Common Sense Media Review
By Amanda Bindel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sparkly necklace-maker playable without pricey in-app buys.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Strawberry Shortcake Pocket Lockets - Jewelry Maker
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE POCKET LOCKETS let kids design necklaces featuring Strawberry Shortcake and her friends or their own images. Play starts with a scrolling carousel of options: Create, Friendship Album, an ad, and the store. To create a necklace, kids choose their chain, select a locket and add an image to it, and then add charms. Kids then can place their necklace on a photo of themselves or a friend, on Strawberry Shortcake, or one of the Berry Friends (if unlocked).
Is It Any Good?
The Create section is the heart of the app, but consumerism in in kids' faces from the start and throughout play. They'll see the store if they scroll through the start page options, and they'll see the grayed-out items and characters they can't use without an in-app purchase. Still, there's plenty of fun designs to make without a purchase if kids can ignore the temptation of others. Adding their own image or a friend's to a locket is sweet fun, and then they can try on their creations themselves or on a friend's picture or a character's. Only the first five letters of the alphabet are included without purchase, though, so kids wanting to spell names or use initials are limited to A, B, C, D, and E.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their expectations for in-app purchases before downloading or playing the app. Determine if anything will be purchased and the expectations for kids. Will they use their own money?
Have a real necklace-making party with pony beads and shoelaces. Stringing beads is a great activity to develop fine motor skills, which can help kids in the future with writing and more.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Pricing structure : Free to try (Unlock all content for $9.99 or specific character packs for $4.99.)
- Release date : September 17, 2014
- Genre : Entertainment
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship
- Publisher : Budge Studios
- Version : 1.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 5.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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