Baby Learns Colors

 

 

Bottom Line: There's a lot here if you're looking for extra support for learning colors. Definitely give at least the free lite version a try.

 

Baby Learns Colors by Bebebe Co. endeavors to teach children their colors and offers the opportunity to learn them in many different languages. From the home screen an adult can access settings, and the child has three options – to play with their Bebekas (once earned) in the reward area or to explore either the learn or play modes.

In the learn section the child can choose from three scenes: paint splotches, fish, and spaceships. Tapping on items results in the narrator saying their respective color and a small animation. The fish speed off when touched as do the ships in outer space. Children’s voices are used for the narration, which I find really engages my daughter Madelynn. 

Play mode consists of the same three scenes but this time the narrator asks the child to identify specific colors. For every five correct answers the player earns a Bebeka, which is described as a cute little creature who loves company. Clicking on the reward screen, the child can explore and feed their Bebekas. Also accessed from the play mode are three coloring books based on the same three screens the child has already played with the 14 colors the child has been practicing all available to use.

From the settings, a variety of languages can be chosen, some with several different narrators which can be downloaded (for free) and parents can also record their own narration. When I tried this app the first few times with Madelynn I left the narrating settings as they were but when she played and heard Mom and Dad’s voices her enthusiasm for the app increased. We hope to do more voiceovers with the grandparents when they come to visit.

The app is nicely illustrated; the animations are fun and engaging and the narration is crystal clear. The reward frequency is excellent for toddlers and the Bebekas are cute. I like that parents can record their own narration and it’s also possible to share voiceovers with other parents.

In future updates, I would like to see visual labeling added so when the narrator says ‘red,’ the child also sees the word ‘red.' This supports early reading development and also enables the app to be useful to children who are deaf or have auditory processing challenges. Visual reinforcers, in addition to the audio congratulations already included, would also be appreciated for the same reasons.

I would also like the developer to consider expanding the app to include more levels in order to keep the games fresh and to continue to engage the child as they progress. This would be particularly helpful if the app is being used to help children learn colors in other languages – to keep playing the same screens over and over will quickly get old for most children who are app-saavy.

With respect to the reward zone we struggled to keep Madelynn engaged. Additional features could be incorporated here, for example, having the Bebekas be more interactive. The coloring section is really just tap-and-fill-in and is consequently low energy.

There are currently two versions of the app to download, the lite version is free and the full version is $2.99. There is a lot of depth here in terms of teaching colors but $2.99 is a bit high when apps such as TeachMe: Toddler focus on colors as well as alphabet, numbers, phonics and shapes for just $0.99.

The lite version gives the child access to the paint splotching game only and includes fewer language options but does include the ability to record voiceovers. If your child is learning their colors then try out the lite version to see if this is an app they would respond to.

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If you would like to purchase Baby Learns Colors ($2.99 for iPad) please support Smart Apps for Kids by using this link button.

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This app was reviewed by Jessica Jensen, and Deanne Shoyer contributed. smartappsforkids.com was paid a priority-review fee to complete this review in an expedited manner.

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