Tiggly Chef: Preschool Math Cooking Game
Tiggly Chef: Preschool Math Cooking Game gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Tiggly Chef: Preschool Math Cooking Game is a counting game for preschoolers that can be played either as a traditional app using fingers as counters or as a hybrid toy with the Tiggly Count toys, which retail for $29.99 and can be played with Tiggly Chef: Preschool Math Cooking Game, Tiggly Cardtoons: Learn to Count with 25 Interactive Kids Stories, and Tiggly Addventure: Number Line & Math Learning Game for Preschool. When kids first open the game, they can choose to play by hand or with the toys. If they choose toys, they'll have to unlock that version of the game using the toys the first time they play. Kids can also switch in the middle of a game through the settings. During our review, the toys didn't work reliably, but if kids play with multiple fingers, they won't lose any benefits of the game. Play is available in ten languages, which can be chosen in the settings.What kids can learn
The silly chef will delight kids with his crazy food combinations, and kids have the chance to create their own recipes. The novelty of using the toy counters may wear off quickly, but kids can still play without them.
The Tiggly Counts toys put counting manipulatives in kids' hands, which they can use to help them solve problems off-screen or to interact with the app. Kids can practice grouping without the toys, too.
Three levels gradually increase the challenge, and kids and parents can see the progression. Play is available in ten languages, so kids can practice in their language of origin or one they're learning.
What's it about?
The Master Chef in TIGGLY CHEF: PRESCHOOL MATH COOKING GAME helps kids learn to be great chefs, guiding them through three different levels of math games, each progressively more challenging. Kids start by following instructions and counting items to add to a bowl. They can add items with their fingers -- tapping each item individually or using several fingers to select several at once -- or use the Tiggly Counters. The second and third levels have kids following wacky recipes to create dishes like "hot shrimp apple twist." Kids then eat the item by tapping it and record their descriptions of how each concoction tasted.
Is it any good?
Hybrid toys are exciting and new, but users may be disappointed: It's tricky for little hands to get the toys lined up just right, and they don't reliably register on the device. Fortunately, the whole experience works great using fingers, so kids can switch modes mid-game (or play the free app even without the toys, at least at the time of review.) Kids can tap multiple objects at once, using several fingers, so they can work on adding one by just tapping with one finger or adding multiples by tapping with two or three fingers. Consider taking the app on a free test drive to see if your kid is into it and then you can try the toys as an extension, because when they work, they are fun!
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about their favorite wacky food combinations or ask each other "would you eat it?" when each food creation is shown.
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Outside of the app, parents can talk to kids about numbers and different ways to add and subtract to get a number. For example, if kids have six berries on their plate for snack, show them how four and two makes six, or five and one, or three and three.
App details
| Devices: | iPad, Android, Fire phone, Kindle Fire |
| Price: | Free |
| Pricing structure: | Free |
| Release date: | January 22, 2015 |
| Category: | Education |
| Topics: | Numbers and letters |
| Size: | 417.00 MB |
| Publisher: | Tiggly |
| Version: | 1.1 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 5.1.1 or later; Android 3.0 and up |
