Price: 1.99$
Overall Score: 98/100
version reviewed: 1.0
reviewed:
What is it/what do you do with it: an interactive storybook (5 pages/scenes, 2 reading modes) based on a book from the popular 'Little Boy' series.
Extra activities: a quiz, 5 coloring pages and 5 jigsaw puzzles (3 levels of difficulty).
What we liked: 3D clay illustrations. A good set of extra activities related to the story. The option to record your own narration. Multiple language versions included in the price. Ease of use. No distracting elements.
What we didn't like: the story is very short. No text highlighting. We wish there were more interactive features.
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: 1.99$
Overall Score: 98/100
version reviewed: 1.1
reviewed:
What is it/what do you do with it: an interactive storybook (5 pages/scenes, 2 reading modes) based on a book from the popular 'Little Boy' series.
Extra activities: a quiz, 5 coloring pages and 5 jigsaw puzzles (3 levels of difficulty).
What we liked: 3D clay illustrations. A good set of extra activities related to the story. The option to record your own narration. Multiple language versions included in the price. Ease of use. No distracting elements.
What we didn't like: the story is very short. No text highlighting. We wish there were more interactive features.
Appysmarts
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Price: 0.99$
Overall Score: 97/100
version reviewed: 1.0
reviewed:
What is it/what do you do with it: interactive storybook (5 pages/scenes, 2 reading modes) plus extra activities: a quiz, 5 coloring pages and 5 jigsaw puzzles (3 levels of difficulty).
What we liked: 3D clay illustrations. A good set of extra activities related to story. The option to record your own narration. Multiple language versions included in the price. Ease of use. No distracting elements.
What we didn't like: the story is very short. No text highlighting. We wish there were more interactive elements.
Appysmarts
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Price: 1.99$
Overall Score: 97/100
version reviewed: 1.0
reviewed:
What is it/what do you do with it: interactive storybook (5 pages/scenes, 2 reading modes) plus extra activities: a quiz, 5 coloring pages and 5 jigsaw puzzles (3 levels of difficulty).
What we liked: 3D clay illustrations. A good set of extra activities related to story. The option to record your own narration. Multiple language versions included in the price. Ease of use. No distracting elements.
What we didn't like: the story is very short. No text highlighting. We wish there were more interactive elements.
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: free
Overall Score: 97/100
version reviewed: 1.0.3
reviewed:
What it is: a virtual doll house with 5 characters and 5 scenes (the garden, the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom and kids bedroom).
What you do with it: place the family members in the scene for the role-playing activity (e.g. tidying the room). Touch the objects in the scene for interaction or move them around, e.g. open the wardrobe in the kids room to find a tiara and place it on the girl's head, kick the ball around the room, throw objects into the waste bin etc.
What we liked: nice hand-drawn illustrations, number of interactive objects in the scenes, the extra effects like dimming the room when curtains are closed.
What we didn't like: the interactions between the characters and the objects in the scene are limited. The actions are not consistent across the scenes: some actions work in one place (e.g. touching the window to dim the room) and will work in the other.
The animations (especially the characters) are very simple (just 'flying' or jumping around). This app could have much more educational value than it has in the present form, e.g. names of the objects could be read out when touched, there could be some specific tasks defined etc.
Appysmarts
Android
Android
Android
Android
Price: 0.99$
Overall Score: 95/100
version reviewed: 1.0
reviewed:
What it is: a role-play game about working as a dentist.
What you do with it: pretend that you are a dentist and take care of one of three patient's (a girl, a boy, a man) teeth. Use the dentist's tools to remove plaque, drill holes, apply braces or tooth stickers, clean or extract teeth etc.
What we liked: the concept, funny illustrations and sound effects, number of actions and scenarios, cute characters (they will 'respond' to your actions in a funny way), humor, easy operation, useful zoom function. The educational factor (but see the note below): when you feed the character junk food/sweets their teeth will go bad and will require care.
What we didn't like: the educational value could be higher (e.g. by including comments and explanations about the dentist's actions etc). Not recommended when your child is afraid of the dentist as some of the actions are too graphic (e.g. when you use the drill for too long the tooth will crack, the patient's reaction after a tooth is pulled out etc.).
Appysmarts
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: 1.99$
Overall Score: 84/100
version reviewed: 1.5
reviewed:
What it is and what you do with it: A virtual beauty salon with 11 activities.
Invite the animal 'customers' to your salon and offer them some beauty treatment: nails, beards, nose hair
What we liked: the concept. Good range of simple activities. Fun factor. Simple illustrations and animations. Sounds and sound backgrounds. Easy operation. No distracting elements. Overall quality of the app.
What we didn't like: could have more education value. We wish there was more variety in the activities. No spoken instructions (an introduction to the activities by a parent is required for younger kids).
Appysmarts
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
Price: 3.99$
Overall Score: 81/100
version reviewed: 1.6
reviewed:
What it is: a virtual doll house with 5 characters and 5 scenes (the garden, the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom and kids bedroom).
What you do with it: place the family members in the scene for the role-playing activity (e.g. tidying the room). Touch the objects in the scene for interaction or move them around, e.g. open the wardrobe in the kids room to find a tiara and place it on the girl's head, kick the ball around the room, throw objects into the waste bin etc.
What we liked: nice hand-drawn illustrations, number of interactive objects in the scenes, the extra effects like dimming the room when curtains are closed.
What we didn't like: the interactions between the characters and the objects in the scene are limited. The actions are not consistent across the scenes: some actions work in one place (e.g. touching the window to dim the room) and will work in the other.
The animations (especially the characters) are very simple (just 'flying' or jumping around). This app could have much more educational value than it has in the present form, e.g. names of the objects could be read out when touched, there could be some specific tasks defined etc.
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: 2.99$
Overall Score: 77/100
version reviewed: 1.0.1
reviewed:
What it is: A virtual ice cream truck (for role playing).
What you do with it: four activities: driving the Ice Cream truck, sell ice cream, make frozen yogurt, serve cones with ice cream scoops.
What we liked: good for role-playing with a parent or older sibling.
What we didn't like: no instructions, no clues, not very intuitive to play with (parental assistance is necessary). Not much variety in the activities. The educational value could be higher.
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: free
Lite or Demo version
Overall Score: 75/100
version reviewed: 1.0.8
reviewed:
What it is: a role-play game for learning about hygiene and self-care situations in a funny way.
What you do with it: guide one of the two characters through 2 different situations: at the sink and washing clothes. Perform short tasks (in a sequence or freely) like washing hands, brushing teeth, undressing and putting clothes in the washing machine etc.
What we liked: the concept, funny illustrations and sound effects, cute and 'responsive' characters, sense of humor, the 'learning through fun' aspect. The app is extremely easy to navigate and operate.
What we didn't like: we would like to see more interactive elements (and maybe more tasks or even challenges - especially for older kids). The educational value could be higher (e.g. adding a narrator who could explain the purpose of some of the actions like brushing teeth etc).
Note about the lite version: contains prominent 'get 2 more levels' button embedded in the menu.
Appysmarts
Android
Android
Android
Android
Android
