Social Adventures
Powerful, engaging tool can help boost kids' social skills.
Parents say
Based on 3 reviews
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Social Adventures
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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 Social Adventures is an activity app for kids who need help thinking about social situations and acting appropriately within them (which probably could include most kids in at least some social skills). Created by speech and occupational therapists, Social Adventures includes an entire eight-week program. Users can follow the program, or can just use the lessons for specific skills. This app is chock-full of rock-solid content so, if used properly and consistently until a kid masters the necessary skills, it can be worth the $19.99 cost.
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What’s It About?
First, tap one of eight icons on the main screen to select what your kid is working on; for example, "Experiencing Humor," or "Interpreting Non-verbals." Then within that choice, tap on an activity, read the directions, and play. The bottom of each screen includes the toolbar with the choices: Return to the main page; view the tools (including the eight-week program guide); view a list of and link to visual cartoon lessons; or play the reward game "What's in the Bag?" Clear arrows or Xs show users how to navigate back to previous pages.
Is It Any Good?
Social Adventures is an excellent resource to teach kids social skills like personal space, non-verbal cues, compromising, initiating social interaction, and more. While very useful for kids with special needs such as those with autism spectrum disorders or other social challenges, almost all kids can learn skills that will make them more socially aware by playing the games and completing the activities on this app with a parent, teacher, or therapist. For the relatively high price, it would be nice for the app to include more support and extension activities, such as message boards to share experience and questions, more promised content areas, videos of parents and kids illustrating how the activities work, etc. It's helpful that the developers created an eight-week program, but it's not essential to follow it in order for Social Adventures to be effective. A treasure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Complete some of the suggested activities, such as reading the recommended book or watching a YouTube video.
Some of the activities are recommended for groups; if your kid is having a particular problem at school, talk with his or her teacher about using the activity in class.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: following directions, vocabulary
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: asking questions, deduction, Self-Direction: personal growth, Emotional Development: empathy, handling stress, labeling feelings, self-awareness, Communication: friendship building, listening, speaking, Collaboration: cooperation, Responsibility & Ethics: making wise decisions, respect for others
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: September 27, 2012
- Category: Education
- Character Strengths: Empathy
- Version: 1.3.6
- Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 8.0 or later.
- Last updated: October 24, 2018
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