What Is This App?
Plum's Photo Hunt is an app developed by WGBH Boston in conjunction with the launch of the website
Plum Landing. This app stars the cute purple alien Plum, who asks for the player's help in getting photos of nature. Plum is a video game designer; and she needs photos of specific things to help her to build her video games which are found and playable on the Plum Landing website.
Encourages Kids to Go Outside To Take Photos
There are 36 different photo missions for kids to complete. All require kids go outside with their iDevice to take specific photos. The requests from Plum run the gambit from leaves to flowers to amazing things outdoors. Budding photographers also have an option of taking "photobombs" with Plum or one of the five human characters featured on the Plum Landing website.
Before sending kids outside on a photo hunt, Plum asks players to check in with their grownup first. Once outside, kids can scroll through the different possible assignments by simply choosing to "Okay" an assignment or "Skip" it.
Once taken, the photo can be shared with Plum by uploading it from within the app. Plum reminds kids to not include themselves or any other kids in the photos submitted. PBS Kids vets the photos to make sure that kids can't be identified before posting the pictures up on the Plum Landing website.
App Analysis
Plum is curious and endearing, and thus fun to work for. But kids will have more of a connection to her if they have first checked out the companion website at www.PBSKids.org/PlumLanding and learned her backstory.
Most of the assignments are pretty broad, so that kids can always find something to photograph. The specific requests do serve to focus kids' attention when out in nature. They may need to stand patiently to wait for a bird to land in a nearby tree. Or you might find them running outside when a deer happens to walk through your yard.
Best For
Plum's Photo Hunt works best with kids who have been playing on the
Plum Landing companion website. For kids who know and love Plum, she will be great motivation to go outside and study nature.
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