Control Center for Kids Review

Control Center for Kids is an interesting app for iPad that allows kids and adults to simulate the driving, flying, sailing or otherwise controlling of five interesting vehicle choices.

Being very intuitive, this app opens up to five vehicle selections - submarine, ship, race car, airplane and space ship. I like the look of this app, as each of these selections opens to a page that is the point-of-view of the diver, captain, or other person in charge of controlling the vehicle as they look at the dashboard or cockpit type area of their vehicle. This app offers a large array of dials and buttons to tap and levers to pull that respond with movement, sounds and sometimes flashing lights.

For my son’s first birthday, we got him a driver toy that also simulated driving for children, with sound effects, a steering wheel to turn and a horn to beep, plus other areas of interest. I really like these kinds of toys and went out of my way to get the best, most realistic one that I could find. This is a toy my son still plays with, but he had been asking for a new toy like this as now the one he has seems a little babyish to him.

Because of his desire for a new simulated driver, I was very interested in reviewing this app. My husband was actually the one who introduced this to our son as I wanted to get his take on this application as well.

We all agree that there is a nice assortment of things to touch and interact with here and enjoy the look of this app, but wish that the true point-of-view could be seen as the vehicle moves, such as seeing the race track move as one pushes the gas pedal to be propelled forward or as one turns the steering wheel. Instead we see the race car move horizontally across the screen with no cause and effect from what the player is tapping, as the brake does not make this car stop nor does the gas make the car speed faster, and the steering of the boat does not move the compass found on the boat.

The same is true for the other themes as the buttons and levers all move and exist mostly independently of each other with no cause and effect that would have made this a true driving simulation, such as seeing the speed on the speedometer change as the gas or brake pedals are pressed.

There are a few of these cause-and-effect interactions already found among these pages that I like, as one can turn on the headlights of the race car. Doing so lights up this same icon on the dash and turns on the headlights of the car within this section. Flames shoot out the end of the rocket as a lever is pulled down to nice effect, and moving the sub astern or ahead makes the propeller spin clockwise or counter-clockwise, as well as being able to move the periscope up and down, a nice touch, as are the sound effects offered as one taps around the consoles, my favorite being the space ship section. I simply wanted more. It is also a shame that the ability to tilt the iPad was not incorporated as it would be fun to steer this way as well.

Even having said this, this app is a lot of fun for my son and husband to play while with lying in bed. I can also see this app being used as part of creative play when kids make their own ship or submarine out of blocks or large cardboard boxes, adding a digital element to their play. It is nice to see my husband and son take turns with this app, being creative and making up stories that correspond with the scenes they were playing, as I did hear my husband loudly from another room announce, “Giant squid, man the torpedoes,” but it would have been nice for the squid to show up on the included radar screen.

My husband also got a kick out of the nitrous oxide boosters on the race car labeled “NOS,” a detail I did not notice or understand not being a car person, although I am sure I have tapped here as I have explored these pages. Not all apps need to be educational to have value, but it would be nice if there were an “about” section or a special area to tap per page to learn about the interactive elements found both in real life as well as within this app, which I am sure would add to the enjoyment of both children and adults.

This is a cute app that young kids will enjoy. I would love to see more cause-and-effect interactions, but toddlers and the preschool set will enjoy this app just the way it is. I am interested to see what vehicle is “coming soon,” as I know my son hopes it will be an interactive train choice.