Category: Middle School »

Animal Ark HD is a fun and educational app for iPad which nicely combines an encyclopedia of Africa and a casual game with an animal theme. An iPhone version is also available.

I have enjoyed reading the encyclopedia pages about Africa, finding them informative and well-written. I appreciate how different sections for Jungle, Savanna, Desert, Mountains and Lakes are included, impressing the reader with how diverse Africa really is in terms of these natural environments. There is a section dedicated to animals which is also nicely drawn, as well as very educational. As of now, content for only eight of the twenty animals offered is available. I look forward to reading about the others as well in a future update.

The game section of this app is nicely done, involving the sorting and stacking of animals to create three-of-a-kind. There are two columns to focus on, and what may be good for one column may not be good for the other. If three of a kinds are not grouped together fast enough, the whole column rises to the top of the screen, and the game is over. Music is also included which has an African-inspired beat to it, and I enjoy listening to it as I play. The space between the two columns of animals is a beautiful landscape of Africa illustrating each of these environments and changes with each level. The details are rich and lush, including sunsets and beautiful blue skies, as well as moving elements such as flowing water in lakes, rain, or animals running. By far, these landscapes make the game for me and is my favorite part of this app. I really wish there was a “relax” mode so I could spend time gazing at these landscapes but to stay in the game, I need to focus on the animals, or the end comes very quickly. I enjoy this game now, but would enjoy it even more if a slower pace was possible, so I could take in all there is to look at.

Rocket Math is a new universal game involving rocket-building and launching, where one plays math games to earn the money that is used to buy rocket parts. Once your rocket is built and makes its way to space, 56 math based missions can be played with medals that can be won for completed missions, including concepts like square roots and advanced multiplication and division, as well as basic math concepts, making this game great for the entire family.

This is an absorbing game, very involved in terms of the building and launching of the rockets, with both altitude as well as air time being factors for a successful flight. Playing math games in the interest of earning money towards rocket parts is a great motivator, and I am glad that there is not a specific time limit here. The missions are very stimulating and can have an almost frantic pace, a player being able to play only as long as one’s rocket remains in orbit.

I hope that a page of building tips can be added to this app soon. As of now, there is no real explanation as to how to build a successful rocket, and for a long time I was not able to leave the earth’s atmosphere in order to go on the missions.

After watching the YouTube video associated with this game and at first copying their rocket design, I was able to go on a mission, but I wish that I did not have to go hunting for information not supplied in the app to make this game a successful experience. There is info on building the rocket in terms of how to make rocket parts bigger or smaller, as well as other adjustments and other options, and I like the very gracious option that lets the player sell back rocket parts at full price after one tries them out. However, I would really like to see a tutorial added explaining what the basic parts of the rockets do, and what it takes to make a successful rocket, and some basic principles of physics that are used in propelling the rocket.

I do think kids of all ages, from pre-schoolers to adults will enjoy this game very much once they fully understand how the different rocket parts are used. When fully comfortable with how this game works, it is addicting as well as educational.

Didakto is board game-styled app for iPad which is fun and educational for the whole family. Multiple categories are included, specifically math, language, logic, and geography, with questions gauged to age groups from four to twelve years, but in my experience, adults will find these games fun and challenging as well. First, a photo is displayed which is then sectioned into pieces that are further transformed into one half of a matching-style game. Below are the corresponding answers, the object being to drag and drop the top question pieces to their corresponding answers below. When finished, the picture is brought back together and the pieces out of place are those which had not been correctly answered. A personal photo can be used, as well as many options which are included, further personalizing this game. I am impressed with the choice of six different languages as well.

I like that this is a true family game, that there are levels that will fit the needs of a large age range, and that there is no timer here or high scores - something that I greatly appreciate. Four basic categories are included, each subject giving four more specific choices to narrow down interests as well as specific questions for different age groups. All of this makes for a very content-heavy application, and I never feel as though I have played the same game twice, even if in reality I have. The questions are educational and can be very thought-provoking, especially those involving logic.

I did not know if my son, almost three, would be interested or be able to participate in these games, but as I was looking at the four to five year old logic section, he pushed my hand aside and began completing these questions on his own, much to my amazement. He was able to answer these questions himself, but he still needs a little help getting the pieces in the correct areas to hear the satisfying “click” of a tile tapping against a game board.

This is a great game, especially for families who enjoy spending time together playing classic board games, but who also want to embrace the technology of the iPad. I think this would make an especially nice travel game as well, all nicely contained in the iPad with no pieces to keep track of, as well as many variations to choose from.

