Evanced Games Review

Recently I was sent an email giving me codes to download a couple of iPad apps to review.

The first one was Froggy Phonics which is geared for children ages Pre-K to grade 2. The cost of the app is $4.99. Students have the frogs leap from lily pad to lily pad trying to locate the words with the sounds that are given. Clues may be beginning, ending, or middle sounds. It kind of reminded me of that old game Frogger only this was educational. The graphics and sound effects were engaging and I can see young children really enjoying this. The directions were clear and easy to understand. Once the frog leaps on the correct lily pad, the word also said aloud. If the frog tries to leap to the wrong pad, the frog won’t leap. This is a great way to help students self-correct. I think this would be a great app for young students to work with.

The second app was Tic-Tac Bananas which is geared for children from K-grade 2 and costs $1.99. This is a two person game and would be a fun game to use for word recognition reinforcement. Students look at the pictures and the part of a word that is shown. They are given letters to complete the word that describes the picture. Each person takes a turn by choosing a square to figure out the word and if they get it right, an X (made of bananas) or an O (made of a coconut) is put in the square. If they get it wrong, the picture changes in the square and they lose a turn. The graphics and sound effects are fun and amusing but I would turn down the volume if used in the classroom because it might disturb the other students. I think this would be great to use as a reward for students who complete their work early. I think the price is great for this app too.

The last app was That’s Baloney which is a trivia quiz game for students in grades 2-6. The great thing about this app is that it is free! I really enjoyed this game and I think students would have fun also. You start by giving your name and then you choose the mode where sandwich is 20 random questions or snack mode where you can choose a category. Then you choose a grade level that you want to start with. You have to decide if each statement given is true or baloney. If you get it wrong, you lose a pickle and if you lose 4 pickles, you lose the game. At the end of the game, they also review the answers. I would totally recommend this for teachers who are looking for a free educational app to try with their students. (I have to admit, that this was a lot of fun for me too!)