Grandma Loves Bugs
© 2013 FairLady Media, Inc.
This edition in the "Grandma" apps series presents ten fast-paced, generally well designed mini-quizzes that playfully introduce school readiness skills, with a tiny pinch of entomology (the study of insects) mixed in. The parent options make it easy to customize this app, by turning on or off the activities. Content includes ten short activities that present a mix of letter recognition, counting and matching experiences. In between the quizzes, children can watch eight short videos about bugs, or explore a high resolution bug picture with a magnifying glass. Most of the games follow a tried-and-true multiple choice format that's not very innovative. In addition, most of the bugs are hand drawn in a less-than-realistic manner. For some fun, informal exposure to bugs and bug-related vocabulary such as mosquito, antenna, and abdomen in the context of school skills, this is an excellent app. Need to know -- there's a dose of Grandma stereotyping (white older woman with a sense of humor). In addition, Grandma's prompts, that happen if you don't do anything, can get repetitive.
$0.99, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 7.0 or later)
Teaches: math, reading, logic, insects
CTR Rating: 90%