 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
FETCH! LUNCH RUSH
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Price: Free
- Category: Family Games
Common Sense Media says
Novel PBS Kids app takes game off screen and into room.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that FETCH! LUNCH RUSH is a fun, novel way to play an educational game in "augmented reality." It isn't a game app that most kids will be able to get started playing without some help from a parent or teacher. Game pieces need to be sent to an email address, printed, and cut out before kids can even begin to play. Players place the game pieces on the ground or on a wall and view them through the mobile device's camera to select answers to the questions on the screen and help the adorable Ruff Ruffman get sushi for his crew. This can be a single- or multi-player game. To get the correct pieces of sushi, players must solve the math problems on the screen. This app was funded by the U.S. Department of Education to supplement first- and second-grade math education.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn and practice addition and subtraction while trying out a novel way to use a mobile device in an augmented reality game. Players place game pieces on the ground or on a wall and view them through their device's camera, then select answers to help Ruff Ruffman get sushi for his crew. To get the correct pieces of sushi, players solve math problems -- and they can work together with a parent or sibling, building collaboration skills. But after the first few plays, the augmented reality may not be enough to keep kids interested. The novelty wears off with math that’s surface deep in FETCH! LUNCH RUSH.
Skills
- Collaborationcooperation, meeting challenges together
- Communication
- Creativity
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Self-Direction
- Tech Skillsusing and applying technology
- Thinking & Reasoning
What's it about?
This "augmented reality" game requires quite a bit of pre-work -- game pieces need to be sent to an email address, printed, and cut out before kids can begin to play. Players place the game pieces on the ground or on a wall and view them through the device's camera to select answers to the questions on the screen and help Ruff Ruffman get sushi for his crew. This can be a single- or multi-player game. To get the correct pieces of sushi, players must solve the addition and subtraction problems on the screen (with answers to 10).
Is it any good?
If you're motivated enough to do the pre-work to set up the game, FETCH! LUNCH RUSH is a truly novel way for kids to practice basic math and learn some relatively new technology, too. The game pieces have to be taped onto the wall or, more practically, spread out around the room. If the mobile device is going to be carried around the room and handed between players in the multi-player version, it could get risky for the device, especially since part of the game is to see how fast each player can arrive at the answers. As a result, teachers or parents who are thinking of using this as a multi-player game may want to consider setting some "careful carrying rules" for the mobile device being used. The math lessons may be limited in scope, but since this app is free and the idea is quite unique, it's definitely worth a play at least once.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn and practice addition and subtraction while trying out a novel way to use a mobile device in an augmented reality game. Players place game pieces on the ground or on a wall and view them through their device's camera, then select answers to help Ruff Ruffman get sushi for his crew. To get the correct pieces of sushi, players solve math problems -- and they can work together with a parent or sibling, building collaboration skills. But after the first few plays, the augmented reality may not be enough to keep kids interested. The novelty wears off with math that’s surface deep in FETCH! LUNCH RUSH.
Subjects
- Arts:
- Hobbies:
- Language & Reading:
- Math: addition, subtraction
- Science:
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration: cooperation, meeting challenges together
- Communication:
- Creativity:
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Self-Direction:
- Tech Skills: using and applying technology
- Thinking & Reasoning:
How kids will learn
FETCH! LUNCH RUSH is a lot of fun for kids, at least the first time they play it. If they haven't tried other augmented reality apps, this is a great introduction to the concept. The basic addition and subraction in the app are important to master as kids build math skills.
How parents can help
- Help kids print out the necessary game pieces and set up the game -- it's not something young kids can do on their own.
- Find more ways to involve your device's camera in your kids' learning adventures. A camera can add an interesting twist to a math-related scavenger hunt, for example.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Go Fetch Some Sushi!
This app makes the player feel like part of the action on Fetch. We like to spread the pieces out all over the house and then run around trying to get sushi for the crew. It is fun math practice for the little guy.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Category: | Family Games |
| Platforms: | iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad |
| Price: | Free |
| Size: | 14.00 MB |
| Publisher: | PBS Kids |
| Version: | 1.0.2 |
| Release date: | November 17, 2011 |
| Minimum software requirements: | iOS 4.0 or later |
Review It
Screenshots
1 of 3
2 of 3
3 of 3
Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already downloaded it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
