| Oresome (all apps) |
| BubbleWrap (Age 1+) | |||||||||||
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| BubblePRO (Age 1+) | |||||||||||
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I got BubbleWrap due to the number of reviews I had seen on sites suggesting it for young children. It is a very simple app to play – you touch a button and it goes pop. Big-T (3yo boy) shows almost no interest in this app. If I start it up, he will pop a few bubbles then exit and look for another app. Little-J however (1yo boy) is much less selective – he is happy just to get the iPhone. He can touch (at random) and pop some bubbles.
BubbleWrap has had over 5 million downloads, which is pretty impressive. I think adults and older children may enjoy this app a lot more than very young children – because they know what bubble wrap is, and with a time limit there is a challenge to it. I quite enjoy it personally. As a result I think the very young may enjoy it (you touch and it goes ‘pop’) and older children may enjoy it. Big-T at 3 I think falls into the gap between the extremely young (making any noise is fascenating) and the older kids (that understand scores and timelimits).
Disclaimer: I only have only tried the free version, not the paid version. I don’t think the paid version really offers anything more for preschool children.
The Application
You get a sheet of bubble wrap. You touch the bubbles to pop them (with sound effects). After a while, bubbles start reinflating at random. As a game, there is a time limit and you get one point per bubble popped. Sometimes you get bonus scores. The professional version sometimes runs contests with cash prizes.
The Good
- It has a nice simple user interface. Its very easy to understand how to play.
- What it does it does well.
- It does have little suprises (like some bubble have bonus points).
- It may entertain your 1yo – no skill required to pop bubbles.
- You will never run out of bubble wrap to pop.
- You can try and become a professional and by the full version and enter competitions with prize money… you might win a few hundred dollars.
The Bad
- Near zero educational value.
- For preschool children, I find time limits can be too complex to explain or stressful to cope with. (As an adult, its the time limit that turns it into a fun game.)
Educational Value
For young children, good for practicing touching the screen.
My Score
2 stars. I base this on its value in developing your young children. I personally quite enjoy the app as a game, and it can be used by very young children to practice touching and making noises (pop!). But there is really no educational merit to speak of. I would rather have my kids play an app where they learnt something. (5 million downloads is pretty darn impressive though!)
Get it in iTunes
More information, screen shots, and user reviews can be found in the iTunes store.
Other Suggestions
- Coordination: iWriteWords Tracing Game, Alphabetic, Animal SNAP!, Drum Kit
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