App Review: I Learn with Boing: Savannah Adventures - Helps Young Kids Learn and Practice Basic Math Skills

Reviewed by Elena – I’m a SAHM who is trying to homeschool my 18 month old. I have a BA in Computer Science and Information Systems. My professional background is in quantitative analytics.

Details

There are three different games for kids who are already familiar with numbers to play and practice math skills. Each game has three levels of play with increasing difficulty. Rewards are given for correct answers. Rewards are then available to play with in the free sister app “I Learn with – Planet Boing”. Email registration is required to get access to progress tracking, multiple profile set-up and to play with the rewards.

Count – from one to twenty
Children help a Meerkat make soup by counting the number of each ingredient to be added. You can hear the number by tapping on the ingredient board. Then the child answers by choosing the meerkat popping out of a hole with the correct number on a sign. The meerkat jumps for joy at a correct answer and munches or bangs on the sign at an incorrect answer.

Order – from 1 to 20 in ascending/descending order, by twos and by tens
Kids help frogs get to the other side of the pond by tapping the numbered lily pads in the correct order. There is no direction given on what the order sequence would be. Players have to recognize the sequence by watching the pattern of the first couple of jumps made by the frogs.

Calculate – 1 or 2 player game, addition and subtraction
Kids place the correct number of ostriches on a truck by adding or subtracting. Ostriches were sometimes in inseparable groups of two or three, so adding or subtracting these were a bit more difficult. The truck could already have a number of ostriches on it. The amount was noted on a sign at the side of the truck. This sign was the only help given to the players. When the kids tried to count the ostriches on the truck by touch, the ostriches would move.

What Elena Liked

The graphics were colorful and the animals, especially the meerkats, were very cute. I liked that the items to be counted were grouped by fives and ten, so kids could practice visually counting more easily. The kids liked the animated antics of the meerkats.

Suggested Enhancement

I would prefer that rewards were available within the app and not require a login to access. I think being redirected to a different, just for fun app was distracting and lessened the time spent practicing on the educational material.

Also, I think the Count game should include numbers up to 100, since the Order game does include a number sequence to 100.