Plants App created by the team at Tinybop, Inc. Available on iTunes for iPhone and iPad. $2.99
Annotation: Imagine an open-ended digital world where you are in charge of not only the weather, pollination, flora and fauna, but also the passing of time. This cleverly designed app allows the participant to do just that, and learn a great deal about life cycles and the interconnected web of nature at the same time.
There is no instruction booklet, and as children explore the app, swiping here or tapping there, the discovery of a possible action invites further investigation. Pollination, weather events, decomposition, fire, and animal and plant life cycles can be initiated and better understood as each stage of the processes is illustrated.
Accompanying the visual depiction of the dioramas are labels which specify the names of the plants and animals. These labels are also interactive, and are available in over 50 languages. Natural sounds play in the background, but never at a distracting frequency or volume.
As updates are developed, Tinybop plans on releasing additional biomes and animal species to allow more complex natural worlds to emerge. Additionally, Tinybop has provided a free downloadable handbook for parents and educators who wish to encourage conversation about the outcomes in the Plants world.
Critical Evaluation: This science app has been designed to appeal to the natural inquisitiveness of children, and each participant's experience will be highly individualized. Many of the aspects of nature that are explored in Plants support STEM learning outcomes. This would be a valuable app to offer in a school or public library setting, particularly in conjunction with other materials focusing on life cycles and the interconnected structure of the natural world.
French illustrator Marie Caudry's drawings of the plants, landscapes, and animals are playful and attractive while remaining accurate. The many interactive details invite closer study and inspire wonder. Her palette changes with the time of day and with the seasons, but is consistently vibrant and richly hued.
The Plants app is priced very reasonably for the included content. The complexity of the learning experience, as well as the projected expansion of available biomes and animal species make it well worth the cost. Tinybop has released two other titles in the Explorer's Library Series: Human Body and Homes, which are available purchase as a bundle for even greater cost-effectiveness.
Age or Interest Level: Ages 6 to 8
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Why Included? Children's lives are often so structured by daily life in our society that it is not often that they are completely in charge. Plants gives them a chance to do things exactly as they want to, and then observe the results.