Parents' Guide to Toca Life: Vacation

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire Paid Education
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Common Sense Media Review

Mieke VanderBorght By Mieke VanderBorght , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

Imaginations roam on staycation with virtual role-play.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 4+?

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What's It About?

Grab your bags and head to the airport to fly off to fun and relaxation with TOCA LIFE: VACATION. Four locations let kids free-play and imagine: airport/airplane, hotel, beach, and town. Choose from many characters to move around and interact with countless items. Some unique features here include riding in the hotel's elevator, sitting in the pilot's seat of the plane, putting things through the X-ray machine at airport security, or shopping for souvenirs. There's also a storage area where kids can collect and store items they don't need.

Is It Any Good?

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

Despite the limitations of digital-based imaginative play, there are plenty of things to inspire kids in this role-play vacationer's paradise. It has some fun interactive elements, such as the elevator that takes kids to different areas of the hotel, where they discover something unique on each floor. Locations start out with certain characters and items placed in certain ways, but once kids get started, they have complete freedom to do whatever they please. Of course, unlike more traditional open-ended imaginary play, in this digital version kids are guided and limited by what the programmers have written into the app. For instance, it may be frustrating that characters don't interact with objects; it would be nice to see them kick a ball or push the food cart down the aisle on the airplane. Occasionally, it's also difficult to manipulate the tiny pieces and getting them to go where you want, especially for kids with less fine motor control. However, the video-recording feature adds a nice empowerment opportunity for kids to document and share their fantastical stories.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the worlds kids create. Ask questions about whom different characters represent, what they're doing, and why.

  • Encourage offscreen pretend play with tea sets, dolls, stuffed animals, action figures, cardboard boxes, and more.

  • Read the letter from the developer for some insight into what the app has to offer and how to accompany your kids' play.

  • Talk to your kids about your own family vacations. Remember together highlights of past vacations. Involve them in thinking about what to do and where to go when you're on vacation. Discuss where they might like to go on future vacations.

App Details

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