Common Sense Media Review
By Amanda Bindel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Discarded and found items inspire creativity, "upcycling."
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Duckie Deck Trash Toys
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
DUCKIE DECK TRASH TOYS lets kids turn trash into fun creatures. Kids start by selecting a piece of trash -- a plastic cup, a milk carton, a snack wrapper, etc. Then they spray paint it their choice of colors and choose from more recycled items to create a face, hair, arms, and legs. Kids can add as much or as little as they want, and then take a picture of their creation to save it to the camera roll.
Is It Any Good?
Nothing distracts kids from creating here. No parents section. No settings. No instructions. Kids will be inspired to both reuse items and to create -- both great lessons to learn from an app. It's a great setup for young makers -- no rules and lots of resources. The variety of materials gives kids almost endless options for creativity, and making the creatures is really fun. Objects can be rotated and turned but not resized, which is a bit frustrating. Even so, Duckie Deck Trash Toys will inspire lots of fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Pull out the recycle bin, dig around for discarded objects, and create together.
Add an "upcycle" bin to your home. Recycle some items; compost some; trash some. But save paper rolls, clean pieces of aluminum foil, milk cartons, egg cartons, etc., to be upcycled into art.
Talk about how the shapes and sizes of the creatures' eyes, nose, and mouth change his appearance. Ask kids what they think the creature is feeling.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Arts : playing
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : part-whole relationships , Creativity : imagination , making new creations
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : May 1, 2014
- Genre : Education
- Topics : Arts
- Publisher : Duckie Deck Development
- Version : 1.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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