Playground HD2 by Jan Essig – Review & Giveaway

Reviewed by Alison 

Playground HD 2 is a new number app from Jan Essig  designed for the iPad.  The app is comprised of six mini games involving math such as tic tac toe, connect 4, shell game which involves finding a pearl, numbers which involves learning numbers from one to ten, Mills allowing you to play against the iPad and Mastermind which has you finding a color code.  The app appeals to a wide audience ranging from preschool through adult especially for the Mills and Mastermind games which involve more strategy and higher level thinking.  Jan started designing apps after he found that there were not many apps to teach his child the key concepts that were necessary for school.

Our favorite mini game was the counting which helped my son practice his counting skills in multiple languages.  In addition, the tick tac toe was fun for us as well as finding the pearl in the shell.  Having the timed option which allows the app to be open for a specific period of time was very helpful and that in conjunction with guided access allowed us to focus on a specific game for a specific portion of time before moving on to the next one.  I also really liked the multiplayer aspect of the app which allowed for turn taking practice.

Some of the games contained within the app seem to be for children older than age 7.  I would suggest having multiple levels of each game ranging from easy to harder to allow parents to customize the app to their children’s capabilities along with displaying the mini games which best meet their child’s needs.  It would be nice for the games like Tick Tac Toe to get harder with more squares as the game is played to allow for more difficulty.  Having multi-user profiles would be a nice addition as well especially if levels were built into the app.  Incorporating a “help” or “how to” function might help younger kids who do not understand the written directions – even a quick video demo would be helpful for children on some of the strategy games.  Adding to the counting feature and bringing it up to 50 or even 100 would make the game more challenging and provide an additional aspect of play.   I did see a freeze at times when selecting mini games which required me to power off and then back on my device.  It would be nice to be able to save your place for continuation of game play as well as a multi-player profile option.

There are no in app purchases or ads within the app.  There is also a “lite” version which will allow you to “try before you buy” to ensure the app is a good fit for your target audience.  This app suits children and adults with a wide variety of math games which range from easy and straightforward to more difficult for the user.

Playground 2 - Smart Kids Edition. 6 logic games for kids aged 4-7 years in 1 App. by Jan Essig Category: Games, Family, Education, Kids Requirements: Compatible with iPod Touch (4. Gen.), iPad 2 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPadMini4G, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadMini, iPadThirdGen4G, iPhone 4, iPadFourthGen4G, iPhone4S, iPad WiFi, iPad 3G, iPadThirdGen, iPhone5, iPadFourthGen, iPod Touch (3. Gen.), iPodTouchFifthGen Size: 33.11 MB

$2.99USD

Screenshots

Screenshots for iPad

Playground 2 Lite - Smart Kids Edition. 6 logic games for kids aged 4-7 years in 1 App. by Jan Essig Category: Games, Family, Kids, Education Requirements: Compatible with iPad WiFi, iPod Touch (3. Gen.), iPadThirdGen, iPhone 3GS, iPadMini4G, iPhone 4, iPad 2 3G, iPadFourthGen, iPadThirdGen4G, iPod Touch (4. Gen.), iPodTouchFifthGen, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadMini, iPad 3G, iPhone5, iPad 2 WiFI, iPhone4S Size: 31.05 MB

$FREE

Screenshots

Screenshots for iPad

NOTE: A fee was received to expedite this review to the top of our waiting list but this payment has not influenced the objectivity of the review and all opinions have been offered honestly.

Giveaway

If you would like to win a promo code for this app, please enter via the widget below. Winners will be emailed and must contact The iMums within 48 hours to claim their prize. This giveaway is open to everyone, worldwide, and an iTunes account is required to claim the prize. Please ensure you have read and understand our Terms & Conditions. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

• Bio
• Latest Posts
• Contact Me

Alison

Alison, the American iMum is from Illinois. She lives there with her son and husband. In their spare time, they enjoy playing outside, enjoying nature and of course testing apps on their devices. They have a variety of devices including an iPad, iPhone, and an iPod.

Latest posts by Alison (see all)

• Penelope the Purple Pirate from Pic Pocket Books – Today’s Featured Free App - May 11, 2013
• Moms With Apps – App Friday 05/10/2013 - May 10, 2013
• Meebie® by Orkid Toys – Review - May 10, 2013

You can email me direct at alison(at)theimums.com