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Plants by Tinybop
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- $1.99
- Education
Parents say
Kids say
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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 Plants by Tinybop is an interactive diorama that takes kids on a virtual journey through two biomes. Kids can explore each biome and its plant and animal life by tapping on or dragging interactive features. Kids can look at plant parts, watch seasons change, observe animal behaviors, and more. Learning is very open-ended, so kids will need to be motivated enough to explore freely on their own. There is a free handbook available on the developer's website, which includes helpful information about the app's features and discussion questions to share with kids.
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What's it about?
PLANTS BY TINYBOP is an open-ended learning tool that encourages kids to explore biomes at their own pace. On the home screen, kids tap the user icon to get started. (Adults must set up user accounts in the dashboard.) Kids can choose either the desert or the temperate forest. In each biome, kids tap and drag to explore plants and animals in their natural habitats. They also can plant seeds, make it rain, and spin a dial to observe daily cycles. Kids can drag a slider across the bottom of the screen to observe life beneath the soil. Colorful graphics and fun sound effects enhance the experience and make it engaging for kids of all ages.
Is it any good?
Plants by Tinybop is a fun way for kids to explore different biomes. It's highly interactive and has realistic yet age-appropriate illustrations. Kids will enjoy tapping and dragging to learn about plants, animals, and other features of the biomes. However, there's not much structure or formal learning progression, so some kids might feel a bit lost and unsure of what to do. Providing guidance with the help of the handbook will help with this issue, but it would be nice if the handbook were accessible directly through the app.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the biome in which they live. What are its characteristics?
Use the handbook's discussion questions to guide learning as kids explore each biome.
Have kids create a diorama of one of the biomes they learned about.
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Science: animals, ecosystems, plants
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: asking questions, memorization
- Price: $1.99
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: May 22, 2014
- Category: Education
- Topics: Science and Nature
- Size: 120.00 MB
- Publisher: Tinybop
- Version: 1.0.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 5.1.1 or later
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For kids who love science
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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.