Plants by Tinybop is an interactive diorama that takes kids on a virtual journey through two different biomes: desert and temperate forest. Kids can explore each biome and its plant and animal life by tapping or dragging interactive features. They can learn about plants, animals, seasons, and general weather conditions in the biomes. When kids tap a plant, they learn the name of the plant and explore some of its characteristics. For example, when kids tap the alfalfa plant in the desert biome, the name of the plant appears on the screen above a seed buried in soil. Kids can tap a cloud to make it rain and watch as the seed grows into an adult alfalfa plant. They can spin a dial to observe what happens from sunrise to sunset and how a biome changes with the seasons. Learning is very open-ended, and free exploration is the name of the game with this app, which works well for some kids. Many kids will need some guidance to get the most out of the learning experience, however. A free, downloadable handbook on the developer’s website is an excellent resource. It includes more detailed information about the biomes and a series of discussion questions to share with kids.
Website: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id872615882?uo=4&at=10laCG&ct=website
Overall User Consensus About the App
Student Engagement
Colorful graphics and realistic sound effects make for a highly engaging biome and give kids lots of opportunities for exploring and controlling the environment.
Curriculum and Instruction
Learning is based on free exploration and interaction with no formal games or activities. Plant and animal labels help kids build basic vocabulary. More instructions could help kids who struggle with open-ended exploration.
Customer Report
Adults can enter and track users on the dashboard. The free, downloadable handbook is a great resource for discussion questions and more detailed information about the biomes.
