Artie's World
By Christy Matte,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Connect-the-dot drawing fun; free content limited.
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Artie's World
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What’s It About?
ARTIE'S WORLD is an introductory drawing experience for young kids. Artie sets out in his village and draws a picture for each friend he meets. Kids help out by tracing the shapes with their finger and connecting all of the dots. Once the lines are drawn, the whole picture is colored in automatically and the app says the name of the object/animal. The free content includes eight drawings. Parents can purchase additional "worlds." As kids collect a series of drawings, they are shuffled into a deck that is used for a simple six-card memory game. Kids also unlock "postcards" of the places they visit along the way.
Is It Any Good?
Tracing the lines of the dot-to-dots is great for fine motor development, but also for learning simple drawing skills. Artie's World gives kids the experience of drawing without needing the skill. It's a great introduction, especially for younger kids who can struggle to draw even simple shapes like rectangles and circles. The idea that all of the shapes come together in a cohesive whole may be lost on little ones, but understanding that is not at all essential to the experience and can be developed later. The memory game is a nice add-on for kids who need to mix it up. Ideally, kids could also explore an open-ended free-draw activity which would give them a chance to practice some of the guided drawing images and also add to the replay value. Still, it's a clever idea and it's well done.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about shapes. Name some simple shapes you see in Artie's World. Can you find examples of the shapes around your house? Can you draw some of your own?
Play your own memory game. You can easily create your own as a family with clip art or simple drawings.
Talk to your kids about screen time limits. How can kids enjoy digital media in balance with other activities?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Math: shapes, Arts: drawing
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: memorization
- Pricing structure: Free to try (in-app purchases are available for additional drawing content)
- Release date: December 21, 2016
- Category: Education
- Topics: Wild Animals
- Publisher: Minilab Ltd
- Version: 1.5.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later
- Last updated: July 8, 2020
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