Common Sense Media Review
By Mieke VanderBorght
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Kids explore, experiment, create with fun tools and prompts.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Mac, Izzy & Friends
Parent and Kid Reviews
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
In MAC, IZZY & FRIENDS kids experiment with visuals, audio, reading, puzzles, and more with the creation suggestions. The free version comes with some "creativity tools," such as a drawing pad and an audio recorder, that let kids experiment with visual and audio distortions, and it comes with a puzzle maker. The free activity pack delves into shadows and has shadow-themed drawing tools plus a video, a digital story, and an offline extension activity. Additional activity packs follow a similar model, though they have different themes and some additional content; there's also a website.
Is It Any Good?
Animated blob-like hosts Izzy and Mac are cute, gentle guides through a fun world of exploration and experimentation. Kids are bound to get a kick out of seeing their faces in a kaleidoscope view, hearing their voices roar like a dinosaur caught in a tin can, or learning how to make shadow animals with their hands. Many of the activities feel as though they're repeating throughout the game (the puzzle in the shadows pack isn't that much different from the puzzle in the exploration tools). The drawing activities all are similar enough to be familiar to kids, but each does offer something new. All kids, but especially younger ones, will benefit from some help and guidance from a grown-up, especially at first. The offline activity extensions are perfect ways to get kids and parents exploring together.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about imaginative play. Kids can use the dinosaur or shadow puppets or the drawings to make up stories.
Create and explore with your child; discuss the different visual and audio effects.
Do the offline activities together and talk about what you're doing.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : reading , Arts : drawing , painting
- Skills : Creativity : imagination , making new creations
- Pricing structure : Free to try (additional activity packs are available as in-app purchases)
- Release date : August 25, 2015
- Genre : Education
- Topics : Adventures , STEM
- Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Version : 1.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 7.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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