Photo Book Decoration allows you to doodle on and decorate photos imported from your photo library or taken on the fly, and email them or export altered images back to the photo libary. Available tools include pen, stamp, and background templates, each containing multiple colors, sizes and options for decorating photos.

Detailed instructions are available under the i icon on the top bar of the app, but honestly they weren't of much help. The app was unresponsive, and I could not figure out how to change the color of the pen. The app is not intuitive for an adult and would be even more frustrating for a child. For your money, there are far better photo-decorating tools out there. Don't waste your time and money on this one.

PopOut! The Tale of Peter Rabbit is an extremely well-done interactive storybook app which has not only brought the classic tale of Peter Rabbit to IPhone and iPad, but has translated the qualities of a most impressive pop-up book as well, with great results. You have the choice of being read to, or reading this book yourself. When narration is present, the text is highlighted when read out loud. Pausing and resuming is possible here, and there is an index of pages as well.

My son and I have read this Beatrix Potter story, both in its original book form as well as from other sources, and this by far has been our favorite experience. Narration has been included which is very well-done, as is the piece of classical piano music which plays in the background. By far, the best aspect of this app is that each page is crafted as if it were a very sophisticated pop-up book. Touch to wiggle the characters as if they were slightly suspended on wires. Noises are also made when things are touched, adding to the story without becoming distracting. Tabs are included to move sliding pieces of the book as well as levers to move back and forth, and dials to turn in order to create certain movements. Moving the device will also work to get many of these pieces to move and sway. I especially appreciate that combined with these beautifully low-tech looking pop-up elements, animations are included, using the devices of technology as well to further the richness of the story. Many pages have extremely realistic-looking leaves or blackberries falling from the sky: tap them and they become large and begin to fill the pages. Move them with a finger or tilt the device to have them move around the screen.

This story is long, and has a nice, soothing effect on my sometimes bouncy son. He enjoys the story and interacting with every detail very much, but it is I who marvel at the way all these pieces work. I admire the sophisticated look of the title page, that of a wood desk, antique-looking letters, an old photograph of Peter himself, as well as a quill pen and a fountain of ink. One opens a first edition copy of the book to start reading - beautiful touches which make this a great choice not only for children, but for adults as well. I do wish the musical piece was given credit somewhere on the title page, but except for this minor note, a fantastic experience.

YummyBurgers is a fun, challenging game that illuminates the difficulty of life as a short order cook. If you're kid is thinking of dropping out of high school for a career at McDonald's, this might be just what the doctor ordered. Assembling burgers to order in a timely fashion is no easy task, and if you're too slow or make mistakes, you'll quickly lose your impatient customers, who quickly turn disgruntled and walk away accompanied by sad music.

YummyBurgers consists of four progressively difficult modes of play which must be unlocked: Stand, Restaurant, Time Trial & Endurance. You must earn set levels of money to progress to the next level. I wasn't able to earn any money on Stand. Of course, my five-year old progressed to Restaurant in a short time.

The game starts out with a tutorial in which the items for layering are displayed along the bottom, and an arrow cues the finger to the correct ingredient. After a few successful runs, the arrow disappears and you are left to your own devices.

Just for fun and very challenging!

Word Spree is a fun word game reminiscent of the classic game Mad Libs, now conveniently turned into an iPhone game. As one may guess, the player chooses a theme of their choice and then fills out a list of words, such as an adjective, name, or object. These words  are then used to create a silly story which makes very little sense - hence its charm. There are 30 titles to choose from and another 30 “Spreets,” a Spreet being when you use this app to create a Tweet to post on one’s Twitter page. "Spreets" tend to be shorter than the original stories, and have specific themes that make for interesting Tweets.

I really like that you can tap a question mark which explains the type of word you are looking for in case you don’t know the meaning - for example, what an adverb means. There is also a short list of suggestions one may choose from, these words also helping to explain the meaning of the word in question. I appreciate that you can have random words chosen in case you are stuck, or you can have the whole story filled in this way. I find the choices used when selecting "random" to be really interesting and creative, many times better than the words I come up with which I seem to rotate throughout these stories. It is also nice that you can save finished stories, or do them over again if you choose. Facebooking your completed story is also an option.

I think this is a really fun, creative, and educational app for grade schoolers. I vividly remember using Mad Libs at this age, learning most of what these grammar words mean this way. The choices of subjects are fun and modern, as are the “Spreets,” and I think this would make a really fun travel game as well as an app to share between siblings or friends. There is a lot of game play here for $0.99, and it is nicely done.

