Common Sense Media Review
By Lisa Caplan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Stores, doctor, and mini games make virtual dollhouse fun.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Explore Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
EXPLORE DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD has four locations to visit: a grocery store, a music store, a doctor’s office, and a bakery. In each, kids can place Daniel and his family members and use their imaginations as they explore interactive items. Hiding in each business also is a mini-game that kids can find; for instance, in the bakery, kids can decorate a cake. Because it's a sandbox-style app, kids play without rules, objectives, or a linear tale to follow.
Is It Any Good?
This open-ended virtual dollhouse is highly polished, has tons of interactive props and graphic elements, and offers mini-games that some similar apps don't. Though the number of interactive background elements is impressive, the app only contains four characters, but if your kids are Daniel Tiger fans they likely won't mind. One design feature that might confuse little kids at first is the inability to swipe; instead, kids have to tap an arrow to move left or right. Overall, though nothing can replace real toys and tactile learning, these on-screen opportunities for creative unstructured play are fun and easily extended into real life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Daniel's idealized neighborhood and the ways it's the same as and different from their own.
Talk about the stories your kids create. What will Daniel buy at the store? How will the doctor give a checkup?
Discuss the kinds of foods available in the bakery and store. If kids only buy sweets, talk about what we need to buy in real life to stay healthy.
Ask your kid what kinds of music they like and which instruments they'd like to play.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Kindle Fire
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : decision-making , Creativity : imagination , Self-Direction : initiative , Communication : multiple forms of expression , Collaboration : cooperation
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : August 27, 2015
- Genre : Education
- Publisher : PBS KIDS
- Version : 1.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 6 or later
- Last updated : February 22, 2021
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