AJ Jump: Animal Jam Kangaroos!
AJ Jump: Animal Jam Kangaroos! gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that AJ Jump: Animal Jam Kangaroos! includes a tiny bit of National Geographic content about kangaroos but is mostly an app spin-off of the virtual world game Animal Jam. Kids are encouraged to set up an account on Animal Jam, but it isn't necessary to play; however, it's much harder to earn coins and gems in the app alone. There is no chat option or interaction with other players in the app, either, but kids can create a username and be added to the leader board.What kids can learn
Short video clip from a Nat Geo documentary features cute kangaroos in their natural setting, but the cartoon bouncing kangaroo game is likely to draw even more attention.
National Geographic content on kangaroos is delivered in book and video formats. The game does introduce some physics concepts, though they aren't very realistic.
No instructions are included, but play is intuitive. When kids earn and then buy clothes and accessories, they don't all carry over into future games.
What's it about?
From the start screen of AJ JUMP: ANIMAL JAM KANGAROOS! kids can hit PLAY to start bouncing, they can tap the owl to learn more about red kangaroos, or they can select one of the options to dress and accessorize their kangaroo. Before they can buy any items, though, they'll have to earn coins and gems by playing. The kangaroo jumps on his own, but kids can guide him to the rock platforms to reach higher goals by tilting the device. If he hits a spider or misses a platform, though, the round ends. Kids record their kangaroo's name on the leader board and can connect their Animal Jam account to transfer in-app earnings to the website; however, they can't transfer from the web to the app.
Is it any good?
With the National Geographic logo, you'd expect more educational content. There is a bit -- a short book and one-minute video -- but kids just read and watch to receive that information. The game play is totally separate and pretty mindless. To guide the kangaroo higher, kids must use some strategy, but skill doesn't translate into coins; instead, earning in-game currency is all about how long a kid plays. And it will take quite a bit of playtime to earn enough to deck out the kangaroo in the costume choices and accessory options. Unfortunately, those items are a fleeting investment -- many don't carry over into future games. While kids may enjoy steering the kangaroo to new heights, disappointed parents might direct their kids elsewhere for more science-infused fun.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about kids creating an account on Animal Jam or not. Discuss the risks and rules around in-game chat and paying for the membership.
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Make sure kids see the book and in-app videos from National Geographic about kangaroos. What did they already know? What did they learn?
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Fire phone, Kindle Fire |
| Price: | $1.99 |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | October 28, 2014 |
| Category: | Kids Games |
| Topics: | Science and nature, Wild animals |
| Size: | 52.10 MB |
| Publisher: | Smart Bomb Interactive, Inc. |
| Version: | 1.5 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 5.1 or later; Android 4.0 and up |
