Boogie Down with Grandma
In Music with Grandma, kids explore seven music games, play musical instruments, and watch videos showing musical instruments being played. In the process, budding musicians learn to identify musical instruments, as well as some musical symbols, notes, and terminology. This fantastic kids' app introduces music theory in a hands-on manner.
Music Games and Activities
Music with Grandma cycles through the seven games, switching up the content of each game as the player progresses. There are matching games, mazes, complete-the-musical-patterns, sorting, and more. For example, to learn instrument sounds, kids listen to a short instrumental segment and then try to identify the instrument from the four displayed on the screen. The maze game takes the format of creating a line through a maze of musical notation by connecting matching symbols, such as a base clef. There is a concentration game about matching pairs of instruments; and even one about identifying specific notes on a staff.
In addition to the random cycling of the games, kids will also get an opportunity to bang on four timpani drums, tinkle a keyboard, and explore a variety of handheld percussion instruments. They will see videos, including ones showing the strumming of a guitar, the playing of a string quartet, and the banging of the hammers from the inside of a piano.
App Analysis
Music with Grandma is a substantive introduction to beginning music theory. The app presents its learning in a hands-on, playful manner. The titular character of Grandma is supportive and funny. When the player succeeds, she may launch into a hilarious dance sequence or put her hand to the screen for a "high five." Even Grandpa makes an appearance, attempting to play a variety of instruments.
Some of the games assume that children have been introduced to musical notes, the staff, and basic symbols. However, parents can control which of the games appear from within the Settings found on the Home Screen (and located behind a parental gate). That way, for example, if your child doesn't understand how to read music, you can turn off the musical patterns game.
We are impressed that Music with Grandma builds on the child's basic musical knowledge by creating fun games that teach and reinforce musical theory and awareness. Appropriately, the games never punish you for not knowing. And sometimes help pops up, such as showing the placement of notes when you can't find "C on the staff." In future updates, I would recommend that Fairlady Media build in instrument identification by saying the name of the identified instrument in the Instrument Sounds game.
Here's the bottom line: Music with Grandma is a great introductory music app because it teaches music theory in fun and creative ways. It is carefully crafted to be both substantive and hands-on. This is an app your child will want to play over and over again.
Best For
Because parents can control which musical games appear, this is an app that can work well with kids as young as age 6 or as old as age 11. Music with Grandma is the perfect app to download for the child who is interested in exploring music.
This Music with Grandma kids' app review was written by Jinny Gudmundsen.
All tech products are judged on a five star scale by looking at the following factors: fun, education, ease of use, value, and technical.
