Common Sense Media Review
By Mieke VanderBorght
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun, imaginative fairy tale world inspires but lacks depth.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Sago Mini Fairy Tales
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In SAGO MINI FAIRY TALES, tap Jinja the cat's house to begin exploring. Watch what happens as Jinja flies around: Gnomes pop out of bushes, mushrooms grow, and acorns fall from a tree. Tap on yellow dots hovering near characters (some of whom are from familiar fairy tales) to see short animations. Jinja puts a bandage on Humpty Dumpty after he falls off the wall, then dives into a dress-up treasure chest and comes out in a costume. There are 30 yellow dots in all, and kids can endlessly cycle through the land, repeating whatever tickles them.
Is It Any Good?
Opportunities for open-ended play, discovery, and creativity are gold for little kids. Sago Mini Fairy Tales inspires by offering no-rules and easy-to-use exploratory interactions. Kids will delight in the whimsical and appealing graphics and the silly animations. However, especially if you've been following the Sago Mini series, the offerings might feel a bit hollow and repetitive. There's just not that much that happens in this game. The 30 animations, for example, last only a few seconds. Kids lead Jinja around, but they ultimately end up passively watching someone else's creative expression. For instance, kids could create more of their own imaginative world if they could choose what costume Jinja wears when she dives into the dress-up chest. Kids can make up stories about what's going on as they explore, but this would be more meaningful if kids had more control over what happens. Finally, some kids may enjoy the references to popular tales, but kids who are young enough to enjoy this game may also be too young to recognize many references (such as King Arthur).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what kids find as they explore the fairy tale world. When you tap there, what happens? Does the same thing happen every time?
Play with kids, provide prompts, and ask questions to help them create a story about what's going on: Why did the giant do that? What might happen now that the plant is so tall?
Ask kids questions about their experiences: What would if be like if you could fly like Jinja?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
- Skills : Creativity : imagination
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : December 25, 2014
- Genre : Education
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales ) , Adventures , Book Characters
- Publisher : Sago Sago
- Version : 1.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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