 | 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. |
Sprinkle: Water splashing fire fighting fun!
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
- Price: Free-$1.99
- Category: Puzzle Games
Common Sense Media says
Cute water puzzler where you fight fires with physics.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Sprinkle: Water splashing fire fighting fun! is a puzzle game that puts players in the boots of a firefighter on Titan, a moon orbiting Saturn. Meteors have set off a series of fires on the planet, and you'll have to save the Titans' homes by successfully aiming a water cannon with a limited supply of water. The game is made in a cartoon style but features some challenging puzzles that might be too difficult for young players to figure out.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn problem-solving skills and critical thinking as they use the physics of water to put out fires. Kids can learn from previous levels what works and how the water will interact with the obstacles, so they can strategize the best way to use the limited resource and the surrounding environment to put out the fires quickly. The backstory for the game provides an interesting perspective on how our actions can impact others. Sprinkle challenges and entertains kids as they exercise problem-solving skills in this physics puzzler.
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoningproblem solving, solving puzzles, strategy, thinking critically
- Creativity
- Self-Direction
- Emotional Development
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Tech Skills
- Health & Fitness
What's it about?
Kids put out fires on Titan, one of Saturn's moons, by adjusting a crane holding a hose to direct the water through obstacles to extinguish the flames. The game progresses from simply pointing the water at a fire to extinguish it to increasingly more difficult scenarios. The water supply is limited, too, adding another challenge. The less water used to put out the fire, the greater the score -- making resource management is an essential lesson to learn in this app.
Is it any good?
What makes SPRINKLE: WATER SPLASHING FIRE FIGHTING FUN! so enjoyable isn't its aim-your-water-cannon-just-right puzzles (though those are certainly fun), it's the water. It pools, it splashes, and it drains slowly, giving it a heightened sense of reality. It's odd praise, admittedly, but in a game that revolves so heavily around water, it's gratifying to know that the developers have focused so closely on the star of the show.
Having to buy your way into the third level/world is annoying, though, and makes the game feel rushed. (Technically, you can unlock it for free, but that requires a perfect performance on every prior level -- and given the level of difficulty with the puzzles, most won't be able to do that.) It's a notable gaffe, but otherwise this is a title that physics-based puzzle fans will love.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn problem-solving skills and critical thinking as they use the physics of water to put out fires. Kids can learn from previous levels what works and how the water will interact with the obstacles, so they can strategize the best way to use the limited resource and the surrounding environment to put out the fires quickly. The backstory for the game provides an interesting perspective on how our actions can impact others. Sprinkle challenges and entertains kids as they exercise problem-solving skills in this physics puzzler.
Subjects
- Language & Reading:
- Math:
- Science: gravity, motion, physics
- Social Studies:
- Arts:
- Hobbies:
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning: problem solving, solving puzzles, strategy, thinking critically
- Creativity:
- Self-Direction:
- Emotional Development:
- Communication:
- Collaboration:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Tech Skills:
- Health & Fitness:
How kids will learn
Sprinkle increasingly challenges kids, as each level presents a more difficult puzzle to solve to put out the fire. While this fun app doesn't offer much in the way of guidance, this encourages kids to learn from their experience and apply what they've learned. Sprinkle's water physics are very well done, adding a heightened sense of reality that engages players.
How parents can help
- Allow kids to see water physics in action by using recycled plastic bottles and other objects to create a water wall on the backyard fence or on the shower wall.
- Discuss the backstory with your kids, noting how the tourists' seemingly innocent actions wreaked havoc on this tiny moon. Talk about how things we do can have significant impact.
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
| Topics: | space and aliens |
| Category: | Puzzle Games |
| Platforms: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire |
| Price: | Free-$1.99 |
| Size: | 18.70 MB |
| Publisher: | Mediocre AB |
| Version: | 1.1 |
| Release date: | August 31, 2011 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 4.0 or later; Android 2.3 and up |
Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.
Review It
Screenshots
1 of 3
2 of 3
3 of 3
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
