Parents' Guide to The Social Express II

Interactive episodes do a fantastic job of offering kids a natural way to understand and learn key social cues and skills that are needed for success in life. Each lesson offers kids the chance to make decisions about the choices the characters make -- and witness the possible consequences of those choices. When it's time to make a choice, it's not always clear what the options represent, so kids may choose at random, but they try again until they make the "best" choice. Parents may feel that none of the choices is really the best possible outcome and that all lack nuance. For these reasons, The Social Express II may not be a good resource for all kids. Printables allow kids to have a tangible reminder of coping strategies, feelings, and more; kids can carry these with them or post them on a wall. Part of what makes the app shine is the guidance it gives parents, from the guide for parents (available on the Social Express website) to the "teaching tips" that appear during a lesson (tips can be turned off for kids using the app independently). The clubhouse social network raises some privacy concerns because kids can reveal personal information. Parents can monitor their kids' activities, and it's optional, so parents could also simply choose not to allow kids to participate, and kids can enjoy learning with the other parts of this fabulous app.