BrainPOP Featured Movie

App review by Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media
BrainPOP Featured Movie Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 8+

Daily films from educational group provide tons of learning.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows app Free Education
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Parents say

age 6+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 8+

Based on 11 reviews

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  • BrainPOP Featured Movie App: Screenshot #1
  • BrainPOP Featured Movie App: Screenshot #2
  • BrainPOP Featured Movie App: Screenshot #3

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the content in BrainPOP Featured Movie is produced by a well-respected educational organization. The content changes daily (though everything is archived, so kids don't feel pressured to use the app every day). Each day, there is a new animated documentary, and it could be on just about any topic you can think of. Film topics have included the planet Mars, dogs, asthma, blogs, and Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. These films and the information within are geared toward older elementary school kids. While there shouldn't be anything offensive or scary for younger kids, the movies -- and the quizzes that follow them -- may be over the heads of kids younger than 8.

Community Reviews

jnessa33
jnessa33 Adult
November 12, 2019
age 7+

Engaging videos keep kids entertained

There is a new educational video that kids can watch everyday. (Free version). I would consider purchasing the monthly subscription for my future classroom as it lets you search a variety of educational topics from math to art, health and social studies.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
1 person found this helpful.
allgoodgifts
allgoodgifts Adult
June 18, 2013
age 4+

Well-done, and strangely addicting for kids

I'm not sure why, exactly, this is so fascinating for my kids - after all, there are plenty of educational videos out there - but it is. I downloaded it to my phone months ago and forgot about it, until one day my kids discovered it. We had to put it on their Kindles so I could get my phone back. The older two ultimately offered to pay for a subscription with their allowance so they could watch older movies no longer available in the free app. As mentioned, they have movies on a huge variety of topics, and all are handled very well from my perspective - even items on potentially tricky topics like pregnancy and September 11th. It's also good at explaining somewhat complicated concepts clearly (like heredity, or even compound interest!). Because of this, I personally plan to use it to start our discussion when my kids ask questions on topics that are hard for me to explain. And my kids would spend hours watching it if I would let them. Even the four-year-old enjoys it, though I am sure that the content is mostly above her level. Overall I highly recommend it.
See all 3 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Press "Play the Movie" to watch the featured movie of the day, which usually will include Moby, a friendly robot, and a human (cartoon) character. The few-minutes-long movies cover a lot of topics, from where to use capital letters in a sentence to effectively asking for help in school. Quizzes after each film test kids on if they've retained the content, as well as on vocabulary and reasoning. After the quiz, kids view a personal statistics page, which includes date of test, topic name, name of student, and best score (percentage).

Is It Any Good?

BRAINPOP FEATURED MOVIE provides a startling amount of content for a free app. Users get a new animated documentary every single day, followed by a quiz to see how much they understood. The range of topics alone -- science, history, technology, art, etc. -- is staggering. Kids can watch a movie about the nature of dogs one day and then learn what a blog is the next. Movies are hosted by the amicable animated duo of Tim and his robot, Moby. And there's no need to fear missing a movie, as they're archived for several days after first airing. BrainPOP is a fantastic education app for older elementary-age kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • If your kid is having trouble with a specific topic at school, search this app to see if any of the free videos relate to that topic.

  • Encourage kids to think about the quiz answers and make educated guesses if they don't know for sure, rather than just tapping random answers.

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Windows app
  • Subjects: Language & Reading: vocabulary, Math: algebra, arithmetic, geometry, measurement, probability, ratio, Science: animals, engineering, astronomy, biology, chemistry, ecosystems and the environment, energy, weather, Social Studies: geography, global awareness, government, historical figures, history, the economy, Arts: drawing, music, painting, Hobbies: sports
  • Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, memorization, thinking critically, Self-Direction: academic development, identifying strengths and weaknesses, self-assessment, Health & Fitness: balanced diet, exercise, fitness, preventing sickness
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Release date: September 26, 2011
  • Category: Education
  • Publisher: BrainPOP
  • Version: 3.1.5
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
  • Last updated: October 30, 2019

Our Editors Recommend

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