Dumb Ways JR Zany's Hospital
By Debbie Gorrell,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Goofy medical sim is shallow and short-lived.
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Dumb Ways JR Zany's Hospital
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What’s It About?
Starting with DUMB WAYS JR ZANY'S HOSPITAL is simple. Press play to enter the hospital waiting room, which is filled with the typical sounds of a medical clinic, including a ringing phone and calls over the intercom. Three characters enter the waiting room, one at a time, from a sliding door. Kids can tap the characters to see and hear their expressions. They can also tap to explore different parts of the waiting room, such as the television, the intercom, the scale, and more. When the three characters go into a private treatment room, kids can do routine checkups using a thermometer, a blood pressure machine, an x-ray machine, a stethoscope, a tongue depressor, and adhesive bandages. Occasionally, an ambulance pulls up to the sliding doors with a sick patient. Illnesses include bee stings and stomachaches, and a patient whose body is wrapped by a snake.
Is It Any Good?
Kids will get a sweet introduction to caring for and treating patients, but they'll likely go through all of the activities quickly, and the replay value is minimal. It's appropriate to make Dumb Ways JR Zany's Hospital a playful experience for young kids, but many of the activities are overly cartoonish. For example, the x-ray machine shows a cell phone wedged in one of the character's ribs, and one of the ambulance patients is wrapped in a snake. This can lead to misconceptions about medical emergencies. On a positive note, the app may help ease kids' anxiety about visiting the doctor, but there are better apps available if a kid-friendly intro to medicine is what you're after.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's important to get regular doctor checkups. Discuss the different procedures that kids do in the private treatment room of Dumb Ways Jr Zany's Hospital and how they relate to kids' own experiences.
Talk with kids about the x-ray images. Be sure to explain that objects like cell phones, forks, and fish do not typically show up on x-rays as they do in the app. Explain that x-rays are commonly used to look at injuries like broken bones.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Science: biology
- Skills: Health & Fitness: hygiene and self care, preventing sickness
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: August 23, 2017
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Metro Trains Melbourne Pty Ltd
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated: September 25, 2017
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