Monster Heart Medic
By Debbie Gorrell,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fab medical sim promotes heart-healthy living.
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Monster Heart Medic
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What’s It About?
Kids are introduced to a friendly monster, Ragnar, who is suffering from a cardiovascular problem. Kids help Ragnar by completing a series of diagnostic tests to figure out what's causing the problem. Most items in the game are interactive when tapped, even if they aren't important to the story. Using a map to move from various places such as a fitness center and a hospital, they complete arcade games, during which they collect coins and healthy foods while avoiding obstacles and unhealthy foods. Simulations teach kids about the effects of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. As they move from place to place, kids learn about other characters who had various cardiovascular conditions and how they got healthier.
Is It Any Good?
MONSTER HEART MEDIC is a fantastic free resource that teaches about the cardiovascular system and promotes heart-healthy living. Kids will be engaged by the real-world story line, and the arcade games are a fun variation within the overall story. Sometimes the next step isn't entirely clear, though there are on-screen prompts, but kids will eventually tap around enough to get to the next step. Also, though the controls for the arcade games only consist of tapping once or twice, it can be hard to avoid obstacles. Audio narration would be nice to see to make the app more accessible. Other than these few, minor drawbacks, Monster Heart Medic is an engaging way to introduce kids to cardiovascular health.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of a healthy diet and exercise. Develop a plan to make healthy meals and to exercise together regularly.
Talk about other body systems that work with the cardiovascular system to maintain overall health. For example, the respiratory system works closely with the cardiovascular system to circulate oxygenated blood through the body and get rid of wastes such as carbon dioxide.
Discuss your family history of the conditions talked about in the app. For example, do any family members have high blood pressure or heart conditions?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Subjects: Science : biology
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : analyzing evidence, applying information, collecting data, Health & Fitness : balanced diet, exercise
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: April 29, 2015
- Category: Education
- Topics: Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Publisher: The Lawrence Hall of Science
- Version: 1..2
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 6.0 or later
- Last updated: July 8, 2020
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