Common Sense Media Review
By Mieke VanderBorght
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Plainly packaged creative ideas for offscreen activities.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Well-Beings: Wellness for Kids
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
After tapping start, WELL-BEINGS: WELLNESS FOR KIDS, kids answer the question "How are you feeling/" by tapping on one of six emotions: happy, sad, creative, active, curious, or worried. Each emotion choice leads to a short statement of affirmation or encouragement. For instance, if a kid shares that they're worried, the app responds, "It's normal to feel worried during uncertain times. Is there someone you can talk to?" Or "It's fun to find out how the world works" for curious. Then, kids see a short description of an activity they can do off screen such as "Read the first chapter of your favorite books to someone," and a suggested amount of time it should take to complete. When they've finished the task, they tap, "completed." Finish six activities and earn a sticker; there are 40 stickers total to collect.
Is It Any Good?
Though it's not the most sophisticated app, this is a great collection of ways to get kids involved with offscreen activities on their own, or with family and friends. There are some very creative ideas that are wonderful inspiration for getting kids to try something new or connect with other people in a new way. Well-Beings: Wellness for Kids's structure is pretty simple which shows in its bare-bones opportunities for on-screen interaction. Even though the focus here is on getting kids to do things offscreen, it would still be nice to have some extra app features, such as a back button in case kids decide to change their emotion choice. It would also be nice if kids could add a simple reflection on the activity they completed, such as a drawing, photo, or a short text entry. That way, it wouldn't be quite so easy for kids to simply tap "completed" even if they haven't actually done the task. Also, the six emotion choices feel a bit limited, especially since they never change. It might be nice to have more options, or a clearer connection between the emotion choice and the suggested activity. However, i families focus on using Well-Beings: Wellness for Kids as a library of creative ideas for things to do offscreen and don't expect much from the app itself, they're likely to get some good use out of it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the suggested activities in Well-Beings: Wellness for Kids. Which ones did your kids like the best? The least? Which ones were hard? Why?
Pay attention to what feelings your kids choose to describe their mood. Without being pushy, be available to talk about how they're feeling and why.
Ask your kids how this app is different from others that require them to stay tied to the screen. Do they like using apps this way? Why or why not?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Skills : Creativity : imagination , Self-Direction : personal growth , Emotional Development : handling stress , labeling feelings , self-awareness , Health & Fitness : mental health
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : April 23, 2020
- Genre : Health & Fitness
- Publisher : Kuato Studios
- Version : 1.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 10.0 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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