(USA TODAY) Apps can be great fun for kids, but play in the real world is important too. Some apps, like the ones discussed below, find the sweet spot where digital and real world play intersect. The result is engaging activities that start on a smart device and then bubble over into play in the real world.
Read on for the app reviews...
Mr Shingu’s Paper Zoo
Stormcloud Games Limited, best for ages 5-10, $2.99, iPhone, iPod-Touch, iPad
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 4)
This app teaches kids how to fold paper into 24 zoo animals, using origami. When the player chooses an animal from the giraffes, lions, penguins, hippos, chameleons and others, a piece of paper appears on the screen, with dotted lines for tracing. These lines represent creases and sparkle when you run your finger over them. You make the paper folds by moving your finger from the blue dot to the pink circle. Kids experience the process of creating the origami animal on the screen, but it can easily be duplicated in real life.
Within the app, the folded paper animals spring to life for interactive play. Kids choose its sex, decorate it with paint and add a silly hat or bow. Then kids release it into their zoo. These animals have needs, which they express in bubbles that appear over their heads. Players will need to provide the correct paper as a habitat, build them homes, provide food and, of course, toys to play with. When they see a giraffe tooling by on a scooter — it’s a blast. Kids can also fold a paper heart and give it to pairs of animals so that they go inside their home and then reappear with a baby. Some of the animals are available for mini-games.
The app’s fun is hindered just a bit by a play mechanic that periodically sends two animals into a fight, represented by sounds and a spinning cloud of brown. After the fight, if you touch the animals, you will see that they had a need that wasn’t satisfied. This violence seems misplaced in this otherwise perky and fun zoo.
Foldify
Pixle, best for ages 7-12, $3.99, iPad
Rating: 3 stars
Meant to be a tool for crafting 3D paper projects, “Foldify” doesn’t have the game aspect that is found in “Mr Shingu’s Paper Zoo.” Rather it provides a set of blank templates which kids can decorate before printing and then fold into imaginative 3D paper objects. Kids can use their 3D paper crafts to tell stories and engage in imaginative play.
The app starts with a tutorial, which kids should read. “Foldify” offers 16 blank templates, including a cube, a car, a bus, a house and a person. There are also eight pre-made Coloring Book templates, which have design details already drawn in so that kids need only to apply paint.
Unfortunately, the painting part of this app is a bit convoluted. It has a pencil, paintbrush, bucket-fill and eraser tools; but selecting the color isn’t intuitive since it uses a color wheel. There is also a wide range of stickers for decorating, and more sets are available as an in-app purchase.
The best part of this app is the ability to see and rotate a 3D model of what you are decorating on your flat 2D template. It shows you what each paint stroke and sticker addition will look like on your final 3D product. Also exciting is the end printed-and-assembled product. Kids send their colored template to a printer via AirPrint or a PDF to email; and then they cut, fold and glue it. The fully assembled 3D object, such as a car, is exciting to see.
The app lets you share your creations with the world and download and print what others have created. Trending right now are cute cube-like Minions from “Despicable Me” and Luigi, a character from “Mario” video games.
Gomma Friends
Gomma Play S.r.l., best for ages 3-7, $1.99 for iPad and $1.17 for Android
Rating: 3.5 stars
“Gomma Friends” incorporates the gaming aspect found in “Mr Shingu’s Paper Zoo” with the printable template aspect of “Foldify.” The result is an app where kids play virtual dress-up games with characters on the device to earn printable objects to assemble and play with in the real world.
Kids meet eight international friends and move them into dress-up scenes that include a rainy day, playing basketball, riding a horse and more. After dressing the character in the correct outfit for the activity, kids move into a simple game, such as dunking some basketballs in a hoop. Completing each game earns you a printable toy. For the basketball activity, you earn your own basketball net and backboard to assemble.
“Gomma Friends” works best if it is explored together with an adult or older sibling. While the dress-up activities and games are appropriate for preschoolers and kindergarteners, the putting together of the paper toy is not. Young children will need help to print, cut and fold the paper toys. Unlike “Foldify,” kids don’t get to help decorate these toys, rather, the craft projects are sent to your printer fully colored. Nonetheless, these paper cut-out toys are top notch and varied to appeal to both girls and boys. Not only do kids get real basketball nets to use, but they also get cute girl and boy paper dolls with fun props such as horses to ride.
SallyBob's Fun and Easy Activities For Kids
Kubburd, LLC, best for ages 7-12, $2.99, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Rating: 3.5 stars
This app is filled with 200 make-it-yourself activities to create away from the iPhone or iPad. The brainchild of two clever homeschooling parents, this app is the perfect antidote to “I’m bored.” With colorful drawings and easy to understand directions, kids can select activities that interest them. The projects use common household items and can be assembled in less than 30 minutes. Most can be done by kids alone, with no parental help required. Some of the gems include the making of a flip book; setting up a balloon volleyball court using 2 chairs, a string and a balloon; and creating sculptures with aluminum foil.
The app has a great feature for kids called “Find Something To Do,” which is prominently displayed on the screen as a big orange button. Kids push it and the app randomly selects one of its 200 activities. Kids can also view the activities in numbered order, and save their favorites to a list.
