Parents' Guide to
Play and Learn Science
Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?
Preschoolers and parents explore science on- and offscreen.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Play and Learn Science
Parent and Kid Reviews
Privacy Rating Pass
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
To use PLAY AND LEARN SCIENCE, first tap Parents to read tips about how to explore the activities with your kid and "ways to learn more in the real world." Swipe right or left to view all activity categories -- ramp and roll, gear up, shadow play, or weather control -- and then tap on an activity. For example, tap "Read the Temperature" and listen to the verbal instructions to tap on one of three different thermometers to see how it works. The narrator of the game explains the basic concept of how to read a thermometer. There's also a sticker page where kids can make a scene by placing stickers and drawing objects.
Is It Any Good?
Preschoolers have so much to learn about the world around them, and this app helps start that exploration. For kids, Play and Learn Science's games offer information about everyday science phenomena such as balls rolling, temperatures rising and falling, and shadows growing. Then the learning continues with parents' help through the parent tips and hands-on activity suggestions. Many kids will likely be quick to recognize the app's PBS-typical cute characters and not-too-hectic animation style, while parents will appreciate the quality content PBS Kids provides. Play and Learn Science is a terrific first science app for preschoolers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about which Play and Learn Science games could be replicated at home. Stack some books, grab a board, and make a ramp. Take a flashlight into a room and create some shadows on a wall.
Be sure to read the tips for hands-on activities to continue the learning with your kid.
Encouraging your kids to notice and comment on a variety of everyday moments helps build their inquiry skills. This app provides excellent directed yet somewhat open-ended questions parents can model (e.g., "Compare the shadows of different objects. What do you notice?").
App Details
- Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
- Subjects: Science : physics, substance properties, weather
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : asking questions, investigation, making conclusions, spatial reasoning, Self-Direction : academic development
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: January 3, 2018
- Category: Education
- Publisher: PBS KIDS
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later
- Last updated: October 7, 2021
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