 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Baby Games My First Shapes
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Price: $.99
- Category: Education
Common Sense Media says
Customizable, low-pressure way for tots to practice shapes.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the youngest app aficionados will be able to grasp Baby Games My First Shapes, and kids just learning their shapes will get the most out of it. There's no scoring, and it will keep on going until parents shut it off or kids wander off to do something else. Parents can pretty easily add their own sounds and pictures to existing objects or new ones -- bilingual families will probably get the most out of this feature. Adding sound is very easy, but pictures are hard to crop. Parents can even change the error and success sounds kids hear as they play in case "awesome!" or the other choices get too grating after a while.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn shapes, animals, and everyday objects like signs and sippy cups with Baby Games My First Shapes. It doesn't get any simpler than hearing someone say "touch the rhinoceros" and tapping a picture of a rhino from a group of items. Because it's so simple, the youngest kids will learn in a hurry, but there's really nowhere to go from there unless parents want to upload some of their own photos. Kids will learn some objects, shapes, and animals, but with no real context -- like where a rhino lives or what it eats.
Subjects
- Arts
- Hobbies
- Language & Readingfollowing directions, naming, vocabulary
- Mathshapes
- Scienceanimals
- Social Studies
Skills
- Collaboration
- Communicationlistening
- Creativity
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skills
- Thinking & Reasoningdeduction
What's it about?
Kids simply hit "Play!" on the title page and they're off. A voice says "touch the chair," and kids get from one to 10 objects to choose from (customizable by parents ahead of time). If they touch the chair, the voice offers praise and they move on. If they don't, a funny noise sounds until they touch the right object. To repeat the object named, hit the green square in the corner. The name of the object also appears on top of the page. Parents can customize in four categories of objects and can also upload their own photos.
Is it any good?
BABY GAMES MY FIRST SHAPES probably has more bells and whistles than it needs, unless you're a parent who really wants to dig in and add a couple languages or interesting images. Even so, it's good that the app allows parents to customize to a child's level, whether it's sticking to simple shapes to start or moving from two to 10 choices per page. There's no scoring and, oddly, no end to the game until parents shut it off or kids wander away to play with something else. The time limit to answer is also infinite, so there's nothing nagging kids to come back to the game when they've been quizzed enough for the day.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn shapes, animals, and everyday objects like signs and sippy cups with Baby Games My First Shapes. It doesn't get any simpler than hearing someone say "touch the rhinoceros" and tapping a picture of a rhino from a group of items. Because it's so simple, the youngest kids will learn in a hurry, but there's really nowhere to go from there unless parents want to upload some of their own photos. Kids will learn some objects, shapes, and animals, but with no real context -- like where a rhino lives or what it eats.
Subjects
- Arts:
- Hobbies:
- Language & Reading: following directions, naming, vocabulary
- Math: shapes
- Science: animals
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration:
- Communication: listening
- Creativity:
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Self-Direction:
- Tech Skills:
- Thinking & Reasoning: deduction
How kids will learn
Kids playing Baby Games My First Shapes learn by repetition and deduction, both great methods for toddlers, especially if parents limit the number and kinds of objects kids get to choose from when they're first learning. If kids just focus on shapes and only have three to choose from, they'll learn what's what in a hurry. Then they can mix shapes and colors and so on. Kids also get a lot of praise as they select the right object, but it would be good if it was more constructive.
How parents can help
- Point out the objects and animals from the app when you're out and about, or pick up books about animals and shapes from the library.
- Use cookie cutters with play dough to duplicate all the objects you can to reinforce learning through tactile play.
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| Category: | Education |
| Platforms: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | $.99 |
| Size: | 4.20 MB |
| Publisher: | Grasshopper Apps |
| Version: | 2.2 |
| Release date: | May 31, 2011 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 3.2 or later |
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