When you open up the app store in iTunes you are bombarded with so many apps to choose from. I suspect it’s the same way with Android phones (we only have iPhones). It’s hard enough to find a great app for yourself, let alone your child. iTunes is overflowing with apps for children, it’s next to impossible to pick out the best ones.
Let me make it a bit easier for you. If you are in the market for some fun new apps for your child, check out Puzzlingo Puzzles. It’s one of the top ranking kid’s apps with over eight million downloads and one billion puzzles played. Wow! That is pretty impressive.
It’s even won Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Children’s product, Editor’s Choice, Best Apps for Kids and 5 out of 5 by Apps for Homeschooling.
The puzzles in the Puzzlingo app were inspired by Melissa & Doug wooden puzzles. I love those! We have some with the kids I work with. We also had them at the childcare center I worked at in the local court house. They are beautiful puzzles.
As a parent, and someone who works with kindergartners as a teacher’s assistant, I am always on the lookout for entertaining things for kids to do that are not only fun, but educational too. I especially love things that teach children things without the even realizing it.
Take for example Puzzlingo Puzzles. The app helps children develop spatial recognition, matching, tactile, and fine-motor skills. After completing the beautifully illustrated puzzles, kids are rewarded with mini-games that bring the puzzles to life.
Not only is Puzzlingo Puzzles a fun game, but it can also teach children vocabulary in FIVE different languages – English, UK English (words are slightly different), Spanish, Japanese and Chinese (not sure if it’s Mandarin or Cantonese). That is a fun feature I wasn’t expecting.
Here are some of the key features of Puzzling Puzzles:
- Over 100 beautifully hand-crafted learning puzzles
- While playing puzzles, kids learn vocabulary in one of 5 different languages!
- Over 60 mini-games that complement the “fantasies of play” for many of the puzzles
- Perfect for bilingual parents, or foreign parents who want their kids to learn English
- Carefully designed and tested to be accessible for kids 5 years or younger, and for children with special needs
- Puzzles cover popular children’s themes including: dinosaurs, pets, cars, fairies, space, and more
*NEW* for the 2017 Holidays
- Trucks Puzzles packs that contains many of children’s favorites – fire trucks, monster trucks, snow trucks, construction trucks, and more.
- A Toys puzzle pack just in time for the holidays.
- Classics Puzzles Pack that includes some of the most popular puzzles from the Puzzinge Archives – from steam train, jets, to bugs.
I had the chance to download Puzzlingo Puzzles and try it out myself.
First and foremost the characters are super cute. Sometimes characters in games are not necessarily fun to look at. That is not the case with this app. All of the characters I have seen thus far as charming. I think children can really relate to them.
The game is very colorful and “cheerful” looking. I also appreciate that there is no annoying sounds or music. As a parent that was always a “pet peeve” of mine when it came to toys and games. My kids grew up with the Nintendo DS (there were no smartphone gaming apps). Some of their games were really annoying with the sounds that came from them. There were also a few games (at the moment the titles escape me) that had the most annoying music. Every time I heard it, it was like nails on a chalkboard. It was made even worse when they played those games on long car rides to Grandpa’s house. Ugh!
Puzzlingo Puzzles doesn’t have any annoying sounds or music. It’s enjoyable to listen to.
I like that the puzzles can suit different age children. Most of the puzzles I played were super easy. I haven’t advanced too far up (yet) but so far I find the puzzles fun and easy to do. I especially like how things come to life when you complete a puzzle.
Adding in the mini-games is a nice touch. It makes the app so much more than JUST puzzles. It has a lot of fun things to keep kids busy for a long time.
Another thing I like about this app is that it’s great for both boys and girls. It has something to appeal to all genders.
I can see the educational value in this app. It does promote critical thinking, fine motor skills (you need to move the puzzle piece to the correct location) and spatial learning. Kids are having so much fun that they won’t even realize that they are actually learning something too. It’s a win-win situation.
Even though I am an adult I found the puzzles and mini-games fun to do. Even though this constitutes as a review, I’ll probably keep the app on my phone, at least for a little longer. I personally found the games relaxing.
If you are interested in learning more about the app, or if you would like to download it, you can find it at the iTunes store, Google Play and on Amazon.
The game is FREE to download and play. There are in-app purchases available. Make sure your little one doesn’t have your phone’s password so they don’t make any in-app purchases without your approval.
Overall I am very impressed with the app. It has a lot of educational value to it. It’s just not “mindless fluff.” I also think that little ones will have a blast navigating through the various puzzles and cute mini-games.
What do you think of Puzzlingo Puzzles? Does it sound like an app you’d like to try with your child/grandchild? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
Kimberly
*I have partnered with 77Sparx to bring you this information. Although compensated the opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.