Biobots Under Sea Rescue helps children learn about some of our planet's most effective underwater animals, design a robot which mimics some of those animals' most successful features and guide that robot on a rescue mission.
Brought to the iPad by Iridescent, a non-profit that encourages scientific learning and Night & Day Studios, this app is a great one for older children to explore the different ways that animals have adapted for success.
If you'd like to download Biobots Under Sea Rescue (FREE, iPad only) please support Smart Apps for Kids by using this handy link:
** Only the app's developer can control when an app is free or not. All apps that we post as Good Free Apps of the Day are verified to be free at the time of this post. We make no guarantees otherwise. **
There's been an earthquake in an underwater laboratory and it's up to your child to design an underwater rescue robot to help!
In the database section, review five different animals in order to understand the different ways that species have evolved in order to move, defend themselves and flourish.
Learn how a whale's vast size is its biggest deterrent against predators, how it relies on sound to navigate and that its tail is the key to its method of propulsion.
In contrast a squid, whilst also large, uses ink to defend itself against predators and its key sense is vision. Did you know that squid have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom?
Once you've learned about whales, squid, platypus, pike and mussels then it's time to use this knowledge to build a rescue robot. Will you seek to use large or small size to your advantage? How will you oxygenate and energize your robot? Will you defend yourself from predators by using armor or camouflage? These and many more items have to be considered as your child creates a design.
Then it's time to put the theory into action. How will the robot do against predators as varied as orca and jellyfish? Can it avoid or withstand seismic and volcanic activity? Will you complete your mission in time, before your oxygen or energy are depleted? If not, is it time to go back to the drawing board?
From iTunes:
Design an underwater rescue robot inspired by nature’s super animals.
It is the grand opening of the Underwater Biobot Zoo - a collection of mechanical animal robots created by a scientist - when a catastrophe strikes: an earthquake damages the underwater museum and visitors get stuck. You happen to be trapped in the scientist’s lab.
Now, you have a mission! Study the database of the scientist records and design an underwater rescue robot to save the visitors!
Work with your child to learn about different marine creatures such as the platypus, whale, pike, mussel, and squid, through videos and animations. Understand the adaptations that make each of them so unique: for instance, the whale has a very powerful tail that helps propel it forward, whereas the squid uses jet propulsion. The mussel has a hard shell that protects it whereas the pike is a master of camouflage.
Help your child apply her learning by choosing the right combination of robotic systems (propulsion, defense, respiration, digestion and sensory) for the rescue mission.
The final test of your design is in the Navigator section where your robot has to navigate predators and natural obstacles, while maintaining its energy and oxygen sources.
Good luck on your mission!
The app is based on the incredible illustrations of mechanical animals by John Kelly in the book, The Robot Zoo. The has been designed by a team of physicists, engineers, educators and artists. Iridescent, a science-education nonprofit has collaborated with Night and Day Studios to bring Biobot Under Sea rescue app to life.
Deanne Shoyer is the mother to twin boys on the autism spectrum, blogs at smallbutkindamighty.com, has two history degrees and looks a lot less hip than her avatar.
Every day we pick what we affectionately call the Good Free App of the Day, an app that we have downloaded, tested and certified: It can't have a ton of ads or just a little content with in-app purchases.
It also has to be good.
We then present them to you to read, download, and share and, based on which ones got the most hits from you, here are your Top 100 Free Apps for Kids! Enjoy!
Please also see our Top 10 Preschool Apps (staff picks), Top 10 Free Apps for Learning Letters, Deanne's Top 10 Free Apps for ASD Kids, Top 12 Apps for Mom, Editor's Top 10,Reader's Choice Top 10, and Top 10 Addition Apps.
(** indicates that the app contains in-app purchases/is very closely tied to a purchase or has ads)
1) LEGO App 4+ (build a vehicle and then use it in activities)
2) Open Wide Snap (we rated five stars)
4) National Geographic Explorer
5) ** Toddler/Preschool Flash Cards (warning! now has ads!)
