The Magic Pond
The Magic Pond gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Magic Pond lets kids play three mini-games and explore different areas of a pond inhabited by a cute frog and other adorable creatures. There aren't any directions or visual prompts, so kids are empowered to learn by experimenting. Preschoolers and kindergartners will probably revisit each area multiple times while kids older than five or so may lose interest after a few uses.What kids can learn
Kids will be drawn in by the delightful graphics, many of which are animated. There's not much depth to three of the four areas to explore, so some kids may get bored quickly.
Kids are empowered to explore at their own pace and see the impact of their actions. The mini-games and the open-ended pond involve cause and effect, so kids will either see the same pattern repeat itself each time they tap or watch as a limited number of variations plays out.
There's a short guide in the parent section of the app, but most kids will have no trouble figuring out what to do.
What's it about?
There are four areas for kids to explore in THE MAGIC POND. When kids tap on the biggest circle containing the cow, there are lots of interactive graphics and animations to explore. Kids tap to uncover hidden animals, make a ladybug fly, race a boat across the lake, ring a cowbell, sing along to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and more. In the chameleon mini-game, kids tap to find hidden chameleons among the trees. The band mini-game lets kids drag band members into place by matching them with their shape outlines, and each member starts to play when correctly placed. Finally, kids tap to pop bubbles in the frog mini-game. Each popped bubble turns into a step, and several steps lead the frog to the moon. Kids can tap the home icon at any time to return to the main screen.
Is it any good?
The Magic Pond is filled with colorful graphics that engage kids and encourage them to explore all of the interactive elements. Kids can freely explore as they wish, which has its benefits. The pond area has the most bang for the buck, with a lot of hidden treasures for kids to uncover. The other areas are fun to try, but some kids might grow tired of the activities quickly. With it's low price tag, The Magic Pond could make a good starter app for toddlers who are just being introduced to touch technology.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about their favorite parts of the magic pond area. Encourage kids to listen carefully to the sounds they hear, and then discuss how the area is similar to an actual park or backyard that kids have explored.
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Encourage kids to tell a story about the different characters. Where were they before this? What are they doing? What will they do next?
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | $0.99 |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | January 17, 2015 |
| Category: | Education |
| Topics: | Magic and fantasy |
| Size: | 122.00 MB |
| Version: | 1.3 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 4.3 or later |
