Hello. How are you today? I am fine. (Bonus points if you can name the book character that always says that line. Hint, her author just passed last week. So sad!)
We were given the opportunity to review the My Little Pony: Party of One app by PlayDate Digital.
From the PlayDate Digital website:
PlayDate Digital Inc. is an emergent publisher of high-quality, interactive, mobile educational software for children. PlayDate Digital's products nurture children's emerging literacy and creativity skills by turning digital screens into engaging experiences. Designed in collaboration with leading preschool education experts from insights gleaned from years of extensive research, PlayDate Digital content is built in partnership with some of the world's most trusted global brands for kids and developed and published for iOS and Android devices.
My musings:
Julianna, 8 1/2, loves My Little Pony, so I figured this app would be a hit. It was, but the impact just didn't last very long. It's a cute story about Pinkie Pie planning a party and inviting all of her pony friends, but they all have excuses as to why they cannot come. Unbeknownst to Pinkie Pie (who now feels slighted and begins to spy on them to see what they are involved in), they are actually planning a surprise party for her. The story can be set to "read to me" or not. The chosen vocabulary/sight words are highlighted, so the user can click on them for pronunciation clues. The illustrations on each page are also interactive and perform an action when selected. Unfortunately, other than those features, there really isn't anything for the user to do. The app is listed at $2.99. I was given a code to download it for free in exchange for the review, however, I somehow missed the prompt to enter the code and ended up paying for it. Oops! Honestly, I probably would not pay $2.99 for an app that had just one story. Especially, with limited additional features.
Pros:
- App is well done (graphics are nice and the interactive illustrations are fun)
- Pinkie Pie's actual voice is used in the story
- Featured vocabulary are highlighted for extra practice
Cons:
- Kind of pricey for one story
- Limited activities
- Age recommendation may be a little high (it's listed for Preschool - Elementary)
Julianna's musings:
I only liked it so-so. It was kind of babyish. There was nothing to do!
So, if you have My Little Pony fans in your household who are Kindergarten age and younger, then this might be a good app to think about. It's available in iTunes for the iPad or iPhone for $2.99. You can read what other reviewer thought about the app here.
*Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this app in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.*
