocaching.com. To find one close to you click on
http://bit.ly/1ffnwzc, and enter your information into the search bar.
5. What are some dangers of geocaching? You’re going to be outside, so look out for
bugs, ticks, poison ivy, snakes, mean dogs, and
always geocache with a parent or friend.
Here are some good suggestions
http://bitly.com/QF8ig9.
6. What are some things I can
find? You might find a geocoin, or a hand made bracelet,
trinket, or toy. Or you might
strike it big and find a gift card.
Here are some examples of things
people have found http://bit.ly/1rlKUjc .
1. Create, and hide your
own geocachehttp://bit.ly/1i8A0wN
2. Go on a family geocache adventurehttp://bit.ly/1lEIY8n
Megan’s Geocaching Videos
Want to see the can of beans that was thevery first Geocache?
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcBVHzUUEKwk-lnjY5NuYLlppfoQmy4lc
Interact with this page online, at http://www.LittleClickers.com/geocaching
Children’s Technology Review, May 2014
APPLICATION
4
Feature Reviews and New Releases
MAY 2014
Here's an alphabetical listing of both the feature reviews (with ratings) and the new and
future releases. "Entry Date" refers to the date we first learned of the product.
Adventure to Fitness
This is an online video library, available as streaming content, or by subscription
as DVDs. The videos are about 30 minutes long, and would be great for indoor recess.
They represent "teacher proof" material -- you just start the video or DVD and the kids
follow along.
The production and music are excellent. You run through pretend scenarios; like
through a jungle or back in time. There are alternative periods of rest and exercise.
Details: Adventure To Fitness, www.adventuretofitness.com. Price: $13. Ages: 5up. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX, Internet Site, TV. Teaches/Purpose: physical fitness.
Entry date: 4/10/2014.
Alphabet of Insects
Inspired from the 2007 book by Palm Publishing and the Smithsonian Institution,
this Bug Alphabet book shares many of the same features that we've come to expect
from Oceanhouse Media apps, namely touch and hear words and illustrations, clear
illustrations right from the book, touch to hear more information popups, and the
ability to record your own narration. Content includes 26 bugs; one per screen, with
two paragraphs and clear narration.
Details: Oceanhouse Media, www.oceanhousemedia.com. Price: $1.99. Ages: 3-8.
Platform: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 5.0 or later). Teaches/Purpose: reading,
insects, science, biology. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.3 stars. Entry date: 4/11/2014. [WB]
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
10
9
86%
7
9
9
Animal Band
Perfect as a starter app for very young children, this musical exploration experience
turns your iPad into a musical bandstand, featuring eight sleeping animals. A tap
wakes them up, and causes them to sing a song.
Each animal brings a different voice to the mix, so children can play with different
sound elements. The free app comes with six songs: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy
Bitsy Spider, Row Row Your Boat and 1 2 3 4 5. Two Christmas Carols were added last
fall.
Some of the animal movements seem random, and their song is not tied directly to
a child's touch. However, most of the app is extremely responsive, and it's easy to
"scribble" to the song, spinning items around. Also worthy of note is the quality of the
music.
Unlike Toca Band, where the music never ends, each song has a fixed length, and
children can explore other animate features on the screen. Extra songs, sold as an inapp sales, are shown with locks.
Details: StoryToys, www.storytoys.com. Price: $free with in app sales. Ages: 2-5.
Platform: iPad, Android, Kindle, iPhone. Teaches/Purpose: causality, music, cause
and effect. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.4 stars. Entry date: 3/27/2014. [WB]
5
7
9
9
9
88%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
BeBop Blox
Twelve well designed, musical shape puzzles offer a playful, drag-and-drop
building challenge, one shape at a time. Nice touches include the preview feature,
which shows children the outline of the object they're about to build, and the way each
block is presented, one at a time. This gives children a chance to focus on just one
attribute as they create their structure.
Weaknesses are minor but are worth mentioning. While you can turn on/off the
voice of each block with a tap, the background vamp tends to be overbearing (it would
be nice if you had more control over that, too). We'd also like more variety between the
different block puzzles, or an overall context to the activity. This, we feel, would
increase long term engagement.
As it is, however, BeBop Blox is a solid, playful, musical/spatial experience that is a
great addition to any younger child's iPad.
Made by Originator (formerly Callaway), makers of Endless Alphabet and The
Monster at the End of This Book.
Details: Originator, www.originatorkids.com. Price: $1.99. Ages: 3-7. Platform:
iPad, iPhone (48 MB). Teaches/Purpose: music, shapes, spatial relations. Rating (1 to 5
stars): 4.4 stars. Entry date: 4/15/2014. [WB]
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
8
9
88%
8
9
Bug Art
Beautiful and well designed, here are five bug-themed activities that look a lot like
past Little Bit Studio apps. Only this time, you can be the bug designer, creating a
custom shell or wing decorations that can include your photograph. Once you've
finished your bug, it appears in the other games. This builds feelings of ownership
inside the experience.
You start by choosing an activity from a confusing first menu (confusing because
bugs keep flying around).
The first activity, called Free Paint, lets you freely draw with a variety of unique art
tools. It is both responsive and powerful, with a nice variety of painting and sticker
options that include bug track brushes and the ability to trace bug outlines. We did not
notice an easy "undo," however. Once you've created your bug, you can enter it into a
race (tap the screen to move), fly around a garden in search of bubbles, moving around
in mazes, counting bubbles or playing a simple memory puzzle. There's plenty to do,
despite the confusing navigation.
We especially liked how a child's work is automatically saved. This is a universal
app that runs on all iOS devices (3GS and higher); and it has been localized for English,
Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Parental features are hidden behind a child lock.
Details: Little Bit Studio, LLC, www.littlebitstudio.com. Price: $.99. Ages: 3-8.
Platform: . Teaches/Purpose: Localized for: English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French,
German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. .
Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.4 stars. Entry date: 4/8/2014. [WB]
6
9
9
9
9
88%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Club Penguin (for iPod Touch or iPhone)
Disney's popular virtual world, Club Penguin, first came to the iPad in December
of 2013. But this April 2014 update (for which the ratings apply)now includes
compatibility with the smaller screen devices many elementary-age children have:
namely the iPod Touch. The app is free with TV vignettes and in-app sales, with
features available to subscribers only, at a cost of about $8/month, or $60/year.
