Piig Labs Review

Piig Labs is a fun new app for young children - a puzzle app with a cute science theme as children build eight basic experiments, allowing them to role-play as scientists as they create a simple circuit to turn on a light bulb, radio, or walkie talkie by dragging and dropping pieces of what they are building into an open template. Child narration is included that labels each element of these puzzles and I enjoy the layered approach seen, asking children to include internal components of what they may be constructing first to fit these puzzles together properly - nice touches.

From mixing colors within a volcano-building section to learning how to play a theremin, children will find Piig Labs engaging and a little different. The app encourages them to learn from little mistakes they make along the way, and also encourages them to re-create a few of these projects at home with the help of an adult. It makes me smile to see details used here that children can have easy access to such as vinegar, baking soda, and food coloring bottles styled to be utterly recognizable compared to those found around the house.

Please be aware of the friendly light bulb character holding a sign containing a question mark that, when tapped, will offer further explanations about each of these experiments - including how batteries, a radio, or walkie talkie work, as well as some basic information about electricity, acids and bases, and other subjects. Also mentioned are a few key scientists who came up with these inventions or discoveries, creating a very nice foundation of understanding early science topics such as electricity, color mixing, or chemical reactions while including some safety tips children will benefit from learning.

I do wish, however, that this further information was narrated to allow children to gain access to this knowledge without help from an adult. Having said this, parents can appreciate not having to clean up after their children and their virtual over-flowing volcanos, fear losing pieces to any of these included activities, or have any safety concerns as their toddlers or early preschool kids work with batteries and other parts one could not leave within reach of small children.

Piig Lab is a charming app that will encourage an interest in science in young children, possibly helping children come up with ideas for their school’s next science fair that could include creating a vortex by using soda bottles to building the classic volcano, making this a fun app for both home and school settings for the early grades.