Parents' Guide to

Hickory Dickory Dock

By Jenny Bristol, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Mini-games, catchy tune expose kids to time-telling basics.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad Free Education
Hickory Dickory Dock Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Hickory Dickory Dock App: Screenshot #1
  • Hickory Dickory Dock App: Screenshot #2
  • Hickory Dickory Dock App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

See all
age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

hannahs2
hannahs2 Parent
January 8, 2016
age 3+

5? Eh.. Here's a story..

When Caroline Doobel turned five years old, she did not like the app Hickory Dickory Dock. When Mom pulled it up, the girl said, "THAT APP IS FOR BABIES! B-A-B-I-E-S!" Caroline Doobel is five and has the maturity of a 12 year old. "I already know how to tell time, spell, and read! I hate being 5! I'm 12!" Caroline Doobel even is on Facebook and Mom doesn't say no to it. Caroline Doobel's favorite app is not an Age 5+ app.. it's Game of War: Fire Age. Can't you believe that a five year old girl has the maturity of a twelve year old, and in Grade 6.... Hmm....

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK combines a nursery rhyme with numbers and time and a little bit of physics. Kids set the time on the clock by moving the hand to a number. The nursery rhyme then incorporates that number into the song, and kids can play a different physics-related activity with the mouse and the clock at each hour. The rhyme is cute and the games are fun, but the app provides no direction or feedback, and the interface is not intuitive.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Hickory Dickory Dock is fun to play and entertaining for kids, but it only barely teaches the basics of telling time to the hour. If kids aren't paying attention to the song, they may not understand that what they are doing is setting the clock to a certain time. They may just tap or drag the clock hand to a number without thinking about it. Still, the app is entertaining enough to keep kids playing with the physics-based mini-games, and they may learn the intended lesson as they play the game over and over.

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
  • Subjects: Science : physics, Math : numbers
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Release date: September 23, 2011
  • Category: Education
  • Publisher: Mindshapes
  • Version: 1.0.1
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 4.3 or later
  • Last updated: August 22, 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.

See all recommended app lists

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