We always love toys that let you build and move. When the team of Tinybop told me they launched a new app Simple Machines, I had to check it out. Like the other apps from Tinybop, this is an exploratory app for kids to get hands on and to play with the simple machines in the app and to figure out how they work on their own. It is not just teach kids what simple machines are. Instead it uses examples of simple machines and let kids work on them to figure out on their own.
Kids will find 6 simple machines in the app: Lever, Inclined Plane, Wheel and Axle, Screw, Pulley, and Wedge. Each one is a little game by itself.
The Lever is a game sort of like Angry Bird. The goal is to destroy the castle with rocks thrown with the help of a lever. Kids can make changes on the lever and watch the differences in distance and force the stone carries.
For Wheel, kids help move a bicycle through the course, they can also change bicycle into a scooter, which has much smaller wheels, or a bike with square shaped wheels.
By change the angle and shape of Planes, kids will be able to play music with the pinballs.
It is so interesting to change the design of the pulley and watch how easy or how hard it is to pull up an airplane or a rocket.
Use Wedge to open up a huge iceberg to release the animal that is trapped in the ice.
Use Screw to move the fish tanks up and down, and watch how the moves change when you change the inclined planes on the screws.
Don’t forget to go to the Dashboard at the left lower corner of the home screen. From there, you can download a free Simple Machine handbook. I highly recommend reading the handbook before kids start playing on the app.
There are a lot valuable information in the handbook. It explains the structure and components of the simple machines, how they are used in the app, and what other uses in real life beyond the app. It also have suggestions on what to do with the machines in the app.
Simple Machines is available on iPhone, iPod and iPad. It is $2.99 on App Store.
If you would like to check it out or purchase it, please use the App Store link provided below. The cost is the same to you, but iGameMom gets a small percentage. Thanks for your support! Note: The link works for all countries.
Looking for more apps about simple machines? You will like Crazy Gears.
