Bogga Vacation
Bogga Vacation gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Bogga Vacation takes kids on a preschool-friendly beach vacation, from packing to flying to playing on the beach. Kids practice preschool skills like matching and get to express some creativity, too. No reading is required, and kids are directed by on-screen prompts showing what to do next. The game follows a set chronology, so kids can't skip around much, except once they are on the island and choose between the three activities.What kids can learn
Each activity is short enough for a preschooler's attention span, but once they've played them all the way through, there's not much to keep them playing again and again.
Matching items by shape -- both in the packing game and to open the treasure box -- develops pre-reading skills. Kids can learn the basic elements of a plane trip and be creative decorating their sand castles or adding garnish to their drinks.
On-screen prompts guides kids through the games. No progress is saved, so kids will have to start sand castles over each time they play. In the parent section of the app, there is a parent guide that explains each section of the game.
What's it about?
When kids open BOGGA VACATION, a colorful suitcase open to invite kids to pack for a trip. Kids match the shape of items, dragging them into the corresponding spot in the suitcase. Once the bag is packed, it's time to go to the airport. Kids have to turn off a cell phone and hand over a passport and boarding pass before getting on the plane. They also get to put a silly accessory on the desk attendant. Then they fly to a tropical island where they can build and decorate sand castles, make and drink fruit smoothies, or dig up a buried treasure.
Is it any good?
This sweet, summery app walks kids through each step of the trip: packing a suitcase, boarding the plane, and fun vacation activities. Though it balances structure and some free expression, there's not much to the games. Kids can't deviate from the order of the play, but they can decorate their sand castles or mix their tropical drinks a bit, and the matching activities are good for developing pre-reading skills. There's not much open-ended play involved, though, so kids may not find it endlessly playable; once they've created a few sand castles and mixed a few drinks, they'll probably be done. It'll probably hold the most appeal in anticipation of a real-world vacation.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about past vacations. Ask kids what their favorite parts were.
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Make a game of planning a trip. What would you pack for a beach vacation? What would you pack for a snow-skiing trip? What about for a camping trip?
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Fire phone, Kindle Fire |
| Price: | $1.99 |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | December 16, 2013 |
| Category: | Education |
| Size: | 18.10 MB |
| Publisher: | Boggatap |
| Version: | 1.0.3 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 4.3 or later; Android 2.2 and up |
