As we discussed last time, children love our gadgets! We cannot be next to them all the time while they tap, push and shake the heck out of our smart phones and tablets, well… Zoodles claims to have the answer to our prayers.
I have been following Zoodles for quite some time. I installed their Kid Mode app onto my Asus Eee Pad Transformer and just recently installed it on my wife’s iPad 2. There are some distinct differences between the iOS and Android versions.
First let us talk about the app itself. Kid Mode puts your tablet or smartphone into exactly that a kid mode. The app will place your phone or tablet into a limited version. The child will be unable to make calls. He or she will be able to watch age-appropriate videos, play games, read books, etc.
Zoodles offers its app available for free through the Market and App Store. Be aware that the free app is a stripped down version. They offer a paid subscription plan so you can obtain the complete functionality of the app. With the subscription, you can have access to more books, more games and be able to set parental controls. Currently, a premium account will cost you $39.95 for the annual option.
You can create specialized profiles for your child. When your child launches the app the app will show the names and pictures of your children. This will provide them easy access to their specialized account. The app will then provide content appropriate for your child’s age.
One neat feature is that you can record a video of you reading one of the storybooks for your little one. Unfortunately, this has to be done from a computer and cannot be completed from within the app on the tablet.
The app curates videos into a playlist based on the age information you gave it about your child. For example, if you have a 3 year old you can expect to see videos from Yo Gabba Gabba and the like. No more scouring YouTube for free content to entertain the kid. The app will do it for you.
The art feature can be fun. My daughter is not into the virtual notepad much. She prefers a crayon, pen or pencil and a piece of paper of any art app I have ever downloaded. I guess there is something about permanently putting her mark on something that keeps her engaged.
If you have an Android tablet, you’re in luck! The free features available to those on the Android platform are robust and plentiful! Your child can play videos, read along books, record a visual voicemail for the grandparents and “paint” in the art area of the application.
It’s rare, but it is true here… iOS users are left out in the cold. The free app is extremely limited. It seems as if the developers of the app tailored this experience for Android users. I am an Android 3.x.x Honeycomb user, so, I am okay with it. However, there are many out there that only have one or the other. The iPad and iPhone versions of this app is almost useless. Really, there are many more interactive apps out there that offer much more interactivity for your little guy or gal.
Don’t have a smartphone or tablet? No problem. The company offers applications for PC and Mac. There is an app for Google Chrome and an add-on for Firefox.
I have not purchased a premium subscription. I do not know how the paid experience is on any of the platforms available. If the paid subscription is a beefed up version of the Android app and provides that same experience on iOS, well, I would consider it.
With that said, I would definitely recommend this app. It’s fun. It’s interactive. The recorded story and curated age-appropriate video content is worth the price of *free*.
What do you think of Kid Mode? Is it worth the MBs of storage?
Kid Mode in iTunes
Kid Mode in the App Market
Kid Mode in Chrome