Common Sense Media Review
By Amanda Bindel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
U.S. history mini-games are fun, but some are way too hard.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Frontier Heroes - A Planet H game from HISTORY
What's It About?
Mini-games replicate skills and events throughout U.S. history, teaching a bit about it through interesting facts as kids play. They'll start in early America and must earn enough stars playing each game to unlock the next level. Each time period includes a short cartoon video about life in that time, and the games show a bit of what life (or legend) was like. Games can be replayed to improve scores to help unlock other levels. Kids can review their DYK collections to review the historical facts they've learned.
Is It Any Good?
The cartoon graphics are impressive and fun, and the historical facts are high-interest and delivered in short, easy-to-remember bits. The voices and sound effects are well-done, too, and most of the games are quite fun. The problem is that some are just too hard -- maybe even impossible -- to master, and mastering them all is required to unlock the last time period. Kids can replay each game as often as necessary to improve scores, and the challenge becomes pretty addictive. Kids may lose interest before getting through all the history, but they'll learn a bit and have fun in the process.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what is realistic in the games (sawing a tree is really hard) and what is not (wrestling a bear).
Ask kids which period of U.S. history they find most interesting. If they could live in any time period, which would they choose?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
- Subjects : Social Studies : events , historical figures , history , timelines
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : strategy , Health & Fitness : fine motor skills
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : December 1, 2014
- Genre : Kids' Games
- Topics : History
- Publisher : A&E Television Networks Mobile
- Version : 1.2.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 7.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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