Common Sense Media Review
By Mieke VanderBorght
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Promo for TV show has cute graphics and uneven game design.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Clangers - Playtime Planet
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Land on the CLANGERS - PLAYTIME PLANET and explore their quirky world. Swipe across the screen to scroll through the interactive games. Play hide-and-seek, collect peas in a basket, match constellations from the night sky, guide a cow-like flying animal, play music and copy melodies with singing egg bots, and find colored yarn. The gentle-voiced narrator (available in British- or American-accented English) accompanies kids on their journey. Play with or without the soundtrack.
Is It Any Good?
The great graphics, sweetly knitted mouse-like characters, and the wonderfully gentle and comforting narration offer plenty of kid appeal, but the substance of the games is hit or miss. Many games do not seem to have clear purpose or logic, and some have no natural ending point. For example, in the peas game, kids drop peas in a basket, but the controls are a bit irregular, and once all the peas are in the basket, nothing happens; there's no more that kids can do until they tap the home button. Moving around items, such as the peas or the Skymoo on his endless flight, may be difficult for kids, because the movements are extremely sensitive to slight movements in sometimes strange ways. The best game, by far, is the music game in which kids can tap eight differently colored "egg bots" which play notes on the do-re-mi scale. Kids can experiment freely, or they can listen to a tune and try to recreate it step by step. Though there are several frustrating elements, there also are some fun games that kids will enjoy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different aspects of the Clangers world. What makes their planet -- and the creatures on it -- different or the same as ours? Encourage their imaginations and ask them to create their own version of life on a faraway planet.
Help kids explore music. Offer instruments -- even empty coffee cans -- for them to explore concepts of beat, rhythm, melody, and more.
Engage with kids with the offscreen versions of some of these activities: play hide-and-seek, look at the night sky to point out stars and find constellations, or sort items into baskets.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Subjects : Arts : music
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : investigation , Creativity : producing new content , Tech Skills : using and applying technology
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : July 16, 2015
- Genre : Entertainment
- Publisher : StoryToys Entertainment Limited
- Version : 1.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 6.0 or later; Android 2.0.1 and up
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate