Whilst I haven’t walked down the plank towards parenthood just yet, I do have a young niece who is as cute as a button and as messy as an earthquake. Taking my avuncular responsibilities seriously, I’m going to recommend that my brother and his partner insist that playing new iPad app TidyUp! becomes part of her daily routine, saving them a future headache or two when it comes round to asking her to keep her room clean.
The latest app from the TobiGames team is a brightly coloured, cartoon-based app whose home screen sees a baby sitting perplexed outside a wooden house. Click one of the rooms with the lights on and the action moves inside the house, positing the baby in a messy area and asking you to help him clean up. It’s a drag and drop situation and the friendly American voiceover gives you gentle nudges towards where each item should be and enthusiastic encouragement when you deposit the pieces in the correct place.
The graphics are cute and engaging and any kid will love being able to move toys, clothes and kitchenware around the room. If the action is left static for too long, little sparks boost a few of the items off the ground to remind the kid that there’s still tidying up to do. What I particularly like about the app is that the child can learn what each item is by just tapping the picture, as in, “ Hi, I’m a teddy bear,” and then if they put it in the wrong place, they’ll hear a, “Nope, teddy bear belongs in the box,” until finally they get it correct, “Right! You put teddy bear in the box!” The repetition of the key words will reinforce the learning process and make the game educational as well as enjoyable.
Back on the home screen, the child can click the various clouds floating above the house and play different puzzles and jigsaws. Once all of the rooms have been cleaned, there is a paid upgrade available that unlocks the remainder of the rooms in the house.
All in all, the game is simple, neat and smooth and is a great learning device as well as a fun time-killer for kids. I guess I’ve got no choice other than to buy little Izabella an iPad now…kids, hey – who’d have ’em?!
Get TidyUp! here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id795843358
