Monkey Spot Scavenger Hunts
Tasks encourage exploration but may not be relevant for all.
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Monkey Spot Scavenger Hunts
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
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Monkey Spot Scavenger Hunts is a collection of themed tasks that get kids looking around their environments and collecting information. For instance, the Out to Eat hunt can be completed when kids visit a restaurant with their families and collect specific information about their experiences. There are seven hunts included in the free download, with more available as in-app purchases. To complete each task, kids will need to use the device's camera to take a photo. The developer's privacy policy states that all the information that kids enter and upload, such as photos, names, and more, are stored locally on your device and are not collected by or accessible to the developer. For more details on how the app collects and shares information, read the developer's privacy policy.
Community Reviews
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
The MONKEY SPOT SCAVENGER HUNTS free download comes with seven themed hunts, each with 10 or more tasks to complete. For example, the This Is Me hunt has kids take pictures of themselves, their breakfasts, and so on and describe them. The Backseat Driver hunt asks kids to find a bumper with four or more bumper stickers, take a picture of it, and describe it. To finish a task, kids must provide a photo and a description, and to finish a hunt, kids must complete all the tasks. Kids can display their finished tasks as a slide show that showcases their photos and descriptions.
Is It Any Good?
Though this is a screen-based game, silly tasks and fun hunt activities nicely encourage kids to look up from the screen and examine their surrounding environment. The provided questions can also be a good starter for conversation and exploration with family members. Yet there's lots of room for improvement. For example, more open-ended hunts could give kids more autonomy and allow for personalization. Don't want to take a photo? Draw a picture instead. Don't like a particular task, or don't find it relevant? Delete it and make up your own. And provide more space for recording thoughts, and kids can get much more reflective than simply adding a word or two to complete a sentence. There's also a sense that this app is not particularly relevant for a wide audience: Not all kids have access to large art museums, and often it's only the most high-end restaurants that have items on their menu that are listed at "market price." All in all, these scripted scavenger hunts are appealing enough to at least check out to see if they're right for your family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how to complete the hunts. What do kids think about what they're being asked to find or think about? What are the steps they need to take to complete the task?
Go on the hunts together or have each family member complete his or her own and compare what everyone came up with.
Create your own scavenger hunts offscreen. Come up with a list of things to look for or questions to answer, and have kids write, draw, take pictures, and more in their search to complete the tasks.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: following directions, vocabulary
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: collecting data, Self-Direction: work to achieve goals, Communication: conveying messages effectively, presenting, Collaboration: meeting challenges together, Tech Skills: using and applying technology
- Pricing structure: Free (with optional in-app purchases)
- Release date: February 9, 2016
- Category: Education
- Topics: Adventures
- Publisher: Monkeybar Collective
- Version: 1.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.1 or later
- Last updated: July 26, 2016
Our Editors Recommend
-
Plum's Photo Hunt
Fun nature missions get kids outside; safe sharing options.
For kids who love photo and outdoor apps
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