Winter Word Learning Puzzle for Kids and Toddlers app review: tying fun in with the season

Introduction

Although it’s not fun to think about winter isn’t that far off and with that in mind I thought I’d take a look at the Winter Word Learning Puzzle for Kids and Toddlers. This app is meant to help kids learn to recognize letters, how to spell commonly used words, and provides winter-themed puzzles.

A Touch of Winter

Well there is certainly a theme that is evident throughout as all the puzzles have a winter twist to them. I really enjoy that aspect of the game and it makes the app cute and fun for toddlers. The app is meant for kids ages four and up but I think younger toddlers would also be able to enjoy it and understand how to play.

The user interface was designed with kids in mind so there are very little controls to use. Kids simply drag the letters into their correct location to spell the name of the word they have highlighted.

In the puzzle you are given a picture of a winter scene and there are various yellow bubbles that appear on different parts of the picture. Kids need to tap on a bubble and the word of the item will appear at the top of the screen. Some of the letters appear just as light shaded in gray, however, and those are the letters kids need to find and match up.

There is no time clock, no keeping score, and no pressure whatsoever. They can keep trying until the spell out the word correctly. When they do finish the puzzle, fireworks will go off so your child knows he or she has done a great job.

 

A Few Pitfalls

Although I find the app to be really cute and ideal for toddlers there are a few aspects I’m not crazy about. There is a banner that appears at the end of each solved puzzle and if they tap on it they will be taken straight to the App Store to purchase the game that is being advertised. If you plan on letting kids play the game on their own without supervision you’ll want to make sure they aren’t able to accidentally purchase a game. To reset to the next puzzle actually requires a couple of taps, which I find strays from the whole idea of making the app kid-friendly.

 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Kid-friendly user interface
• Cute winter themed puzzles
• Ideal for toddlers of all ages
• Great for casual game play

 

Cons

• There is a chance kids can accidentally tap on the ad banner taking them to the App Store

 

Final Words

I know this app has a few pitfalls and its graphics aren’t exactly outstanding, but there are still lots of features about this app that I enjoy. It wasn’t just me; I based my final verdict on my toddler, who also enjoys playing the puzzles quite a bit and has no difficulty playing on his own. I would definitely recommend the Winter Word Learning Puzzle for Kids and Toddlers app.