Johnny Appleseed is a storybook app from the developers at Ruckus Mobile Media. Although these developers are new to creating applications, Ruckus Mobile Media brings with them the books from the famed Rabbit Ears Library, known for incorporating award-winning stories, amazing celebrity narrations, and phenomenal music and art. These apps can be watched like a video or be read like a book, and one can make one's own recording as well, and are universal apps. This specific app, Johnny Appleseed tells the story of this folk hero's life vividly and beautifully, with the narration by Garrison Keillor being perfectly realized, as are all the other elements of this app.

I was so very impressed the first time I opened this app, struck by the water color illustrations and the music which accompanies the story as well as Garrison Keillor’s simply perfect narration. You learn not just about Johnny Appleseed's planting apple trees across America, but about his deep love of animals and nature in general. The story can be beautifully slow and meandering, the prose being lush with description and emotion, really taking its time so one really gets to know Johnny Appleseed in a way I have never before experienced. The tone can be quite melancholy, and there are moments which are sad. Parents may want to keep this in mind if their young children are sensitive, but I think that this is an amazing app for all ages, from kindergarten all the way to adulthood. I don’t think anyone outgrows a good story, and it would be a shame if parents of older children assumed this app was just for kids still reading picture books.

This app looks equally good on my iPhone as it does on an iPad, and I really like how easy it is to read this book out loud with just a sentence or two per page. I do have one request, however, I really wish that if you needed to pause this video or close the book before finishing your place could be saved. The video is roughly 24 minutes long and the book has 73 pages. I was not able to finish either one without being called away. I do wish my place was saved when I left off, especially for the video. Having said this, I am truly grateful to have been introduced to these stories; their quality is as high as it gets for storybook apps.

This is a great math study app suitable for the entire elementary school spectrum. Mathaliens covers addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and has two play modes: Mathaliens Bingo and Hunting Mathaliens, with three levels of difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard).

In Mathaliens Bingo, a Bingo field is presented with an array of twenty numbers. A math problem is presented, and the player must select the correct answer from the field while striving to get a "Bingo", a horizontal or vertical line of correct answers. Each time a correct answer is selected, the number is replaced by a spunky-looking alien. Scoring depends on how quickly the correct answer is selected; 50 points are attainable within the first second and 5 points are subtracted every second thereafter. Incorrect answers deduct 50 points from the totals. High scores are retained in a list accessible from within the app.

Hunting Mathaliens consists of five levels of progressing difficulty which must be passed through by correctly answering math problems. Two initial lives are given; one life is deducted when a question is answered incorrectly, and an additional life is granted each time a level is completed. In each subsequent level, answer times are shorter and the number of available answers increases. The minimum time for answering in the final level can be adjusted in the settings. A Mathalien is caught and stored in a Mathalien gallery accessible by the My Mathaliens button.

I highly recommend this app as a fun way to practice and sharpen "head math" skills.

Stack the States is a fun and unique educational game which mixes both U.S. geography trivia as well as an impressive stacking game. Answer questions about specific U.S. states and if you get the answer right, that state drops to a platform at the bottom of the screen where these states are stacked. Keep answering questions correctly and more states will be added to the pile until it is stacked past the finish line that is placed mid-screen. Be aware that the laws of gravity and physics play a large roll in how these states react to being stacked. Will it stack easily or fall down, collapsing the tower, or maybe falling off the platform completely?

The states to be stacked are the correct shape you would expect to find on any U.S. map so some more squarish states like Colorado or the Dakotas may stack easily, but others not so much. Also, the scale is very good here, and you can really see the difference in size between states like California and Delaware, something I really appreciate. After you pile your states past the line, you have earned a state for a U.S. map which gets filled in the more you play. There are also three mini games to unlock as you continue to collect states, and this app will store the info of up to six players - great for families.

I do wish there was more to learn here about the U.S. map as a whole, not just as separate states. As you play, you do add states to a map which slowly becomes completed, but this takes a really long time to fill and this is a feature not likely to be studied much. I would like to see a full U.S. map with all the questions’ answers available to use as a reference. I think looking up facts this way and studying the map in order to answer questions correctly would add to the learning process. All in all, a fun game that both adults and kids will enjoy.

I'm on my way to learning Spanish! This is a unique and very addictive Spanish learning iphone app that is, in my opinion, well worth the price of admission. The app begins by requiring a profile set-up, including email address, then assigns a starting level by administering a short diagnostic quiz. I started at level two: days of the week and colors.

