Parents' Guide to

Starting with Soil

By Debbie Gorrell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Resource about organic food best for fluent readers.

App iPad Free Education
Starting with Soil Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Starting With Soil App: Screenshot #1
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  • Starting With Soil App: Screenshot #3
  • Starting With Soil App: Screenshot #4
  • Starting With Soil App: Screenshot #5

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What’s It About?

To begin STARTING WITH SOIL, kids choose from four content segments: The Origins of Organic Soil, Life Underground, Where and How Organic Food is Grown, and Composting and What Families Can Do. Kids tap on a segment and a list of topics displays. Then they simply tap and swipe through pages of content. Most pages have a graphic, and many of the graphics are interactive or animated.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This content-packed resource is a great way to sparks kids' interest in organic foods, but only fluent readers will fully benefit from the experience. Information is presented in a kid-friendly manner, and there are plenty of opportunities for kids to interact by tapping or swiping. Colorful animations and videos bring the content to life. However, for a resource that requires a significant amount of reading, it's surprising that a voice-over option does not exist. Also, it would be nice if there were more activities available for kids to apply what they've learned. Despite these shortcomings, Starting with Soil is a unique resource, especially for kids who might not have access to seeing where their food comes from.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the importance of making healthy food choices and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables every day. What does Starting with Soil teach you about where food comes from? What did you already know, what did you learn, and what do you still wonder?

  • Read the suggestions in the segment "Composting and What Families Can Do." If possible, start a compost pile or grow a small garden at home. Even growing a single plant and eating its fruits or vegetables can have a huge impact on kids.

App Details

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