Sago Mini Boats
Sago Mini Boats gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Sago Mini Boats is much like Sago Mini Road Trip, but with a nautical theme. Kids choose a destination/friend to visit, pack a suitcase, choose a boat, and then set off on their way to sail through the sea. Be careful, though: With the boat's super sensitive virtual movements in the water, users may get a real-life case of seasickness and kids will need to get used to the controls. Play is open-ended and completely free of rules and restrictions. A letter from the developer in the parents' section offers some context and imaginative inspiration.What kids can learn
Kids will get a kick out of some pretty silly options such as packing a fish bowl -- fish and all -- in their suitcase, or riding in a banana sailboat. There are enough things to explore so that kids should stay engaged.
There's not much that's necessarily educational here. As a platform to set the scene for creative play, kids themselves hold the learning content in their own imaginations, as they get creative, tell stories, and explore.
Play is intuitive though kids need good fine motor control to drive the boat. It would be a nice touch to allow kids to document their trips with pictures they can save.
What's it about?
Harvey the dog is the protagonist in SAGO MINI BOATS. Choose from three destinations, each with a different friend. Then, pack a suitcase, choose a boat, and set off. There are many things to explore and discover along the way, including a few island hops, floating objects, flying balloons, and more. Kids can dive the boat deep underwater, or make it soar through the air. "Mile markers" count down distance to the final destination; once there, Harvey hops out, greets the friend, and takes a picture of the fun activity they do together.
Is it any good?
Sago Mini Boats is one of the developer's better apps because it gives kids a lot of opportunities to take charge of the experience. In typical Sago Sago style, Sago Mini Boats is intended to be an open-ended platform from which kids can run wild with their imaginations. With the options to choose a destination, pack a suitcase, and choose a boat, kids are empowered to alter their experiences. There's also a decent amount going on along the boat ride, as kids can go underwater, in the air, find balloons, stop at islands, and more. There are a few aspects that might frustrate kids, especially the young set for whom this app was designed. Harvey's suitcase will invariably fall into the water -- which may distress some kids -- and it can take some practice to figure out how to put it and other objects in the boat. The boat's movements are also extremely sensitive to the slightest touch, so it can be hard to feel in control of where the boat is going. Overall, it's a solid offering, especially if parents encourage kids to elaborate on what they're doing and discovering by telling stories, making up new scenarios, and relating their play to real life experiences.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about where Harvey is going and what happens to him along the way. Ask kids to explain how they interpret the many things they discover.
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Encourage kids to tell a story about Harvey's boat trip. Help them identify the characters, the plot, and the ending of their story. Write down what your kids say and read their story back to them.
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Water play is a universal crowd pleaser. Turn bath time into a journey across the seas, or simply set kids up with a bucket of water and some boats or other objects, and let them experiment and imagine.
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | $2.99 |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | June 4, 2015 |
| Category: | Education |
| Topics: | Adventures |
| Size: | 70.90 MB |
| Publisher: | Sago Sago |
| Version: | 1.0 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 6.0 or later |
