it's a small world
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Nook HD
- $3.99
- Entertainment
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that it's a small world is a hopeful, interactive sing-along storybook app that depicts a world of beauty and peace between cultures where "a smile means friendship to everyone." Based on the Disney song and amusement park ride of the same name, the app transports kids throughout the world via a hot air balloon ride that drops into different scenes in the story. Players can touch a multitude of different images in the scenes to make characters do different things, like build a snowman, play with animals, and more.
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What's it about?
Kids start at the Home tab on the main screen, and choose whether they want to experience the app in sing-along or regular mode. In settings, they can choose to turn on or off the music, narration, and sound effects, and can select one of nine languages for the song. Kids can tap on different areas of the screen on each page to find cute, interactive surprises as they read or sing along.
Is it any good?
IT'S A SMALL WORLD is like bringing the beloved Disney amusement park ride right into your mobile device. It shows and sings about so much sweetness and light around the globe that it's hard not to feel happy while watching the faces of children and animals and listening to the well-known song. The interactivity keeps kids engaged and lets them participate in the scenes by doing things like building a snowman or releasing a goldfish into a pond from a bowl. The images also may help young kids learn about different countries around the world and their cultural traditions, dress, animals, and geography in a very simple way; although, that educational component could have been even more effective if the app had included the names of the various countries so parents could have identified them for the child as they "traveled" to each one. Overall, a delightful experience for parents and kids alike.
Talk to your kids about ...
Encourage your kids to learn other languages. Kids can gain cultural respect and awareness through language learning.
Ask your kid: What does "it's a small world" really mean? Is the world really small? How can we be better at sharing the world with all its inhabitants?
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Nook HD
- Subjects: Social Studies: cultural understanding, geography, global awareness
Language & Reading: reading, vocabulary - Skills: Responsibility & Ethics: embracing differences
- Price: $3.99
- Release date: August 23, 2012
- Category: Entertainment
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Size: 124.00 MB
- Publisher: Disney
- Version: 1.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 4.3 or later
- Last updated: August 19, 2016
Our editors recommend
For kids who love music
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.