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It is an undeniable fact that we live in a digital and technologically-advanced age. While there are parents who believe in keeping their kids away from technology and gadgets, I belong to the category who believes that I can ride on the current technology and make the best out of it to benefit my kids, rather than avoiding it altogether. The kids and I were recently introduced to a brand new educational application created by Samsung – ‘KidsTime’, and it’s one of those apps for kids that I think many parents would love to have. It addresses many concerns parents such as myself have, over my kids’ usage of gadgets, and gives me greater control over what they are being exposed to. Some of the best toddler apps are not those that are just fun, but also provide an educational angle to it.
When we were introduced to the new KidsTime application, my first impression of it was how it was designed to give parents a peace of mind while letting the kids have fun. There are five features of this application which I feel makes it an app that every parent with young children should download onto their gadgets.
1. You decide how long the kids get to play!
I don’t know about you, but once I let my kids play games on my gadgets, I have difficulty getting them to stop when time’s up. Usually that involves crying, protesting or negotiating, or a combination of all three. KidsTime made it so much easier for me – Once you activate the application, you need to set the amount of time the kids get to play. Once the time’s up, the whole application ends and the kids can do nothing except pass the gadget back to you. That’s so ingenious! =P
With two kids at home, this allocated time slot feature also shows them that they get to play the same amount of time and it’s fair. No more complaining, grumbling and whining about who gets to play more! Through this, the kids are also introduced to the concept of time management while using technology responsibly. Now, that’s a really important thing to teach the kids from young, in my opinion. I’ve heard of too many horror stories of how teenagers became overindulgent in computer gaming that they spent hours and hours on them without restrain. It’s certainly not something I want to see happen to my own kids.
2. You make the kids feel like they’re in-charge!
Now, that’s a really high level of control. KidsTime gives kids the feeling that they are in-charge because they get to personalize their play experience by selecting a character to enter in as. This is actually a feature that allows parents to monitor what each kid has been doing within KidsTime, but done in a manner that makes kids feel like they can make their own choice and decision!
3. You keep the kids in a secure & curated environment with no ads or in-app purchases!
Now, that’s probably the best reason for every parent to download KidsTime. One of my biggest concerns about letting my kids play with gadgets is that they might be exposed to undesirable or unsuitable adverts while playing certain games. Don’t be surprised if certain kids’ game applications (which are innocent on its own) actually flash inappropriate banners or advertisements. Some of these ads may attract the kids to click and find out more, or even direct them to links to purchase other apps. Inside KidsTime, I do not need to worry about any of that at all. It is a secure environment in which my kids can play the games I approve of, and there are no ads or in-app purchase opportunities.
4. The app is locked, so don’t worry about kids escaping!
Now that we have placed the kids within a safe and secure environment, our natural concern would be that they would exit the app and start fiddling with the rest of the applications on our gadget that we would not want them to. My kids know how to activate YouTube and watch video clips on their own, so that’s definitely something I want to prevent when the gadget’s in their hands. KidsTime keeps the kids within the application and they cannot exit or do anything else unless the correct PIN has been keyed in. For greater peace of mind, change your PIN frequently! =D
5. Your kids’ movement in KidsTime is tracked, so check their progress!
The Parent Tools feature in KidsTime is great. It not only allows me to monitor which applications the kids had been playing with, it also consolidates the info into a summary pie chart so that I know which area my kids had been focusing on. I found this feature especially useful for my 5-year-old because I want to see whether she enjoys Math, Science or any other applications more. If there is a need, I can also moderate the time she spends on applications that would train her in areas she’s weaker in. I like the sense of control KidsTime gives to us parents!
After the kids and I get more time to fiddle with KidsTime, I’ll be able to share how we feel about the app in greater detail. Our first feel about the app is that there are many interesting and educational games and e-books, so we are looking forward to try them out. Quite frankly, it is impossible for the kids not to like an app that’s so colorful, full of cute graphics and accompanied by good music.
I’m feeling excited about spending more time together with my kids to try out one of the best apps for kids! Stay tuned for more updates about our journey with KidsTime! =) In the meantime, download KidsTime from the Google Playstore and have fun with the 80 games and e-books with your kids! For more information, www.samsungkidstime.com