Our experience with Club Penguin on the small screen (an iPhone 4S) was
disappointing for three reasons:
1. The fonts and icons were not effectively designed for small screens. For example,
there is no zoom feature.
2. There is much more sponsored content, now seamlessly integrated with your
penguin. For example, Disney's upcoming Muppet movie was promoted in the version
we reviewed. For example, you could dress your Penguin as Ms. Piggy. The virtual
world is also now a portal for video segments from Disney Television, with ads for
upcoming episodes of Disneynature Explore.
3. Some of the games are poorly leveled; either too easy or too hard. This poor
design, combined with the small screen size, could create a frustrating experience for
some children.
Features include six language options and the ability to adopt up to 40 pet puffles,
including the new dog and cat puffle, the ability to walk puffles and play "dig for cool
clothing or coins", and six new rooms like the Puffle Park, Hotel Rooftop and Pet Shop.
Details: Disney Interactive, Inc., www.disney.com. Price: $free. Ages: 5-up.
Platform: iPad, iPhone. Teaches/Purpose: A virtual world for children, math,
creativity, language. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 3.7 stars. Entry date: 4/21/2014. [WB]
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
6
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
7
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
4
7
74%
8
8
8
Crackers and Goo
Use patterns to solve spatial puzzles, in this noisy, crudely designed math app with
16 challenge level and record keeping features. The idea is to drag colored squares into
place, using patterns and quantities as clues. Time counts -- you have to dodge goo
splats before they cover your answers.
There is some solid math-related problem solving, but it's buried beneath poor
quality sound and cluttered graphics. The Pro Version is available for $3.99.
Details: Crackers and Goo, http://crackersandgoo.com/. Price: $free. Ages: 4-up.
Platform: iPad. Teaches/Purpose: math, patterns. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 3.6 stars. Entry
date: 8/22/2013. [WB]
7
72%
7
7
8
Curious About Letters
Two activities -- upper/lower letter matching, and letter tracing, feature the Man
with the Yellow Hat and Curious George.
The tracing is frustratingly difficult, and there are no narrative components. The
bottom line? There's not much to be curious about.
Details: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, www.hmhbooks.com. Price: $1.99. Ages: 3-6.
Platform: iPad. Teaches/Purpose: reading, letters. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 1.7 stars. Entry
date: 1/16/2014. [WB]
7
4
3
4
2
34%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Disneynature Explore
Want to see a fish in your living room? Or the Bear chasing it? This is an
augmented reality experience designed to accompany one of the Disneynature movies.
It combines an augmented reality experience with an animal-behavior game that
"encourages children to get outside and discover nature."
3D animals will appear in the live camera view of your tablet, letting you view the
world from the eyes of a monarch butterfly or fish for termites like a chimpanzee.
There are five adventures, each with four challenges.
As you explore, you can take photos to add them to your Disneynature Journal,
target colors and objects, store pictures of each adventure and track progress. Content
includes video clips of real animals, a parents’ page, a pin award system, and a
Spanish language option. You can't beat the price -- free (the app is designed to help
promote the TV programming).
Details: Disney Interactive, Inc., www.disney.com. Price: $free. Ages: 6-8. Platform:
iPad. Teaches/Purpose: science, nature, augmented reality, spatial relations. Rating (1
to 5 stars): 4.7 stars. Entry date: 3/26/2014. [WB]
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
10
94%
9
9
10
Doodle Critter Math: Shapes
This app lets children "interact and play with basic shapes such as triangle,
rectangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, and circle." Activities include: Learn Shapes draw different shapes by touching each critter; Sort out Shapes - look at each shape
and group all the matching pairs; Match the Pairs - match shapes to the real world
objects like sandwiches and clocks; Remember Shapes - look at each shape and
remember how they look before they hide inside the box; Make Different Shapes - put
all the puzzle pieces together to make different animals like the elephant, rhino, and
alligator; and Find Shapes - find all the hidden shape in the fable.
Details: NCSoft, http://www.iactionbook.com/?lang=en#&panel1-1. Price: $2.99.
Ages: 3-5. Platform: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 5.0 or later). Teaches/Purpose:
math, shapes. Entry date: 4/17/2014.
Endless Numbers
Following the success of Endless Alphabet (CTR Feb 2013), this free version of
Endless Numbers (also called Endless 123) humorously introduces numerals in the
context of simple addition math equations. Each numeral jumps to life when touched,
with a set of dots that nicely illustrate the number behind the numeral. When the math
equation parts are dragged and dropped into place, a process that can be shared by
more than one child, a funny animated skit provides context for each number. For the
number 4, for example, children see four babies in a stroller.
The first 5 numbers are free to try. Larger numbers, up to 25, are available for
purchase for $3.99. Missing are high scores or timers. The highly engaging format lets
children explore at their own pace. Besides the in-app sales feature which teases
children with the locked activities, we noticed a "rate us 5 stars" message. Despite these
commercial drawbacks, Endless Numbers presents a valuable number experience.
Details: Originator, www.originatorkids.com. Price: $free with In-App Purchases.
Ages: 3-7. Platform: iPad, iPhone (75 MB). Teaches/Purpose: math, counting, numbers,
matching, sets. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.7 stars. Entry date: 4/8/2014. [WB]
8
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
10
9
9
10
94%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Endless Reader
This app is designed to introduce children to sight words. If you've ever played
Endless Alphabet (CTR Feb 2013) or Endless Numbers, you get the idea of Endless
reader. This time, you complete a sentence by dragging and dropping missing words
into place. You start by building a word (like ball, in Level 1). You then see the word
in a rather unconventional sentence ("Sherbert can balance the red ball on her nose!").
Each word jumps to life when it is touched, and the animated clues contribute
toward the word and sentence meaning. Because it is multi-touch, the process can be
shared by more than one child. Both are rewarded by the animated skit at the end.
Level 1 contains Pre-K through K, Level 2 is early elementary, and Level 3 covers
middle elementary (grade 3). The free version of the app teases you with a small set of
just seven starter words and associated sentences.
An additional pack of 20 words costs $5, or $12 for all 99 words. Missing are high
scores, timers, bookmarking or record keeping. The highly engaging format lets
children explore at their own pace. The free version of the app contains in-app sales,
with grayed out icons. Despite these commercial drawbacks, Endless Numbers
presents a valuable reading experience.
Details: Originator, www.originatorkids.com. Price: $2.99. Ages: 3-8. Platform:
iPad, iPhone. Teaches/Purpose: reading, sight words. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.6 stars.
Entry date: 4/14/2014. [WB]
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
10
92%
9
9
9
Facciamo (Let's Faces!)
Ready for something a little different? One of the treats from the 2014
BolognaRagazzi Digital Prize (in the top 20 list) was an Italian app dedicated to the
exploration of human faces. Based on the art of Antonella Abbatiello, Facciamo
(translated "Let's Face It") is like an interactive painting, with nine visual face
experiments. Each comes with different visual effects. The main menu makes it easy to
freely explore. There are two language options. The Italian version offers a nice
introduction to a new language. Based on the printed book by Topipittori (www.
topipittori.it). Note that there is a free version with in-app purchases. The full version
is expensive ($17).
Details: Semidigitali, www.semidigitali.it. Price: $16.99. Ages: 4-12. Platform: iPad
(52 MB). Teaches/Purpose: spatial relations, art, Italian. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.4 stars.
Entry date: 3/3/2014. [WB]
Flexdex Skateboards
Bright LEDs meet skating, with this light up skateboard.
Flexdex, released in 2014 at Toy Fair, is a 39 inch clear polycarbonate skateboard
with bright LED strips molded into the plastic deck. The 9 volt battery is mounted in
one of the risers. The lights come in different colors. The board is compatible with
different long board wheels.
Details: Flexdex Skateboards LLC, . Price: $200. Ages: 10-up. Platform: Smart Toy.
Teaches/Purpose: fine motor skills. Entry date: 4/21/2014.
9
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
8
9
9
9
88%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Furreal Friends Butterscotch, My Walkin' Pony
Butterscotch the robotic horse, has gone through a significant downsizing since she
was first released in 2002.
Back then, she was a large $300+ robotic horse -- big enough for a child to sit on.
This 2014 edition can walk, and make pony sounds (whinnies and neighs) when a
switch on the back is touched. It comes with a small plastic brush for grooming. Runs
on 3 “AA” batteries.
Related toys include a set of $15 "Walkin' Friends" assortment of toys; also with a
switch on the back. The smaller toys cost less and only use one battery.
Details: Hasbro, Inc., www.hasbro.com. Price: $25. Ages: 3-up. Platform: Smart
Toy. Teaches/Purpose: a small robotic horse. Entry date: 4/21/2014.
Furreal Friends Get Up and GoGo, My Walking PupPup
Coming Fall 2014, a lifelike puppy that can sit and speak on command. For the first
time, the pup can react to an app, or other Furreal toys, using the same "Sonic Chirp"
technology used by Furby. Other toys with the ability include Pom Pom My Baby
Panda. The free app (search "Furreal Freinds) will be in iTunes and Google Play.
Runs on 4 “C” batteries, not included. $60 from HasbroToyShop.com.
Details: Hasbro, Inc., www.hasbro.com. Price: $60. Ages: 4-up. Platform: Smart
Toy. Teaches/Purpose: a robotic plush toy. Entry date: 4/16/2014.
10
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Geocaching
Technology meets fresh air and sunshine; with a generous dose of deductive
reasoning, persistence and map reading -- all in the form of Geocaching.
The "treasures" (called geocaches) vary widely in size and sophistication, and there
are now millions hidden all over the world. They may be as small as a magnetic key
box containing a tiny scroll of paper, or as large as a waterproof "ammo box" stuffed
into a hole in a tree. We recently found one inside a plastic skull hanging from a tree.
Despite having a for-profit business model (the leading site, Geocaching.com is
maintained by a Seattle-based private company called Groundspeak), geocaches are
created and maintained by a small army of volunteers. You can see a detailed map of
geocaches by typing your zip code at http://www.geocaching.com.
The larger geocaches contain items that people leave behind, such as a coin, a
rubber frog or a marble. Some items might have tracking numbers on them, so you can
see where they've been.
To find a geocache, you need a computer, or better yet, a smart phone loaded with
the app, plus a GPS, and the ability to find longitude and latitude coordinates. The free
version of the app works fine. If you're a serious and plan on creating your own
Geocache, you might want to buy the full version of the app. The app also makes it
much easier to get hints, take pictures, and leave an online record of the caches you've
found. As of April 2014, there are 2 million active geocaches around the world,
increasing the chance that there's one near you.
The full app costs $9.99 http://itunes.apple.
com/us/app/geocaching/id292242503?mt=8
Groundspeak makes money by selling the app and a variety of Geocache supplies.
Details: Groundspeak, www.groundspeak.com. Price: $free, $9.99. Ages: 6-up.
Platform: iPad, Android. Teaches/Purpose: Geography, nature, maps, using a GPS,
math, history. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.8 stars. Entry date: 1/7/2012. [WB]
Green Screen by Do Ink
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
Green Screen lets you create green screen videos on your iPad. The green screen
effect works by combining images from multiple sources into a single video, with
images coming from photos or videos in your camera roll, or from the live video
camera. Features include: use the live video camera, or import prerecorded videos,
photos, and artwork; combine up to three image sources at a time; record videos in
high definition (720p) or standard definition (480p) formats; scrollable timeline
allowing you to sequence your videos and photos; add as many image sources to the
timeline as you’d like; move image sources around on the timeline; trim videos on the
timeline to keep only the parts you need; mix audio tracks from your videos and from
the live camera; color picker tool lets you set the chroma key color; use the front or
back camera; rehearse your video before you record it; preview your video before you
save it; save your recorded videos to your camera roll (and from there to YouTube,
email, etc.); and create multiple projects and reusable templates.
Details: DK Pictures, www.doink.com. Price: $2.99. Ages: 10-up. Platform: iPad.
Teaches/Purpose: videography. Entry date: 4/8/2014.
11
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
10
10
9
10
96%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Home KG
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
This free app is designed to "teach children to write letters and numbers, as well as
recognize shapes", by letting them trace using their finger. Children tap on the pencil
to trace, or tap on the eraser icon to erase and correct. The app includes all 26 letters in
both upper and lowercase, numbers from 0 to 9, and 10 basic shapes.
Details: Cactac Studios, www.cactacstudios.com. Price: $free. Ages: 3-up. Platform:
iPad. Teaches/Purpose: letters, numbers, shapes. Entry date: 4/8/2014.
Incredible Numbers
This interactive book mixes clearly written middle and high school level reading
with 71 interactive, embedded and finger-driven math demonstrations. As a result, this
is a math book that you touch as well as read. The text comes from 23 articles written
by Ian Stewart, a math professor.
Those seeking a challenge can try to solve the 15 puzzles (with illustrated answers).
The main menu presents eight large dots; each representing color-coded chapters as
follows: Primes, Secret Codes, Polygons, Infinity, pi, Factorials, Music and Nature.
If you're expecting visually rich illustrations typical of Touch Press apps like
Disney Animated, you may be disappointed by this app's clean, clear, text-driven
design. On the other hand, the app is a surprisingly quick download, of just 93 MB.
Middle and high school math teachers, take note of this app, which is a collaborative
effort of Profile Books and Touch Press.
Details: Touch Press, www.touchpress.com. Price: $4.99. Ages: 10-up. Platform:
iPad. Teaches/Purpose: math, reading. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.8 stars. Entry date:
3/29/2014. [WB]
12
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
10
N
10
9
95%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Kid's Play Phone: Fun Activities for Kids
This set of a dozen easy to use mini games are easy to access, offering a nice variety
of things for young children to discover. While it's definitely worth the download, it's
not without limitations, so keep reading.
The 12 activities are presented by way of a four page menu, adding a layer of
complication to the app that is unnecessary. Getting out of an activity is easy, as long
as you help children discover the "back" button.
Games include: ABC – learn to type the ABCs, correlate letters and their
pronunciation; Wonderful Seasons – play and learn the four seasons of the year;
Musical Instruments – listen and learn the sounds that musical instruments make and
let your kids try their hand at composing their own music; Animal Quiz – play with
animals and choose the right one; Bright Colors – tap and learn colors, their names and
spelling; Singing Notes – play with basic 7 notes, learn their names and sounds; Funny
Animals – learn animals and their names, spelling, see, hear and interact with 9
animals; Master Shapes – learn 9 basic shapes; Magic Memory Game – play an endless
memory game and learn animals with 5 levels of difficulty; Animal Peek-a-boo – play
with animals and learn their names and spelling; Calculator – play with a "fully
functional calculator” to explore addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; and
Amazing Numbers – pop balls and learn counting down and up (10 to 0 and 0 to 10).
Other features include parental controls for all external links and purchases. There is a
free lite version that we did not review.
Weaknesses include inaccurate musical notation, and some self promotion as part
of the last menu item.
Strengths include the variety of things do to, the "real" calculator, the responsive
peek-a-boo game and the dynamic counting activity. Nearly all the activities are
responsive and high in child control, making this a good choice for a starter app.
Details: HappyKids, www.happykidsapps.com. Price: $1.99. Ages: 2-6. Platform:
iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 6.0 or later). Teaches/Purpose: counting, letters,
numerals, colors, animal names, cause and effect. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.2 stars. Entry
date: 4/11/2014. [WB]
Kids Music Factory
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
This music toy app lets children "learn to play popular kids tunes". In the Keyboard
Mode, children explore traditional notes by tapping on the keys, composing as they
play. Or they can create melodies in Character Mode, by dragging and dropping
characters that make their own unique sounds. The Tutorial Mode, designed for
beginners, helps children learn to play any song from the music library by showing
where each note is on the keyboard. Other features include: 20 children's classic songs
to learn and play; 30 characters to choose from to create your own band; and record
your own melodies and share with family and friends.
Details: GiggleUp Pty Ltd, www.giggleup.com. Price: $2.99. Ages: 4-up. Platform:
iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 4.3 or later). Teaches/Purpose: music. Entry date:
4/8/2014.
13
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
8
9
8
8
84%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
KidsFunFood
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
This fruit puzzle app with animated characters is designed to help parents "give
more fruit to eat to their kids in a funny way". Each of the puzzles has its own recipe.
For example, the bird puzzle shows you how to create a bird using almonds, a waffle,
chocolate chips, apple pieces, kiwi and peanut butter.
Details: Dreambook Studios, www.dreambookstudios.com. Price: $1.99. Ages: 3-6.
Platform: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android. Teaches/Purpose: food. Entry date:
4/16/2014.
LeapBand Activity Tracker
Combine a Fitbit, Tamagotchi and a Leapster into a single device, and you get
LeapBand ($40, LeapFrog, coming August 2014), part of a new generation of wearable
technology headed toward your child's wrist (see also the Vtech Kidizoom Smart
Watch, with camera and video functions). And, despite the fact that Leapfrog doesn't
like you to call it a smart watch, it can tell you the time.
Leapfrog promises three ways to play: motion-based games with an accelerometer;
a virtual life game; and learning games. There is also a silent mode that can be setup in
advance for bedtime or school hours.
The rechargeable "softshell" lithium battery powers the color 1.4 inch 128x128
resolution screen for "3 to 5 days." You can recharge by connecting to a laptop, which
also lets you download additional games from the LeapFrog Connect store. The
waterproof device has 4 MB of SPI Flash memory, a watch-like silicone band that can
be adjusted, and an onboard accelerometer. Content includes 14 activity challenges (e.
g., jump like a frog), three learning games and a virtual pet simulator. The pet can
jump to another device (LeapPad Ultra, Android and iOS) by way of an app called The
Petathlon. The pets come from LeapFrog's Pet Pals franchise. There's a cat, dog,
dragon, monkey, panda, penguin, robot and unicorn.
Available in three colors (pink, blue or green), LeapBand is a connected device that
requires a wire to charge, download content or upload activity information to other
apps. There is no bluetooth, and the device does not have a touch screen. More
information at http://www.leapfrog.com/leapband.
Details: Leapfrog, www.leapfrog.com. Price: $40. Ages: 4-7. Platform: LeapPad
Ultra, Mac or Windows computer via Leapfrog Connect, IOS and Android.
Teaches/Purpose: movement, motion, kinesthetic, exercise. Entry date: 4/25/2014.
LEGO Friends (Nintendo DS)
Based on the LEGO friends collection of building sets for girls, the game lets girls
express their individuality and personality as they explore the city. You can shop for
the latest outfits and accessories, select the perfect hairstyle, decorate your bedroom
and pick out a pet. You can also choose how to spend your summer vacation, whether
it's attending horse riding camp, playing soccer, or caring for an animal at the rescue
center. You will meet new LEGO friends and join them on adventures, for example,
you can help Andrea decide what to sing at her concert, or take photos for Emma's
newspaper article. As you help friends on special adventures, your friendship levels
with the girls will grow closer to "True Friend" status. On some adventures you can
unlock in-game money that you can use for shopping. Other activities let you train
your pet to do tricks, groom them, feed them treats, and enter them in a pet show. Each
pet has a special skill that they can use to help you on your adventures. You can even
trade places with your pet so you can play the game from her perspective. You can
also scrapbook your adventures using your in-game camera for photo-ops.
Details: Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, Inc., www.warnerbros.com.
Price: $30. Ages: 6-up. Platform: Nintendo 3DS. Teaches/Purpose: creativity, caring for
animals. Entry date: 11/13/2013.
14
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
LEGO The Hobbit
Inspired by the first two films in The Hobbit Trilogy, as well as the collection of
LEGO The Hobbit constructions sets. Key features of the game include: explore
Middle-earth and visit key locations from the film including Bag End, The Misty
Mountains, Goblin Town, Mirkwood and Rivendell; participate in Treasure Quests,
mine for gems, craft magical items, or build new LEGO structures; play as your
favorite characters including Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves, each with his own
special ability; collect, combine and forge new items in the Blacksmith shop using
Mithril, the most precious metal in Middle-earth; play a game of riddles and learn to
wield the power of The One Ring; play with family and friends with easy drop-in,
dropout gameplay option (console only); and play with friends using wireless play
(3DS and Vita only - two copies of game required). Prices are: $60 for the Xbox One
and PS4; $50 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U; and $30 for the Nintendo 3DS and PS
Vita.
Details: Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, Inc., www.warnerbros.com.
Price: $60. Ages: 8-up. Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox
One, Nintendo 3DS, Vita, Windows. Teaches/Purpose: logic, cooperative play. Entry
date: 4/8/2014.
Let's Imagine Elmo
Designed to extend the musical segments of Sesame Street, this extremely talkative
13 inch plush toy responds to different hats in different ways. The hats act like keys,
unlocking different sets of content.
There are three hats: the crown results in “Prince Elmo Says,” the cowboy hat starts
the “Countin’ Cowboy” game and the sea captain hat starts “Sounds of the Sea.” Each
theme has three modes: play, count and sing. In the demo at Toy Fair 2014, we found
the toy to be extremely didactic and over talkative. Besides the structured play,
children can tickle Elmo's belly, squeeze his nose, or bounce him for a reaction -- no hat
required. Runs on four AA batteries. Fall 2014.
Details: Hasbro, Inc., www.hasbro.com. Price: $40. Ages: 3-6. Platform: Smart Toy.
Teaches/Purpose: language, counting, memory. Entry date: 4/21/2014.
Max Tow Truck
Looking for some real power in a pretend truck? Max Tow Truck is slow moving
and very geared-down. It comes with large, rubbery tires that can grip either carpet or
smooth surfaces. The slow speed gives it the ability to pull or push heavy loads. Jakks
claims "up to 150 lbs." We tried it, and found the claims to be accurate. There is no
remote, and you can't steer; plus it moves at a very slow speed. Powered by "D"
batteries.
Details: Jakks Pacific, Inc., www.jakks.com. Price: $60. Ages: 3-up. Platform: Smart
Toy. Teaches/Purpose: a toy truck. Entry date: 4/21/2014.
15
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
MetaWars: Blood Nexus - Episode 1
UK startup Freed Fiction has teamed up with author Jeff Norton to create
MetaWars: Blood Nexus, an interactive ebook that lets readers take control of the story.
At crucial points the reader can make decisions about what happens next. These
decisions flow through the story, shaping the action, as well as the characters and their
relationships. Episode 1 is available free and is the first in a three part series. The story
is an action packed thriller set in a dystopian future and is a prequel to the MetaWars
book series by Jeff Norton, published by Orchard. In the story, Sam Kavanaugh is a
teenage girl who's fighting for the freedom of a virtual world called the Metasphere
that offers mankind its only escape from the ruins of reality.
Details: Freed Fiction, www.freedfiction.com. Price: $free. Ages: 9-up. Platform:
iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iBooks 1.5 or later and iOS 4.3.3 or later). Teaches/Purpose:
reading. Entry date: 3/27/2014.
Mini-U: My Home
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
Mini U: My Home contains three mini games. These include: Wall decorator paint to match wallpaper; Wardrobe builder - clean your wardrobe and put the right
thing in the right place; and Shoes magician - find a second pair of shoes, match them
and place in the correct boxes.
Details: PopApp Factory, www.popappfactory.com. Price: $1.99. Ages: 2-up.
Platform: iPad. Teaches/Purpose: matching. Entry date: 4/8/2014.
Mini-U: The Kitchen
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
Mini-U: The Kitchen features six mini games. These include: Morning Tunes create morning melodies by using kitchen items; Product Sorter - pick out edible and
inedible stuff; Breakfast Composer - find hidden breakfast items; Italian Chef - pick
the correct macaroni and drag it to its shadow; Cocktail Maker - mix different fruits to
create a cocktail of a certain color; and Fridge Operator - fill the fridge with items
matching the shadows shown.
Details: PopApp Factory, www.popappfactory.com. Price: $2.99. Ages: 3-7.
Platform: iPad. Teaches/Purpose: color, shape recognition. Entry date: 4/8/2014.
16
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Mini-U: The Bathroom
Responsive, easy to play, but sometimes confusing (and strange), here's a set of six
games that deal with bathroom-related themes like sorting clothes, brushing teeth,
popping bubbles (sorting colors) and tracing pictures in a mirror.
You get a lot for your $1, with 200 illustrations, different sounds and a parental
lock with no time limits or in-app purchases. The app presents a fun way to practice
logical thinking, improve attention to details, concentration, reaction and agility, and
stimulate imagination and creativity.
Details: PopApp Factory, www.popappfactory.com. Price: $0.99. Ages: 4-6.
Platform: iPad. Teaches/Purpose: logic, matching. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4 stars. Entry
date: 4/8/2014. [WB]
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
8
8
80%
8
7
8
Monki Animal Builder
This zany monster creator lets you mix and match items like crazy eyes, pig noses
and octopus tentacles. It also includes accessories like a hats, glasses and jewelry.
Children can save the creations to play with them later on or share them with kids
around the world.
A social gallery lets you share your pet, or download others from other players.
The app features six different shapes including Hairyball, Pear, Butterfly, Potato,
Snowman, and Slug, 30 animated body parts, 15 accessories and 90 audio tracks with
vocabulary and sentences. There is no third-party advertising or in-app purchases.
Made in Unity.
Pictures get quickly cluttered and the rotating menus make it hard to settle on a
particular part.
Details: Monkimun SL, www.monkimun.es. Price: $2.99. Ages: 4-up. Platform:
iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch. Teaches/Purpose: creativity. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 3.9 stars.
Entry date: 3/28/2014. [WB]
8
78%
9
7
7
Mr. Potato Head: Create & Play
Better late than never. We first heard of this app two years ago, but never had a
chance to review it. But based on the fact that it is getting strong iTunes reviews, and
that it was made by Originator (makers of Endless Alphabet), we decided to have a
closer look. It was a nice discovery -- this app captures the spirit of Hasbro's Mr. Potato
Head, letting you mix-and-match different eyes, arms, outfits and so on, sticking each
on a 3D Mr. Potato Head that can be rotated. Content (included in the $5 download)
includes 32 sets of outfits and 15 backgrounds. Once you've created your Mr. Potato
Head, you can choose a theme to play in. If you purchased the app, all the additional
content is free; if not you can download the lite version and pay as you go. Mr. Potato
fans won't be disappointed by this app.
Details: Originator, www.originatorkids.com. Price: $4.99. Ages: 3-up. Platform:
iPad (38.8 MB). Teaches/Purpose: creativity. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.4 stars. Entry date:
2/14/2013. [WB]
17
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
N
9
9
8
88%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
My Chinese Copybook: Elementary Class
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
This app is designed to teach Chinese writing "in a strategic, effective and fun way
which makes handwriting incredibly easy". Children pick a word, then follow the
steps to form the characters using the correct stroke order. Children also learn the
meaning of these Chinese characters and how they sound in both Cantonese and
Mandarin. The app also features a timer function, allowing you and your child to set
time limits beforehand.
Details: Aedify, www.aedify.com.hk. Price: $2.99. Ages: 6-up. Platform: iPad,
iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 6.0 or later). Teaches/Purpose: Chinese writing. Entry date:
4/16/2014.
NERF Combat Creatures Attacknid
Hasbro's NERF Combat Creatures Attacknid ($80, Fall 2014) is a new way to drive,
shoot and torture your brother/sister/cat. Uses the NERF dart system. Controlled by
an infra-red remote (included). Coming "Fall 2014."
Details: Hasbro, Inc., www.hasbro.com. Price: $80. Ages: 12-up. Platform: Smart
Toy. Teaches/Purpose: fine motor control. Entry date: 4/9/2014.
PicoToons Coloring Book
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
This coloring book app features "toon-like characters and 130 professionally
illustrated pictures" divided into five categories including Animals, Occupations,
Fairies and friends, Robots, and Creatures. The PicoToons Toolbox features a fill tool,
as well as drawing tools including pencils, crayons, brushes, sprays, markers, a stickers
tool with 80 stickers, and a letters tool with a set of letters and numbers. The app also
features a Magic Particles Tool, which allows children to draw with a choice of more
than 30 particles such as bubbles, grass, fur, leaves, stars, snow, and raindrops. Other
features include: three levels of difficulty (each level comes with a different set of
tools); customizable Child-Lock features which enable you to separately lock certain
functions of the game, for example, saving drawings or locking the user within a single
Coloring Book and/or Coloring Sheet; €Sketchbook with blank sheets; paint with 80
colors and 40 textures; and undo/redo functionality.
Details: Bigo Bjuo, http://bigobjuo.com. Price: $2.99. Ages: 3-9. Platform: iPad.
Teaches/Purpose: coloring, creativity. Entry date: 4/8/2014.
18
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
PiggyBot
This is an allowance/saving utility created by a savings and loan association.
Information is protected using four digit pins (there is one for the parent, and one for
the child). You can create reminders to help you pay your child his or her weekly
allowance and it is possible for a child to set savings goals.
Details: Kasasa, www.kasasa.com. Price: $free. Ages: 6-up. Platform: iPad, iPhone.
Teaches/Purpose: savings. Entry date: 4/4/2014.
Quick Clocks
Teachers & parents -- Looking for some solid, gimmick free clock drill? There's an
app for that, and it's a good one.
Designed to help your child improve their time-telling and arithmetic skills, this
app promotes the development of a concrete understanding of time through a variety
of activities and games. The app lets children: use Analog Clocks to set and tell the
time; use Digital Clocks to set and tell the time; read and set clocks in 12-hour and 24hour time; use whole, half and quarter hours; compare and convert digital and analog
time and 12-hour and 24-hour time; practice mental addition by finding the difference
between two clocks; and practice handwriting. The app features practice modes that let
children practice and develop time skills at their own pace, and timed modes that
promote the development of time-telling fluency. The personalized graphs display
children's ongoing progress, and let them track their own learning as they master timetelling skills.
If you're looking for some fancy bells and whistles or sophisticated artificial
intelligence, you won't find it with this app.
Details: Shiny Things, www.getshinythings.com. Price: $1.99. Ages: 6-12. Platform:
iPad, iPhone, iPod touch (iOS 7.0 or later). Teaches/Purpose: math, telling time, clocks.
Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.6 stars. Entry date: 2/20/2014. [WB]
Rabbids Invasion Toys
CTR review status: pending. The following description was excerpted from the
publisher description.
This toy collection is based on the Nickelodeon TV Show, Rabbids Invasion. The
Rabbid Plunger Sound Blaster, $12.99, makes 15 sounds including fart, flush, laugh
and scream. Rabbids Sound and Action Figure 2 packs, $12.99, include two Rabbids
characters that make assorted Rabbid sounds, and have a clip so you can hang it from
your backpack or jacket. The Rabbids Mini Figure Blind Bag, $2.99, features one of
seven mystery collectibles. There are also Mini Figure six packs($19.99) and Rabbids
Plush toys ($12.99).
Details: McFarlane Toys, www.mcfarlane.com. Price: $3 & up. Ages: 5-up.
Platform: toy. Teaches/Purpose: toy. Entry date: 4/11/2014.
19
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
8
N
10
10
93%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Ravensburger Puzzles on iPad
We'll leave the debate about screens vs. cardboard out of this review; but if you're
serious about screen-based jigsaw puzzles, this app may be worth a second look. This
pay-as-you-go Jigsaw-puzzle delivery system comes with multiple challenge levels,
mood music, tutorials and and plenty of offers to purchase additional puzzles. You
have to be online in order to access your puzzles (www.ravensburger-digital.com). The
catalog lists 150 puzzles, and all can be played in the original Ravensburger stamp
version with 20 - 500 pieces. Features include the ability to play music from iTunes, or
use the iOS Game Center to compare your scores with others. Playing the app does not
require an internet connection, but you must be connected to the Internet to buy a
puzzle.
Details: Ravensburger Digital GmbH, www.ravensburger-games.com/en/. Price:
$2.99. Ages: 8-up. Platform: iPad. Teaches/Purpose: spatial relations. Entry date:
2/28/2014.
Sago Mini Monsters
Here's a fact about young children. They love to feed things, whether it's a pet, a
parent or a pretend monster. This app takes this idea to a new level, by letting children
decorate their own monster, and then feed him or her until all the food is gone. It is
easy to snap a photo to share, and there are no limits to the number of monsters you
can decorate.
There could be a better erase or undo option, giving children more control over the
creativity process and we found the Sago branding inside the creative space to be
unnecessary (especially for a $3 app). This is an excellent starter app for very young
children.
Details: Sago Sago, www.sagosago.com. Price: $2.99. Ages: 3-up. Platform: iPad,
iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 5.0 or later). Teaches/Purpose: cause and effect. Rating (1 to 5
stars): 4.4 stars. Entry date: 4/7/2014. [WB]
Shutterbugs: Wiggle and Stomp
This free teaching game is supposed to show children how to describe movement
and motion while virtually visiting animals in the Smithsonian National Zoo.
However, the login system is buggy, and we couldn't get past the first screen.
Developed in a partnership between Filament Games and the Smithsonian Science
Education Center.
Details: Smithsonian Science Education Center, www.ssec.si.edu. Price: $free.
Ages: 3-5. Platform: iPad, Android. Teaches/Purpose: vocabulary, science, animals.
Entry date: 1/2/2014.
20
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
9
9
8
9
88%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Skylanders Trap Team
In the beginning (2011), there were just Skylanders; a pioneering concept that let
you "portal" your physical toy into a video game.
Here's the original concept when it was first announced at the New York Toy Fair
http://youtu.be/BvqGPLkQOFE
The toy/video game idea had been tried many times before, but unsuccessfully
(you can hear a note of skepticism in my voice, in the above video). Skylanders (which
obviously inspired Disney Infinity) was successful because both the toys and the video
game were good enough to stand on their own merits. The video game was adapted
from the older Spyro franchise. In addition, the hardware was cross platform and
didn't require batteries. You could just plug it and play it.
Over time, Skylander kits have included Giants, Battleground, Swap Force and this
latest bundle, called Trap Team.
Trap Team brings the characters out of the game, into physical “Traps” that kids
can take with them. In the story, Kaos (the bad guy) continues his ongoing quest to
rule over Skylands. He has discovered the location of the legendary Cloudcracker
Prison -- a fortress built out of the Traptanium that is the home the Skylands’ most
nefarious baddies. In an attempt to build his own army of foes, Kaos blows up the
prison, releasing the most wanted villains and blasting shards of Traptanium to Earth
in the form of Traps.
Skylanders Trap Team introduces a new “trap” for the bad guys. When this new
type of toy is placed directly into the portal, the Portal Masters can “capture” a variety
of special villains from the game and transport them from Skylands into the real
world.
The portal has an audio speaker that allows players to hear the voices of the
villains as they move from the game into the real world. The Trap also lights up in
sync with the villain speaking ("If you look closely, you can almost see the villain
trying to escape from inside the Trap.")
You can play either as a Skylander, or capture Skylands’ most wanted foes and
unleash them for good. Once trapped, players can return the villain to Skylands as a
playable character, creating a “tag team” game dynamic.
Content includes 50 playable Skylanders, new adventures with "combat, puzzles,
mini games, activities, platforming, and drop-in/drop-out co-op play."
Seasoned fans can play Skylanders Trap Team with their entire collection of 175
forward compatible characters from Skylanders SWAP Force, Skylanders Giants and
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. Created by Toys for Bob (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii)
or Beenox (Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, 3DS) for Activision. Release Date October
5, 2014.
Details: Activision, Inc., www.activision.com. Price: $75. Ages: 7-up. Platform:
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Teaches/Purpose: social
play, problem solving, logic, math. Entry date: 4/24/2014.
21
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
SpeakaZoo
Like Siri (Apple's voice recognition helper) with animals, this highly entertaining
but poorly conceptualized app consists of a collection of nicely animated, cleverly
narrated talking animals that uses something called "pull string technology" to
simulate conversation.
You hear bits of monologue, with planned pauses that give you a chance to
respond. You "record" a response, and the animal adjusts the "conversation" based on
your response. What you don't know is that what you say when you press the button,
is being recorded and sent to the cloud, where ToyTalk records and studies the audio.
It seems like a good idea, but you never hear your own words, and the
asynchronous interaction doesn't really work to the point where you feel like the
animals "listen." So you feel like you're talking with a rather unintelligent, funny
comedian who only knows canned responses and won't stray from the script. This app
is a case study in why machines will never replace humans.
The linear components, including the lip syncing, art and dialog are outstanding -as a TV or video, this app gets highest ratings for production value.
But the business practice -- a free app that records home audio -- is worth another
look. The app uses a forced registration, so what you say is recorded by the company;
a rather creepy concept, because iPad microphones are of excellent quality. Essentially,
if you download and register this free app you allow a 3rd party company to have a
child-controlled microphone in your house. A day later, you get an email that lets you
listen to your child's recordings.
Here's the exact language, after you register:
"Hi! Your child has created a free ToyTalk account and needs your consent to play
The Winston Show. ToyTalk applications like The Winston Show sometimes involve
the recording of audio, video and/or photographs. We use these recordings to put on
the show, share the great stuff your children create with you, and improve our services
and technologies in areas like speech recognition across all the ToyTalk apps. For
children under 13 to enjoy ToyTalk apps like The Winston Show, we need your
consent to let us collect, use or disclose these recordings. To indicate your consent,
please click the "Activate Account" button above. For your convenience, this consent
will cover any ToyTalk apps you register to your account in the future. Nothing is
shared to Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media sites unless you, the parent,
choose to do so. And until we receive your consent, we will not save or store any
recordings at all. For more details about our privacy practices with respect to children,
please read our privacy policy." It is easy to delete your account, providing you
remember your registration credentials.
The bottom line? This is an example of outstanding linear media meeting blurry
interactive design, with questionable business and information use practice.
Details: ToyTalk, . Price: $free. Ages: 3-9. Platform: iPad. Teaches/Purpose:
language, aural speech, dialog, humor. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 3.7 stars. Entry date:
4/25/2014. [WB]
Star Wars Command Star Destroyer Set
This is a pretend flying vehicle from Star Wars that you can control with a remote
control with hand motions. The kit includes the battery operated vehicle, plus eight
posable "micro-figures." The ship can roll backwards or forwards, and can launch up to
4 "Energy Blast balls" -- like torpedoes that are big enough to knock down the figures.
Details: Hasbro, Inc., www.hasbro.com. Price: $60. Ages: 4-up. Platform: Smart
Toy. Teaches/Purpose: role play, Star Wars. Entry date: 4/21/2014.
22
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
7
6
10
7
7
74%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Superhero Sheep
Billing itself as "touchable television", this innovative new app mixes interactive
play with TV-quality video, from the PBS show Word World. The result is a solid
language experience, with a chance to play with letters and words to apply some of the
concepts. This is the fourth "appisode" we've reviewed and all are good quality.
This can be a noisy app (like TV), perhaps making it better suited for home rather
than classroom use. In this interactive appisode of PBS Kids’ WordWorld, Superhero
Sheep, Sheep saves WordWorld with the letter S. The app features eight interactive
scenes that let your child become part of the story by completing activities that help
propel the video narrative along. Activities include: flying Duck to the rescue with his
Superduper Slingshot; dressing Sheep in her superhero costume; driving a submarine
to collect the letters in Frog’s lost K-E-Y; building a S-L-I-D-E to rescue Sheep from the
top of a tall building; finding missing S’s so Ant can plant his S-E-E-D-S in the garden;
and building a P-O-T for Duck’s sidekick costume.
Details: PlaySquare, LLC, http://playsquare.tv. Price: $2.99. Ages: 2-5. Platform:
iPad. Teaches/Purpose: Letter recognition, letter sounds, vocabulary, word
recognition. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.5 stars. Entry date: 1/2/2014. [WB]
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
9
8
90%
9
9
10
Tower Math
This is a multiple-choice math drill combined with a tower defense game that is
fast-paced, multileveled and addicting.
Here's how it works. There's an approaching army of monsters that you "kill" (or
"free the numbers") by placing automated towers that randomly launch various types
of projectiles. These give the game a "Plants vs. Zombies" feel to it. The more monsters
you stop, the higher your score, and your chance to clear the level. It's worth noting
that at no point in the game are shooting, bullets or killing mentioned (numbers are
"freed.") The kids will know the difference.
The "math" comes in because the only way to build towers is to answer math fact
problems along the parade route. Because the monster route varies, the placement and
strength of the towers matters.
You quickly learn that harder math-fact problems earn you higher and more
powerful towers, and to get ahead in the game, it pays to attempt the harder problems.
Content includes 20 themed levels and three tower types: Cannon, Lobber and
Lightning. There are also two special powers called freeze ray and magic rain, that you
can use after successfully answering math problems.
You can save up to 5 player profiles, to bookmark the progress. Bronze, silver or
gold medals and your scores for accuracy are awarded for each level, and math
accuracy is reported at the end of each level.
This app is all about math facts; with a bit strategy mixed in. Once you get past the
first level, it's easy to get hooked, and wake up a few hours later having solved
hundreds of math-fact problems. Correct answers are shown after a wrong attempt.
Unique features include giving you the choice of "taking a break", and to clear a level
by choosing easier problems, hence giving you some repetitious practice with easier
problems that may be overlooked by other math drill programs. Strategic thinking
comes into play when you make choices about tower placement and power.
Classroom friendly features include the ability to adjust either the music or the
background sounds.
We liked the zany feel to this app, which was created by Dan Russel-Pinson (see
Stack the States). Those who remember Math Blaster will appreciate this refreshing
attempt at an age-old pedagogical task: to make math practice fun.
Details: Dan Russell-Pinson, http://dan-russell-pinson.com/. Price: $.99. Ages: 7up. Platform: iPad, Android, Kindle. Teaches/Purpose: mental math, basic facts,
addition, subtraction, division and multiplication, strategy. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.6
stars. Entry date: 4/24/2014. [WB]
23
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
8
8
10
10
10
92%
FEATURE REVIEWS, MAY 2014
Wonky Donkey, The
This celebration of unconventional language comes from the printed book
published by Scholastic, with a hillbilly guitar vocal by Craig Smith (Author), and
illustrations by Katz Cowley (Illustrator).
The content has been poured into the Kiwa QBook publishing engine, by Kiwa
Media of New Zealand. Now before you download this book for $6.50, know that the
story and interactive features are not much more than touch-and-hear. But the text
scaffolding (or support for beginning readers) are noteworthy because of the way
they let children interact with the letters, words, and sentences of the story. In
addition, you can record your own narration if you like. These features have been
incorporated into many of the Kiwa Media apps.
You can either swipe-to-read the words and hear playback of the story, at your
own pace in the context of the song, or touch and hear for individual words. If you
double touch a word, it is spelled out, one letter at a time. There is also an auto-play
feature. You can see the author sing the story here http://youtu.be/h-uQu7uZlFs.
Note: Originally published in 2010 and was updated in December 2013.
Details: Kiwa Media, www.kiwamedia.com. Price: $6.49. Ages: 4-up. Platform: iPad
(172 MB). Teaches/Purpose: reading, language, singing. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.3 stars.
Entry date: 4/24/2014. [WB]
24
Ease of Use
Educational
Entertaining
Design Features
Good Value
8
8
9
9
9
86%