The player begins with a study session in which the material is presented and read with correct pronunciation. The goal then is to progress through a set of dynamic, engaging and fast-paced challenge games which truly test your knowledge of the material. After each game is completed, the user can see how many points are accrued toward unlocking the next level, and how many words have been mastered, which is a great motivator and contributes to the addictive quality of the game.

I haven't yet made it our of level two, but according to the website, the game consists of 50 lessons with over 1400 words and phrases to master, with regular updates and additions. Although Spanish is the only language currently offered, the MindSnacks website indicates French, Spanish, and Mandarin are on the horizon. It would be nice if the developers included the ability to set up multiple profiles; this is a serious limitation for families with multiple language learners.

This would be a great augmentation to any student's Spanish studies, from elementary school through university.

Hot Plates is a fast paced and fun kitchen-themed family app, with two games to choose from. In the "Classic" mode, watch as plates speed down multiple conveyor belts. Finish these plates off with one of four correct sauces. Lose a life if you top a plate off with the wrong sauce or can't get to a plate in time, and the game is over if you add sauce to a stick of dynamite, mistaking it for a hot dog.

In "Devil Dog" mode, top hot dog plates with ketchup, but avoid the plates with sticks of dynamite. One false move and the game is over, and you lose lives for missed plates as well. Music and sound effects are also included, adding to the experience but can also be easily turned off as well.

I find both of these games fun and enjoyable and really like how easy they are to learn and play. I think they would be great for anyone past the age of 4 or 5, and these are games even adults will find both amusing and challenging. My son at 2.5 years likes to watch me play but is still too young to be able to play by himself for more than a few seconds without the game ending. I am sure that he will have a lot of fun with these games when he is older.

Those of us born in the seventies will fondly recall the "Choose Your Own Adventure" book series by Edward Packard, in which fantastical adventure stories hinged upon decision points made by the reader leading to multiple possible plot lines and endngs. If a literary concept was ever ripe for the computer age, this was it. And now, the stories are being adapted for the iPhone, together with sounds and special effects- for example, at one decision point the reader is confronted by a blinding sun, and upon turning the page is exposed to a bright white screen. Little clever tricks like this certainly leverage the technology to create a rich experience.

One cannot go back and make the opposite decision, as in the book version, which locks the reader into the story in a way the book version did not. I had a lot of fun reading the story to my four-year old and making decisions together. In the debate over e-readers versus print books, I would venture to say Choose Your Own Adventure Books are inherently structured for the digital age. I hope additional stories are released soon!

SpaceWalking uses the iPhone's GPS system and map navigation tools to create a "virtual" scale model of the solar system that you can actually navigate, on foot.

In the first step, the user defines the scale by selecting among several options for scale distance representing 1 Astronomical Unit (1 AU), which is defined as the distance between the earth and sun. The smallest distance reaches the limits of GPS accuracy and is appropriate for a short neighborhood walk, the next higher is more appropriate for a short bike ride, all the way up to a drive stretching halfway across the state.

After selecting the scale, the user points the phone in the direction in which the desired direction of travel, and selects the starting point for the spacewalk, which may be any celestial body within the solar system. The app then places pins on the map to superimpose the relative locations of the planets with respect to the map. The user can then switch to planet view, which simulates the space walk by providing graphic representations of the planets and other heavenly bodies, complete with the spooky space music and the ability to "pan" an orbit around the body and to access information about it.

I am really impressed with the innovation of this app, particularly in the use of mobile technology to bring scientific concepts closer to human experience. To me, this type of application represents the best of what technology can offer humans and society. This would be a great tool to assist a student who is learning about astronomy in gaining a perceptual context of relative distances in the solar system.

Sometimes you need something inane, mindless, and fun to pass the time, and Edamame Touch certainly fits the bill. The game starts with a black bowl of presumably steamed edamame (fresh soybeans in the pod, for the uninitiated), which are dragged to the screen and laid upon a bamboo background. By touching the three raised areas on the pod, edamame beans are released. But wait.... something special may be in store; various "achievement" beans are possible, and the app keeps track of how many of the 19 possible rare edamame beans are discovered, such as tie-dye, "poofs" (vacant bean holdsters), footballs, smileys, and the slightly disturbing "ctrl-alt-delete bean". I don't pretend to understand the meaning behind this- but perhaps that's the point; it is utterly meaningless, and strangely addicting.

Once the beans have been expelled from their pod, they can be eaten by touching, with a satisfying crunch sound, and then the husk is flicked from the screen.

My 4-year, a sushi connoisseur and lover of edamame, went nuts over this game.