7) Hide Run Growl (we rated five stars)
8) Little Stars - Toddler Games (letters, numbers, shapes, colors, words)
9) Play 123
11) ** Playful Minds: Math (5-8 years old)
12) Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally Appisode
13) ** Build a Word Express
16) Learning Games for Preschool to Kindergarten
17) ** Curious George at the Zoo for iPad (now only one area free, the rest in-app)
18) Rover (flash-enabled web browser for kids)
19) Disney's Jake's Never Land Pirate School
20) Scholastic's Sushi Monster (addition and multiplication)
21) I Can Write 2 (make sentences about images)
22) PBS Kids Video (all their favorites, U.S. only)
23) ** Brain Quest (from the people that make those card thingees)
24) ** Thomas & Friends - Engine Activities
25) Collins Big Cat Story Creator books (eight apps!)
26) Miss Spider apps (Bedtime Story and Tea Party)
27) Toca Kitchen Monsters (all kids need Toca Boca)
28) ** Goodnight Safari (baby animals!)
29) Rocket Speller
30) ** Toontastic (we rated five stars)
31) ** Scribble Press (make an book!)
32) ** Puzzingo
33) Touch the Sound
35) Lego Duplo Jams
36) Little Finder
37) Color Uncovered (please don't let your dog drive)
40) Bluster! (McGraw-Hill)
41) ** Math Vs. Zombies
42) ** Spy Mouse
44) ** Let's Color (drawings come to life)
45) ** Alphabet Tracing
46) eggzoo
48) Rocket Math Free (free version of one of our Top Picks)
49) Green ABCs (previously cost $30)
50) Monster Physics Lite (five star app)
51) ** BrainPop Featured Movie (No. 1 on our Editor's Choice list)
52) Story Creator
53) Kids Learning - Photo Touch Learning Concepts
54) ABA Flash Cards & Games - Emotions
55) ABC Mouse Zoo Sets 1, 2 and 3
56) Buzzle
57) 6-in-1 Children's Games (lite version)
58) ** Sock Puppets
59) ** Monkey Drum (do you need more than a monkey with a drum?)
61) ** MeeGenius (six ebooks for free!)
64) Lego Duplo Zoo
65) Scooby-Doo Whos Are You? by Hallmark (Zoinks!)
66) Feel Electric (The Electric Company is back!)
67) ** Booksy (one of our Top Picks)
69) Tim and Tom
70) Kids Learning - My First Numbers Counting Game
71) Wood Puzzle Brain Challenge
75) Jack and the Beanstalk (modern version of the classic tale)
78) Sprout's Good Night Star (nighttime routine, brusha! brusha! brusha!)
79) Stewie The Duck Learns To Swim
80) Chipper's Rainy Day Adventure
81) ** BrainPop Jr. Movie of the Week
82) ** Motion Math - Hungry Fish
83) Little Stars - Word Wizard
84) Adventures of the 7Wonderlicious Girls (girls doing their best, helping others, being brave, learning and feeling good about themselves)
85) Fisher Price's Laugh & Learn Animal Sounds
86) The Land of Me - Story Time
87) JibJab Jr. Books
88) Fisher Price's Lets Count Animals
89) Bean Bag Kids present Little Red Riding Hood
90) Astrid & Siri
91) The Lorax Truffula Shuffle (U.S. only for some reason)
92) Squiggles (bring scribbles to life, one of our Top Picks)
93) Kraft Macaroni & Cheese - Dinner, Not Art
94) The Icky Mr. Fox/Mr Fox and Mr. Rabbit
95) Hallmark's Christmas All the Way
97) Little Bird's Internet Security Adventure
98) PaddleDuck Color and Story App
100) Mini Mining
We've done our best to only include apps that are permanently free, but sometimes developers do change their minds, so please leave a comment if you find an app that's no longer free.
(** indicates that the app contains in-app purchases/is very closely tied to a purchase or has ads)
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