Homes by Tinybop
Homes by Tinybop gallery
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Homes by Tinybop takes kids on interactive tours of homes around the world, introducing them to how other people live, eat, sleep, and play. It's all a discovery process with no instructions or objectives, so kids are free to explore and learn on their own, interacting with items in each home. A virtual handbook provides info about each home and the the part of the world it's usually found in. Change the settings and items will be identified in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, or German, with more than 50 languages total available in Preferences.What kids can learn
Despite some tricky controls, kids can explore and discover on their own or with hints. Interactive features are fascinating and fun. The attention to detail rivals Richard Scarry, and kids will be enthralled.
Without any direct instruction, kids learn what life is like in other parts of the world -- seeing the similarities and differences to their own lives. As they explore and interact, they discover and learn about the people, what they eat, and how they live.
The parent dashboard includes an impressive handbook and manages accounts for multiple kids across all Tinybop apps. Languages can be customized from 50 options.
What's it about?
Starting from a world map, kids choose a home in the United States, Guatemala, Yemen, or Mongolia to explore. They can view the home from the outside or get an x-ray-like view of the interior and then enter and explore each part of the home by tapping where they want to go. Kids will see the types of foods the people who live in the different homes eat, even getting to prepare some of it. They can explore bathrooms -- some aren't inside! -- and see how laundry is done. Kids are free to explore and discover with no rules or objectives, or parents can use the Handbook in the Dashboard section for background information or to reveal some of the interactive elements.
Is it any good?
The message -- there are many ways to make a home -- is lovely. The cultural education kids will get is important. The fun and surprising interactive features are engaging. But it's the attention to detail that really amazes! Subtle background noises hint to what's going on around each home -- sirens and honking cars in the Brooklyn brownstone; chirping crickets and singing birds in the Guatemalan adobe home. The interactive features seem almost endless -- kids can wash dishes, read books, play with toys, sew clothes, prepare food, play records, use the bathroom and more. It's not perfect, though: controls can be a bit tricky, especially for little hands, so kids may miss some of the fun and learning.
Families can talk about...
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Families can talk about how the different homes are similar to theirs and different from theirs.
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As kids explore each home, ask them questions about what they observe. What kind of climate might this home be in? Are the homes spread apart with lots of space or close together?
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Check out the Handbook included in the Dashboard for more info about each home and the interactive features in the app.
App details
| Devices: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | $3.99 |
| Pricing structure: | Paid |
| Release date: | November 26, 2014 |
| Category: | Education |
| Size: | 156.00 MB |
| Publisher: | Tinybop |
| Version: | 1.0.3 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 7.0 or later |
