Parents' Guide to

Minnie Bow Maker

By Erin Wilkey Oh, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Girl-centric app will please dress-up fans but is limited.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Kindle Fire Entertainment
Minnie Bow Maker Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • Minnie Bow Maker App: Screenshot #1
  • Minnie Bow Maker App: Screenshot #2
  • Minnie Bow Maker App: Screenshot #3

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What’s It About?

In Minnie Bow Maker, kids have three options: Story, Bow Maker, or Big Bow Show. The main activity is making bows, which kids do in the Bow Maker and in each of the three stories. To design a bow, kids choose the fabric, color, design, and shape, then drag and drop the ribbon into the bow-making machine. Kids can also upload a picture from their device's photo album, adorn it with a bow, and save or email the photo. The Big Bow Show is an animated fashion show, where kids can see their designs modeled on the runway by Disney characters.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

MINNIE BOW MAKER offers kids a chance to express creativity and show off their creations to friends and family. Though the bow-making options are limited, kids will have fun seeing their bows on the runway. Besides making bows, however, the app doesn't offer much else. The stories aren't really stories at all, but just a few lines of dialogue before each bow-making activity. The app is extremely easy to use, so it's a good fit for the target audience.

The app seems to present the characters in stereotypical gender roles: The characters are all females and are mainly concerned with what to wear and making things look pretty. Take a look at our article Tips for Battling Stereotypes for ideas about balancing messages.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Encourage kids to read along with the story audio, or turn down the volume and read the stories with your kids.

  • Practice making real bows with your kids. Try using a variety of materials for your bows such as fabric, ribbons, even paper. Talk about textures, patterns, and colors during your activity to help kids develop new vocabulary.

App Details

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