Common Sense Media Review
By Mieke VanderBorght
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dive into fun ocean exploration and subtle lessons.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
What's in the Oceans?
What's It About?
From the interior of a submarine, tap on one of five ocean settings in WHAT'S IN THE OCEANS? Each ecosystem has two scuba divers and a unique set of plants and animals; tap and drag them into the water to watch them interact. Find penguins, seals, orcas, and sheets of ice in the arctic South Pole or turtles and jellyfish near the shore. Watch as penguins or turtles lay eggs, dolphins get caught in the net of a fishing boat, and bigger animals eat smaller animals. Tap on the divers to see short live-action clips of ocean scenes.
Is It Any Good?
This open-ended ocean playground lets kids explore a range of marine life, even if the opportunities for meaningful interaction are limited. Five fun ocean ecosystems offer kids a different view of ocean life. But what kids actually do to interact with the app remains more or less the same across all five settings: Tap and drag the available plants and animals and watch what happens. There are a few exceptions, including gathering floating garbage to dump in a trash can, tapping on eggs to help hatch baby turtles or penguins, and raising the temperature in the arctic to watch the ice melt. These additions are great, but without in-app guidance or explanation so that kids really understand what they're doing, they'll need their parents help to provide context and meaning. It's not always easy to discover everything that can happen in the app, so kids may miss a lot. What's in the Oceans? is a cute way to gently introduce some ocean-themed topics, but if parents want to use it as an educational tool, they'll need to provide extra help.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the animals and ecosystems kids find in What's in the Oceans? What do the animals eat? How do they interact with each other? What is their habitat? Point out the different kinds of animals -- e.g., mammals, fish, crustaceans -- and discuss the characteristics of each.
Discuss the environmental messages the app introduces, such as climate change, overfishing, and pollution. What can your family do to help?
Find out more about ocean life by watching documentaries, reading books, and more.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Science : animals , ecosystems and the environment
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : March 23, 2019
- Genre : Education
- Topics : Animals ( Ocean Creatures )
- Publisher : Learny Land S.L.
- Version : 1.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 9.0 or later
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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