 | 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. |
The Sims 3
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Price: $6.99
- Category: Simulation Games
Common Sense Media says
Riveting, complicated simulation game reflects life.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Sims 3 is a complicated life simulation game that requires a significant time investment. Based on the very popular PC game, players create a realistic 3D avatar, including personality traits, and direct its interactions with other characters in a fictional town. Sims can be vain, mean, messy, and neurotic, or friendly and modest, or a combination of good and bad traits. Sometimes, just like in real life, Sims can find themselves in tense situations. They can fall in love and jump into bed together, and they can die.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn about time and resource management with The Sims 3. The app is a simulation of real life, and puts teens in control of decisions such as how much time to spend working, socializing, taking care of their hygiene, and other parts of life. Teens will decorate a virtual house using the money they earn in the game; they'll need to learn how to manage their funds without excessive spending. The app also shows players that their decisions have consequences. The Sims 3 lets teens make life decisions, observe the consequences, and reflect -- all in a simulated and therefore low-stakes environment.
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning
- Creativityimagination, making new creations, producing new content
- Self-Direction
- Emotional Development
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Tech Skills
- Health & Fitness
What's it about?
The Sims 3 is a "life management" simulation game. Players control virtually every aspect of a virtual character's life from taking care of hygiene to facilitating job searches and decorating an entire home. Called a Sim, the character can grow up to be a successful business person with a mansion, or a less-driven individual who stays at home all day, or anything in between. The app is designed to be a fun and insightful way to see how everyday decisions can have an impact on someone's life.
Is it any good?
The Sims 3 is worth its big price tag. A wide range of personality traits lets you create a simulated person with all-too-human flaws. If your Sim has anger issues, don't be surprised if she gets into a skirmish. Move your Sim through a picturesque 3D hamlet and 73 possible life goals from shopping to relationships. This game has great graphics and is often funny or surprising but rarely boring.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn about time and resource management with The Sims 3. The app is a simulation of real life, and puts teens in control of decisions such as how much time to spend working, socializing, taking care of their hygiene, and other parts of life. Teens will decorate a virtual house using the money they earn in the game; they'll need to learn how to manage their funds without excessive spending. The app also shows players that their decisions have consequences. The Sims 3 lets teens make life decisions, observe the consequences, and reflect -- all in a simulated and therefore low-stakes environment.
Subjects
- Language & Reading:
- Math:
- Science:
- Social Studies:
- Arts:
- Hobbies: building, collecting, fashion
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning:
- Creativity: imagination, making new creations, producing new content
- Self-Direction:
- Emotional Development:
- Communication:
- Collaboration:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Tech Skills:
- Health & Fitness:
How kids will learn
The skills teens can learn about in The Sims 3 -- like effectively managing money and striking work-life balance -- are very relevant in real life. Much of the learning will be by trial-and-error. The Sims 3 empowers teens to make crucial decisions, with their virtual lives changing depending on the decisions they make. There is no such thing as a wrong decision in the game, but certain decisions will have better effects than others; teens can reflect on the consequences of their decisions.
How parents can help
- Ask teens about the kinds of choices they make on a daily basis. Pick a day for you and your teen to make a note of your choices and the consequences (positive, negative, and neutral). Reflect on the choices together.
- Encourage teens to practice smart money management in real life, even if they make different kinds of decisions in the app.
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Adult
August 20, 2011
AGE
Sims for Ipod is a No
I'm a big Sims fan but on the ipod it's pretty lame and a total waste of money
What other families should know:
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Teen, 13 years old
April 14, 2011
AGE
Overreaction
IT'S THE SIMS
Of course there's gonna be something like that but 15+!?
Plus it's pretty hard to get married and stuff. You don't even see what's happening, it just presents a picture. Plus it doesn't show any link to babies like it does in tthe computer version.
This game is also a complete disgrace the the sims. I love the games but this is very restricted, expensive and pointless. You can only control one sim and you can't even have kids!
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Kid, 10 years old
April 16, 2011
AGE
I played it, I went to Teresa and Bob's house, I pressed "flirt" on Bob's person, and Teresa kicked me. ROFL
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Kid, 11 years old
May 19, 2011
AGE
great
you can choose to do bad stuff depends on the chilld
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Teen, 15 years old
August 29, 2011
AGE
Not for Ipod
I love Sims 3, but not on Ipod. It's too hard to do anything and really boring. On, Ipod you can't have kids. My brother, who's ten, plays it but also finds it boring.
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Teen, 13 years old
August 6, 2011
AGE
O.K.
Its very fun at first but gets boring and repetitive very quick. Computer version is much more enjoyable.
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Teen, 13 years old
May 14, 2011
AGE
This is actually a fun game-for the first hour or so when I got married and everything went downhill from there. The thing is that I was expecting a much closer adaption of the Sims. It's actually not, and is missing some of the key options of the Sims, For example, you can't have children unless you download the Sims Ambitions, and even then they can't grow up, I just felt it was lacking content, and I don't think it's worth the 7 dollars that I paid for. More like 2 dollars. Just stick with the PC, PS3 (which is equally as good) or the Xbox360 version.
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Kid, 11 years old
October 29, 2011
AGE
Put Sims 3 in a pool, remove the ladder
The regular PC version of Sims 3 was an answer from heaven, no doubt about it. But its iPhone convertion was just a mess. The visuals were rotten, the depth of the game was barely enough to drown a Smurf, and its outcome, when you looked at it, was just a mess. This game is one of the worst apps I've read, and I'm glad that Sims 3 is doing good already, even during its quintuple dip.
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Teen, 13 years old
July 25, 2010
AGE
Tweens and up, buy The Sims 3!
This game is awesome, but there is one problem... no, two. One, a kid can buy stuff in the Sims Store, so if it isn't their money, that could be a problem. Two, more importantly, there is Woo-hoo. They don't show anything, so it isn't that bad, but it could be a problem. It does cost a lot, and it gets boring over time, so I'd say it's up to you to buy it or not. I would.
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Teen, 14 years old
December 15, 2011
AGE
NO KIDS?!?!?!?!?!!!?
The Sims 3 app is fun.... but not nearly as good as the actual Sims. You can't even have kids! :/
What other families should know:
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| Category: | Simulation Games |
| Platforms: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android |
| Price: | $6.99 |
| Publisher: | Electronic Arts |
| Version: | 1.2.4 |
| Release date: | March 24, 2010 |
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