Motion Math: Cupcake!
Motion Math: Cupcake! gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Motion Math: Cupcake! is an interactive simulation game like Motion Math: Pizza! that teaches kids about math including concepts related to arithmetic and the coordinate system. Kids are in charge of a bakery that sells cupcakes and have to fill orders, purchase baking supplies, and deliver the orders. Completing these tasks requires math skills combined with strategic thinking, keeping kids on their toes. Supported languages include English, French, and Spanish.What kids can learn
Running a cupcake business is serious fun, and continuous new challenges keep kids on their toes.
Kids are challenged to use a combination of math skills, reasoning, and critical thinking. The problems get increasingly more difficult. Feedback could help.
The developer's website has a blog and users can opt to sign up for a newsletter. Some more in-app hints and English audio could help younger kids or kids who are struggling.
What's it about?
As MOTION MATH: CUPCAKE! begins, kids start with $50 and use it to purchase ingredients. Then they design a cupcake to sell in the bakery: Using basic dough, they can add ingredients like frosting and sprinkles. After naming their cupcakes, they must set the price of each cupcake using the cost of the ingredients as a guide. Then orders come in from customers in written and spoken form, though the audio is not in English. Some orders are straightforward, while others require some arithmetic. Kids enter the number of cupcakes into a cash register, creating an order ticket; the customer provides a delivery location using coordinates on a grid. As kids play, some coordinates involve negative numbers, fractions, and/or mixed numbers. Adding to the mix is the process of ordering ingredients when they run out, creating new recipes, unlocking new ingredients, and making purchases like a new oven and an upgraded delivery vehicle. As kids make choices, they must consider how to make as much of a profit as possible each day over 40 days.
Is it any good?
Motion Math: Cupcake! is incredibly fun and challenges kids to use math and strategic thinking to run a business. It also includes various math concepts seamlessly and purposefully, so kids will experience how math is relevant to daily tasks. Like its counterpart, Motion Math: Pizza!, this app gives kids an immersive, enjoyable way to use math concepts. There are only a few minor drawbacks: Kids who have reading challenges would benefit from audio that matches the text to decrease the text load. Also, more frequent hints and directions about how to maneuver the delivery truck would eliminate frustration some kids may feel.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about the different skills that are needed to run a business. What do you need to know and learn? What are important factors to consider?
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Discuss the pros and cons of owning a business and the importance of earning enough of a profit to continue to grow the business.
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Have kids write a plan for a business that they might like to own. What kind of math skills would they need to run the business?
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | $4.99 |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | April 16, 2015 |
| Category: | Education |
| Size: | 39.10 MB |
| Publisher: | Motion Math |
| Version: | 1.1 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 7.0 or later |
