Dr. Panda Racers
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
- $2.99
- Education
Parents say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
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What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Dr. Panda Racers is a preschool-friendly car-design and -racing game. Play isn't as much about guiding or driving the car as it is designing the car, choosing a driver, washing the car, and creating the track. No crashes or obstacles hinder the races, which are pretty brief to fit with short attention spans. Character selections are animals in boy, girl, and non-specific genders. Options in the parent section allow for turning off music, sounds, and the promotion screen as well as options to connect via social media or subscribe to the newsletter. Read the app's privacy policy to find out about the types of information collected and shared.
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What's it about?
As kids enter DR. PANDA RACERS, they choose a character, build a vehicle from provided parts, and wash the car. Before race time, kids buckle up the character and control the speed. The car guides itself, with kids directing a few jumps and spins past obstacles. Before racing again, kids can design their own track, change their character, or redesign the car if they want. Visual on-screen guides help kids figure out how to play.
Is it any good?
This sweet racing game is more about creativity than speed. Kids design their car, piece by piece, create the race track and add obstacles, and choose their racer. The race itself is quick but fun, and kids can see the time it took to complete the track. There's no scary danger, but characters do pout a bit if they don't win the race. Details such as buckling the seat belt before a race make it even more preschool-friendly. The biggest downside is that the controls can be tricky, especially if kids want to control the speed and honk the horn. Also, slightly older kids may expect to control the car, but they can only control the speed and swipe when prompted to control tricks. Having the option to steer would be great for kids who are ready for that level of fine motor control, as would more interaction with creating or fixing the car. Overall, however, it gives little kids some fun opportunities to see their creations in action.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk being safe while driving. The characters in the app make sure their seatbelts are fastened, and we do the same thing. Why? What else do we do -- and not do -- to drive safely?
Talk to kids about their track and car design. Why did they make the choices they did? What will they do next?
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
- Skills: Creativity: imagination, producing new content
Tech Skills: digital creation - Price: $2.99
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: May 19, 2016
- Category: Education
- Topics: Cars and Trucks
- Size: 134.00 MB
- Publisher: Dr. Panda Ltd
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 6.0 or later; Android 4.0 and up
- Last updated: January 23, 2019
Our editors recommend
For kids who love car and preschool apps
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.