Osmo Words
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Osmo Words is a free download that accompanies the basic gaming system from Osmo. The system, which includes two other apps and toys, retails for $79.99. It comes with a base and a reflector attachment that clips over the iPad's camera. The base fits any iPad, only requiring a slightly different configuration for the iPad Air and Mini. The device will have to be removed from its cover, so parents may want to help younger kids with the setup. Osmo Words also includes the two sets of alphabet cards, one in red and one in blue, with uppercase letters on one side and lowercase on the other. The camera reflector allows the device to see what kids are doing with the letters. Parents can register with Osmo to set up multiple player accounts on their device and can download more word lists or create their own through the Osmo website. To learn more about the kinds of information collected and shared, read the app's privacy policy.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Osmo Words is a fun way to spell!
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What's it about?
With OSMO WORDS you can play alone, competitively, or cooperatively, finding the missing letters for the word displayed in a picture. Choose from several themes of words, download other word packs for free by connecting to the Osmo website, or create your own word packs. Difficulty adjusts based on performance but can be manually adjusted for 12 levels ranging from easy (short words missing only one letter) to very hard (10-letter words with no starting letters). Each round lasts until a player reaches 100 points.
Is it any good?
The tablet becomes the gameboard in what feels a lot like an old-school wordplay game, but the tablet's options make it even more fun. The range of difficulty means everyone can be challenged, and the variety of word packs and the option to add your own make it really versatile. Enabling hints in the settings fills in a letter automatically after a minute with no activity. The images are striking, high-quality real-world pictures. One downside to Osmo Words: Competitors have to all play at the same challenge level because they both see the same word at the same time and race to see who can fill in the missing letters using their colored letters the fastest.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about words they encounter in Osmo Words and everyday life, reading signs together. Reading to kids and with kids is the best way to develop strong spelling and vocabulary skills.
Create custom cards for spelling lists, family names, or other interests through the Osmo website.
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: spelling, vocabulary
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: part-whole relationships, thinking critically
Collaboration: cooperation, meeting challenges together, teamwork - Pricing structure: Paid, Free (Requires Osmo game system, which retails for $79.99)
- Release date: June 7, 2018
- Category: Educational Games
- Topics: Numbers and Letters
- Size: 396.90 MB
- Publisher: Tangible Play Inc
- Version: 3.0.13
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated: November 11, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love word games
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.