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StoryBots - Learning Books, Videos and Games Starring Your Child!
By Dana Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Your kid stars in fun stories; full access via subscription.
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A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
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Videos and Photos
StoryBots - Learning Books, Videos and Games Starring Your Child!
Community Reviews
What’s It About?
Choose the Videos or Books icon on STORYBOTS - LEARNING BOOKS, VIDEOS AND GAMES STARRING YOUR CHILD!. Add a photo of your kid's face, then enter their name and gender. Enter your email, a password, and your age to create a required account. A book's cover appears, including the image of your kid's face. Swipe or tap the arrows to turn the pages. Tap the heart to save the story to your favorites. Scroll down the side of the screen to find other stories (which are locked and for subscribers only). Tap the video icon to watch brief, basic educational videos about subjects such as shapes, colors, behaviors, outer space, and transportation, not all of which incorporate your kid's face in the free version. In the simple interactive dance game, tap on the five dance styles or three music beats to watch your kid's face on a dancing body.
Is It Any Good?
Many kids love to imagine themselves included in stories, and this app puts them front and center. Kids can star in the books, videos, and a dancing game on StoryBots - Learning Books, Videos and Games Starring Your Child!. Downloading the free app gives limited access to the "Biggest Pizza Ever" storybook, one video, and one game. But that's enough to get the kid-in-storybook concept and to see if your kid likes it enough to pay the $4.99/month subscription fee for all content. The educational content is pretty basic, so the higher end of the 3-to-8 age range may be a stretch for many kids. But for preschoolers and kindergarten-age kids, its has a lot of educational content that will be just right for their age -- and more than just right in fun and laughs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about your kid's character in StoryBots - Learning Books, Videos and Games Starring Your Child! and the StoryBots books and movies. Help your kid engage with the stories by asking them what their character is doing, thinking, and feeling.
Encourage your kid to make their own characters out of clay and make up their own stories.
Talk to your kid about internet safety. Most kids who are using the app probably aren't posting their own photos online at this age, but it's never too early to start the conversation about safety when posting images and personal information such as their name and about why it's important to ask a parent first to make sure an app or website is safe.
App Details
- Device: iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading : letter or word recognition, naming, storytelling, Math : numbers, shapes, Science : animals, Social Studies : history
- Skills: Creativity : imagination
- Pricing structure: Free to try ($4.99/mo.; $14.99/six months; $19.99/year)
- Release date: July 19, 2016
- Category: Education
- Publisher: JibJab Media Inc.
- Version: 3.4
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated: February 18, 2020
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