 | 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. |
My PlayHome
- iPad
- Price: $2.99
- Category: Entertainment
Common Sense Media says
Creative dollhouse great for open-ended exploration.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that My PlayHome is a highly interactive dollhouse-style app for kids. The house has four rooms and a backyard. There are five family members that can be placed around the home. The five family members are not customizable in ethnicity or family structure; the characters are a white family with a mom, dad, boy, girl, and baby. Hang out in the living room listening to music (choose your favorite CD), watching TV, or annoying the fish. Grab cereal with milk, or maybe a cupcake in the kitchen. Jump on the bed, blow bubbles, or build with blocks in the bedroom. Then take a bath and brush your teeth in the bathroom. Play on the swing in the backyard. The dolls can actually hold things like a toothbrush or apple. The house stays in the same state when you exit, or you can reset everything to the original state.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn to express themselves and tell stories through the use of the doll family in My PlayHome -- especially if they're encouraged by a parent or caregiver who can provide the language that will help build vocabulary and concepts. Toddlers and preschoolers can explore the home, discovering surprises and letting their imaginations soar with this open-ended app. It's a shame the app doesn't offer a diverse selection of dolls reflecting different races or family structures. This app's a good outlet for imaginative play if parents can help and overlook the lack of diversity.
Skills
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativityimagination
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning
What's it about?
My Playhome gives kids a family of five (a mother, father, boy, girl, and baby) free range of the home and backyard. They can explore, play, and share stories. There's no built-in story, but kids can feed the family, have the children bounce on the bed, give them baths, and have them play in the backyard. When they're done playing, they can reset the items in the home so it's ready for their next session.
Is it any good?
MY PLAYHOME is an open-ended app for kids to explore, just like a real dollhouse. Unlike a real dollhouse, the people eat the food, water runs in the tub, and the eggs fry on the stove. There are no rules or limited "hot spots" to touch. Kids can simply follow their imaginations and tell their own stories as they play. There is plenty of replay value as kids discover new things they can do and objects they can interact with.
Kids used to customizing characters may be disappointed -- here you only get one family option: a white family with a mom, dad, and three kids, and you can't change their clothing. Otherwise, this one should be a staple in any preschool iPad user's library.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn to express themselves and tell stories through the use of the doll family in My PlayHome -- especially if they're encouraged by a parent or caregiver who can provide the language that will help build vocabulary and concepts. Toddlers and preschoolers can explore the home, discovering surprises and letting their imaginations soar with this open-ended app. It's a shame the app doesn't offer a diverse selection of dolls reflecting different races or family structures. This app's a good outlet for imaginative play if parents can help and overlook the lack of diversity.
Subjects
- Arts: acting
- Hobbies:
- Language & Reading: storytelling
- Math:
- Science:
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration:
- Communication:
- Creativity: imagination
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Self-Direction:
- Tech Skills:
- Thinking & Reasoning:
How kids will learn
My PlayHome allows kids to learn through open-ended creative play. Kids will enjoy telling stories using the characters and coming up with situations. The app is highly interactive, leaving kids with plenty of things to play with and discover. With an adult's help, they can learn home-related vocabulary words relevant to their lives.
How parents can help
- Sit with your kid as he or she plays with the app. Ask open-ended questions about the characters' actions.
- Help your kid compare/contrast what's happening in the app with how things work in your home.
- Talk to your kid as you do things the characters also do. Your "narration" will expose your kid to more vocabulary words used in context.
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| Category: | Entertainment |
| Platforms: | iPad |
| Price: | $2.99 |
| Size: | 19.10 MB |
| Publisher: | Shimon Young |
| Version: | 1.4 |
| Release date: | August 12, 2011 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 4.2 or later |
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