Common Sense Media Review
Free but limited animation app; full experience costs money.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Puppet Pals HD
Parent and Kid Reviews
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
Simply tap "Press to Start" and choose up to eight actors from the available theme packs (depending on in-app purchases). Next, select up to five backgrounds. Swipe and pinch to place, resize, and move characters. Tap the red button to record audio, tap the yellow button to pause, and tap the white square to stop. Tap a tassel to change backgrounds. Give the performance a title, and save. To replay, tap "Saved Shows" from the main menu and "Play." There's easy, themed storytelling through movable images and voice recording.
Is It Any Good?
As an animation app, PUPPET PALS offers a simple and easy interface that could work well for kids, but it also lacks many of the bells and whistles that similar apps, such as Toontastic and PlayTime Theater, feature. Here, you can change the size of a character, flip the image, move it around, and, of course, record voiceover -- and that may be enough for most people. The app does allow you to record and save several shows, though, and even export them, which is a very nice feature. But the one limited character set is not really enough to have much fun. To get truly creative, you'd need to buy more with the in-app purchases option.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Offer to be one of the characters in your kid's story, adding a different voice to the script or improvising the scenes.
If your kid really loves storytelling on this app, consider purchasing the Director's Pack so they can mix and match characters from different themes and eras.
App Details
- Device : iPad
- Subjects : Language & Reading : speaking , storytelling , Social Studies : cultural understanding , historical figures , Arts : acting
- Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : decision-making , part-whole relationships , Creativity : imagination , making new creations , Communication : multiple forms of expression , presenting
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : November 18, 2013
- Genre : Entertainment
- Publisher : Polished Play, LLC
- Version : 1.9.6
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated : December 2, 2021
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