Gracie and Friends Jungle Gym
Gracie and Friends Jungle Gym gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Gracie and Friends Jungle Gym is part of a suite of apps and off-screen activities that aim to teach one very specific math skill: subitizing, or recognizing quantity without having to count. This game covers numbers two through five. The game is very simple for young kids to learn and is supported by outside research. At a certain point during play, kids have to gently shake the device, so make sure they're set up so that they can do that safely. On the developer's website, parents can find printable materials and activities that extend learning.What kids can learn
The robots are cute, and what kid doesn't love stickers and bouncing on a trampoline? However, with limited activities and much repetition, kids may lose interest after the first few rounds.
Clear instructions and great scaffolding drive home the focused learning goal of recognizing quantity without having to count. Game gets slightly more complex as kids progress.
Play is easy and highly accessible, and the developer's website has great learning extensions. Kids don't have a sense of their own progress except that levels get a bit more challenging as they keep playing.
What's it about?
In GRACIE AND FRIENDS JUNGLE GYM kids practice recognizing quantity without having to count for numbers two through five. Choose a robot, then drag the requested number of stickers to its belly. Then, group robots by number of dots to create hanging robot chains. To make robots fall from their jungle gym chain onto a trampoline, shake the device and start the next level. Levels increase in difficulty as they introduce higher numbers (up to five). In a second level set kids match numerals to dot quantity. Helpful hints along the way gently guide kids who are having trouble.
Is it any good?
Gracie and Friends Jungle Gym does just one small thing, but it does it well. The combination of content (stickers, robots, a jungle gym, a trampoline) and interactivity (dragging and shaking) is whimsical and entertaining. Along the way, kids are counting and dealing with quantity. Subitizing is a great skill that is a basis for having a comfortable and fluid relationship with numbers, and apps that bolster this skill well aren't easy to find. Without time pressure, kids can count the dots and thus not actually subitize, per se. But even if they do count, they still get nice practice with number fluency and there's great support for kids who need it. Because the game only covers numbers up to five, kids will play only so many times before getting bored. But, the whole app suite, plus printable materials that extend learning off the screen, is all free and supported by third-party research. So, even if the shelf life is on the short side, it's worth the download.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about all the places where numbers and quantity appear. How many colors are on a traffic light? How many magnets on the fridge?
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Count every day items -- such as eggs -- and point out written numerals -- such as the six written on a half dozen-egg carton.
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Practice judging quantity quickly and without regard to how items are arranged. Group items together and ask kids to quickly say how many are there. Rearrange and ask again.
App details
| Device: | iPad |
| Price: | Free |
| Pricing structure: | Free |
| Release date: | December 4, 2014 |
| Category: | Education |
| Topics: | Numbers and letters, Robots |
| Size: | 16.90 MB |
| Publisher: | First 8 Studios at WGBH |
| Version: | 1.0 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 6.0 or later |
