Dr. Panda School
By Mieke VanderBorght,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Open-ended, creative play rules in this virtual school.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Dr. Panda School
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
The school bus has arrived at DR. PANDA SCHOOL! Enter the building and choose which characters to play with and where to take them. The classroom, cafeteria, art room, yard, and hallway each has its own set of props, objects, and minimally interactive features for kids to explore. Kids move objects and characters around and discover what all the props do as they role-play and imagine.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet school setting gives kids a decent backdrop to inspire their imaginations. The graphics, props, and silly animal characters are generally appropriate for young kids, though some parents might wonder why there are TV screens in the hallway and cafeteria. Being able to interact a bit more with the objects would enhance the experience; for instance, how about being able to actually open a book to read it or create a drawing in it? It would also be nice for kids to be able to document their stories in some way, such as by taking photos, making videos, or creating drawings. And, while open-ended creative play is golden for kids, the question remains whether the digital setting really is the best way for kids to engage in pretend play. Though there's a decent set of material here to give kids a wide set of possibilities, they are still limited to what the game designers have programmed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about screen use and your rules about using screens in balance with other activities.
Discuss what kids imagine as they move and play around the school. Encourage them to tell stories about the characters and what they're doing.
Talk to kids about their own school experiences. How is this school the same or different? What do they do in school that they like or don't like? If kids haven't started school yet, ask them what they imagine it will be like to go to school.
Encourage kids to use their imaginations and create stories using paper and crayons, puppets, dolls, or other props. Play right along with them or be the audience as you listen to what they come up with.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Skills: Creativity: imagination
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: April 7, 2016
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Dr. Panda Ltd
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 6.0 or later; Android 4.0 and up
- Last updated: July 26, 2016
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 suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Download
Our Editors Recommend
Best Preschool Apps
Preschool Apps That Are Worth the Money
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