My PlayHome
A fantastic creative play app for young children
APP DETAILS
Developer - PlayHome Software Ltd
Age Range - 2 to 8 years old
Skill – Early Language Skills
Special Need – Language Difficulties
Score - 90/100
Price - £2.99 / $3.99
App Store Link - http://geni.us/3Trl
Play Store Link - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playhome
Amazon Store Link - http://geni.us/ICN
Windows Store Link - http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/my-playhome/3c726c7f-d457-4c71-925c-d1e90b6e36fd
App Review
My PlayHome is without doubt one of the best apps available on the App Store for pre-school children. The developer describes it as “a digital doll house for the iGeneration” and that is not a bad way to look at this clever and strangely addictive app.
No Targets
In it, users are free to explore a virtual house with characters that can enter and leave rooms just as they would do in a real doll’s house. There are no targets to be reached or scores to be kept, just exploratory play in a way that you would not have imagined possible before using this app. The real secret is the high level of interactivity that is provided. Virtually everything within the rooms can be switched on or off or be moved - touch the light switch and the room darkens, hit the stereo and music begins to play, it is even possible to feed the tropical fish in the living room!
Great Graphics
The cartoon like graphics look great and the sounds throughout the app are extremely realistic. Tap the microwave, for example, and it sounds just like the ones found in most homes. There are a range of characters to choose from including mums, dads, boys, girls and babies. Each can be adapted in terms of skin tone, hairstyle and outfit.
It is possible for children to make a mess of the digital house just as they would, and frequently do, in real life. Interestingly, the house stays in the same state when children exit the app and return to it again. Perhaps the developers envisioned My PlayHome being used to teach kids how to tidy up after themselves. They are also realists though and have provided a reset button to quickly return the house to its original state. If only they could come up with a similar button that could do this to my real life house!
A great feature of My PlayHome is that it interacts with the other app in the series, My PlayHome Stores. Children can go from the house to the shops without having to leave the app. When they come back to the house, the characters retain all the thing they are holding. For example, an ice cream or clothes they have bought.
Educational Benefits
My Play Home has many potential educational benefits but one of the most important is in the area of language development. There is a wealth of home related vocabulary available within this app and appropriate adult directed questions will help to expand the understanding of little ones of all abilities. Parents and teacher can ask straightforward questions like “What is the boy holding?“ or “Who is washing the dishes?”. The app is also tailor made for working on specific concepts such as prepositions (e.g. Put the plate on the table) but don’t forget to keep it fun. Nothing will put a child off an app more quickly than being grilled with a never ending series of questions. Make it into a game by asking them to guess what you are thinking of (e.g. Point to something that tells the time).
Speech Therapy
I know many speech therapists have started using My PlayHome as part of their therapy sessions. One American therapist has even put together a booklet of activities and questions that can be used alongside the app. It is available at
My PlayHome App Speech Language Therapy Companion Packet. There is a charge for this but it is well put together and I would definitely recommend it if your child or a child in your class is experiencing language difficulties.
Even without prompting from adults, children will naturally make up scenarios and initiate discussions as they explore this virtual environment. Here, careful use of open ended questions and comments can really help to stretch a child’s language skills, e.g. “I see the boy is in the garden, what is he doing?”
My PlayHome will have particular appeal for pre-school children but I have witnessed both my 6 and 8 year olds using it on a regular basis. Even my teenage son has been known to open it up for a little wander through the rooms.
There is so much potential in this app and it is easy to see how the concept would work in a range of situations, hospitals and airports immediately spring to mind. A school version and shop version are already available.
Peter
Educational App Advice
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