Bottom Line: Meet Science: Magnetism and Electricity encourages kids to explore the scientific concepts of magnetism and electricity . . . and how they can work together. The videos and lessons are geared toward school-aged children, but they are equally as educational and entertaining for adults. It is learning that you can experience along with your child.
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No ads, no in-app purchases, external links to developer's other apps in parent protected area
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Did you know that pigeons have a magnet-like organ in their eyes and brain that acts like a compass and helps them find their way? Did you know that dollar bills are magnetic? Did you know magnets make our speakers and headphones work? Meet Science: Magnetism and Electricity will help teach you, and of course your little one, about all of these things and more through a series of animated lessons and 20 experiment videos.
I have to admit, I probably like this app as much as or more than my seven-year-old. (I mean I like it as much as he likes it. I don't mean I like it more than I like my seven-year-old.) What could have been a bunch of boring videos and lessons turned out to be engaging and interesting both to kids and adults. By watching the lessons together we were able to learn super cool facts about how magnets work and then we watched short engaging videos of different experiments putting those lessons into practice.
Each of the seven lessons in the “learn” section is very cutely animated and addresses each subject on a level that will be easily understood by elementary aged children. Whether you are learning about voltage and currents or how a compass always points north (or does it?), the lessons are simple and concise enough to keep a little learner engaged all the way through. At the end of each lesson there is a short quiz to review what was just covered.
Then come the experiments! Each of the experiment videos is superbly done. Using (mostly) common household items, the experiments are like MacGyver for kids. Your kiddos can learn to make electric motors using a battery and a magnet. They can discover how to build their own speaker. They can learn how to start a fire with a gum wrapper and batteries . . . seriously. So it goes without saying that adult supervision is a must if you decide you would like to recreate any of the 20 experiments.
As a grown-up mom who is supposed to know all the answers, I loved that each experiment video was accompanied by a written summary. It was very helpful to have that as an easy reference to help answer any questions that cropped up. What was even more helpful was the outstanding glossary with hundreds of terms related to magnets and electricity — available for your child to research on his own. It really is nicely designed and very user-friendly.
Also provided are three mini games:
- Bounce Bounce, UFO: Change the polarity of the electromagnet and deflect the aliens as they try to land. Don’t let your voltage run too low or you’ll lose.
- Pop Pop, Lights On: A connect-three type game in which you are trying to generate enough volts to turn on the lights.
- Tap Tap, Connect the Circuit: Your kiddo must remember all of the circuit symbols to be able to complete these puzzles.
There’s also a little bonus feature of a search function on the home page to help you find what you are looking for quickly.
This app has so many strengths. Lots of educational content presented in a fun, comprehensible fashion. Attractive graphs and well-made videos. Additional tools like the glossary and summaries to help parents help their kids to learn. And did I mention the super cool experiments?
If I had to pin down any weaknesses, I think it would be the mini games. They weren’t bad, necessarily. They were each amusing in their own way. But with the exception of Tap Tap, Connect the Circuit (which requires kids to learn all of the circuit symbols and put them in the proper place to complete a circuit), the games felt like a fluffy add-on. I’d like to see games with a little more of an educational element. Also, the promotional introductory price is $3.99, and that might be fair for the amount of content involved, but it appears the regular price is $6.99. That's probably a little costly for many pocketbooks.
Overall, Meet Science: Magnetism and Electricity scored big around my house. I look forward to seeing more in the Meet Science series.
*****
Kelli had a moment of panic today when her son asked for some magnets . . . and then asked for her credit card. SmartAppsForKids.com was paid a priority review fee to complete this review in an expedited manner.
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