Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Great musical free play, but far-too-tough rhythm game.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Dr. Seuss Band
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's It About?
Dr. Seuss Band consists of a game paired with a free-play section. Kids can play a rhythm game to a collection of Dr. Seuss-inspired songs. The music is played with Seuss-ian horns that have interchangeable parts, but the actual game controls are more like using a piano. There is no particular story line, but kids can unlock new horn parts and songs as they master songs in the rhythm game. Kids can also opt for a free-play area and create songs of their own.
Is It Any Good?
DR. SEUSS BAND has some great features. The ability to experiment with different sounds and play actual songs is fun. It has much of the whimsy you'd expect from a Dr. Seuss app and will probably entertain your younger kids happily for quite some time.
The game portion is another story entirely. The lack of familiar songs is unfortunate, especially for kids who are just learning about instruments. But the real problem comes in the difficulty, which easily rivals games aimed at adults. Where most rhythm games have you tracking three to five keys, Dr. Seuss Band has eight keys on a screen. Harder levels require you to switch back and forth between octaves mid-song, upping the keys to a whopping 24. You'll need to get through the harder levels in order to unlock additional instruments and songs without paying an additional fee. You don't need to do it perfectly, but you do need to do it. If you're looking for a quality free-play music app for kids, this is a great choice, especially if the price stays down. If you're looking for a great rhythm game, look elsewhere.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Seek out simple melodies for kids to use for free play mode.
Let younger kids play along to recorded music by banging pots and pans or other makeshift instruments.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects: Arts : music, rhythm
- Skills: Creativity : making new creations
- Release date: January 3, 2012
- Category: Music Games
- Publisher: Oceanhouse Media
- Version: 1.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 3.2 or later
- Last updated: August 19, 2016
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
You May Also Like...
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate