Meet the Insects: Forest Edition
By Debbie Gorrell,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Inspire backyard explorers with bug-tacular resource.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Meet the Insects: Forest Edition
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
As with the other Meet the Insects apps, this app is organized into five main areas: Multimedia, Insect Story, Observation Journal, See Insects, and Quiz. The Multimedia section includes brief videos and photographs of insects, giving kids a closeup view into the behaviors of these interesting animals. The Insect Stories section is a narrated, animated chapter book with topics including classification, life cycles, and characteristics of forest insects. The Observation Journal includes a section for kids to enter written observations and a section for them to view their entries. The See Insects section includes more detailed information about the three main groups of forest insects, and the Quiz section offers kids an opportunity to test their knowledge.
Is It Any Good?
MEET THE INSECTS: FOREST EDITION is filled with fascinating facts, gorgeous graphics, and interesting media resources. Kids will be inspired to learn as they interact and bring insects to life at the tap of a finger. One of the best features is the virtual magnifying glass that zooms in on realistic photographs of insects. There's a lot of ground to cover, but the information is kid-friendly and well organized. It would be great to see some additional insects in future updates to give the app more longevity. A pause and rewind feature in the Insect Story section also could be helpful for kids who want to review the material and/or take notes, and providing videos for each insect would provide consistency for kids who will want to see the same features for each bug. Aside from these small shortcomings, the app provides every possible angle to get kids interested in insects.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about insects they encounter in their daily lives. Are any of them forest insects?
If you live in an area with forest insects (which often can be found in suburban neighborhoods), go outside and explore! Encourage kids to observe with their eyes but not to touch insects in the wild. Try to identify the insects you find.
Talk about how animals (and insects) are classified by species, genus, family, order, and so on or do some research online about classification and naming.
App Details
- Device: iPad
- Subjects: Science: animals, biology
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, collecting data, Self-Direction: academic development
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: August 26, 2014
- Category: Education
- Topics: Bugs
- Publisher: NCSOFT
- Version: 2.3.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 5.1.1 or later
- Last updated: July 29, 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.
Suggest an Update
Where to Download
Our Editors Recommend
Animal-Lover Apps
Apps That Inspire Kids to Play Outside
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