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Remember when I shared about the new Samsung KidsTime application that my kids were introduced to earlier on? Over the past months, the kids spent some time to try out the application and the many games and e-books available. Needless to say, they LOVE it! Even I cannot resist all the colorful and pretty graphics.
I guess for us parents, one of our key concerns is always how to strike a balance between fun and safety. While we would love for our kids to have a good time at play, we do not want them to be overindulgent or waste too much precious time on mindless games. When it comes to play time, we are constantly looking out for activities that are fun and yet educational at the same time. Samsung KidsTime is an app that totally fits the bill, in my opinion. It makes for a good play time that is educational, yet giving me the control over how much time the kids get to spend on it. And that’s really the crux of it - Children need to learn that in everything (no matter how fun it is), some form of self-control and moderation is always necessary.
Now that I’ve managed to spend some time to explore Samsung KidsTime, let me bring you through how the app works. At the end of this post, I’ll share my views on why I think KidsTime is a great parenting tool:
Get started by downloading Samsung KidsTime app from the Google Play store.
Set your mission time (1 to 60 minutes), then Launch!
Choose the character to enter in as. You can personalize the characters with your kids’ names. The kids are guaranteed to be thrilled when they see their names. At least mine were! (Except Joey said she didn’t want to be a robot. =.=)
Then it’s up to the kids to choose which games or e-books they want to play/read!
Once time’s up, the app will close by itself. And the kids wait patiently for the next play time. =P
WHAT DO THE KIDS THINK ABOUT KIDSTIME?
“It’s so fun!!!!”
To the kids, Samsung KidsTime is ALL ABOUT FUN. There are 80 games and e-books to choose from, so I don’t get the “I’m bored of the games, Mummy!” stunts from the kids anymore. They hop gleefully from one game to another because everything was so new to them. Plus, with all the colorful graphics and catchy music, it’s easy to keep the kids glued to the games.
“I like the thinking games!!”
To my surprise, my kids enjoy playing games that need them to think, in contrast to games that only require them to press ‘jump’ or ‘turn right or left’. The games that they enjoy the most are the Math games where they need to do calculations. I guess the games gave them some sense of achievement? =P
“The stories are so funny, Mummy!”
This came from Jayne, my five-year-old who cannot read on her own yet. KidsTime has many e-books that have the ‘read-to-me’ function. Jayne no longer needs to rely on me or Joey to read to her, but she can have the app read to her instead! The stories are all funny and interesting, with a good moral to learn at the end. All I needed to do was to facilitate and bring out the learning points to her at the end. Perfect.
SO FOR US PARENTS, IS KIDSTIME GOOD?
There are many reasons why I personally found Samsung KidsTime to be a good parenting tool. I’m sure you would agree with me on many of these points, too:
1. Play Time Is Controlled By You
This must be the most useful function for me, personally. I restrict my kids’ gadget play time to only the weekends, so you can imagine how the kids clamor for the gadgets when I allow them to play on them. That also makes it difficult for me to get them to stop when I need them to. For Samsung KidsTime, the play time is fixed right at the beginning, so that when the time’s up, the application automatically shuts down and the only thing the kid can do is to hand the gadget back to you. That’s absolutely awesome for us parents!
With two kids, I also love it that they have no room for any disputes, arguing that the sister got to play for a longer time, because the application controls the play time and everything is fair!
2. No In-app Purchases or Advertisements Within the App
One of the scariest things about leaving our gadgets in the hands of our kids is to find unknown applications downloaded or purchases made without our knowledge. Just this week alone, I’ve got 2 friends who shared with me how much money they had to pay because their kids made purchases without their knowledge on their gadgets. Kids love to fiddle with the buttons and may accidentally press something that can become very expensive mistakes. In Samsung KidsTime, there is no room for such mistakes! There are no advertisements as well, so I don’t need to worry about exposing my kids to inappropriate materials. This peace of mind is so wonderful.
3. Interactive Learning is Definitely Better Than Passive Learning
In my opinion, even though the kids get entertained by watching TV programs as well, that’s really just passive learning at the end of the day. Playing the games in Samsung KidsTime is far more interactive and gives rise to more learning. The questions they have to tackle encourage them to think and analyze, and those are very important skills to have as they are growing up. I love it when my kids ask me questions while they are playing – goes to show they are thinking! Samsung KidsTime is really more than just play because quality screen time really matters and this is an issue they have successfully addressed, in my opinion.
4. Safe & Secure Environment
Samsung KidsTime does not allow the kids to escape from the app and access the other functions or applications on your gadget. There is a password that only you would know, and getting out of the safe zone of the app requires keying in the password. I don’t need to worry about my kids trying to access my email or go to the Youtube to watch silly video clips while I am not watching, which was one of my biggest concerns previously. This definitely solved that problem for me.
5. Parental Monitoring Available
One of the best functions of Samsung KidsTime is the Parent Tools, which gives you a report on what apps the kids had been spending time on. With the breakdown provided in the report, parents can then guide the kids to spend more time on other areas which they are neglecting, or gear them towards their weaker subjects. You can also discover which are your kids’ favorite apps in the report because they keep going back to them! Recently, I’ve also used the app to help Joey in her revision for her examination, in a light-hearted way. So you see, screen time may not be a bad thing after all. I was able to make use of technology to keep my kids’ interest in learning and while making them think that they are relaxing and having fun, I was actually harnessing another form of learning through that channel. At the end of the day, since technology is already part and parcel of our lives and I cannot shun it away, I might as well embrace it and use it to my advantage, right?
5. Great for Parent & Kids Bonding Time
Like I mentioned earlier on, it’s great fun playing Samsung KidsTime together with the kids. The kids enjoy playing, and the parents enjoy facilitating. In fact, one of the things my kids told me is that they felt very happy that I was spending time doing what they like together with them. I guess that action sent a signal to them that I was willing to do something at their level even though the games were all for kids. That certainly brought a smile to my face. :)
When the kids and I were introduced to Samsung KidsTime for the first time along with two other bloggers, Edunloaded and Cheekiemonkies, our first impressions and reactions to the app was captured on video! Even though it was our first encounter with the app, its many benefits were already obvious and immediately picked up upon. Watch the video clip and I am sure you will have an even better idea of how Samsung KidsTime can work for you.
To my surprise, when I asked my kids which was their favorite game in Samsung KidsTime, they both said, ‘Firefighter!’ at the same time. I realized later from the Dashboard that it must be true, since they spend most of their time on this one game! Apart from the colorful graphics, this game also lets the kids take on the role of firefighters to put out fires, and complete interesting tasks such as searching for objects. I personally like this game as well because it helps cultivate problem-solving skills, which is a really important skill for children. You should see how my kids jump up and down on the sofa when they managed to complete their tasks. :D
In conclusion, do I think that there can be an app where both parents and children can gain something positive from? To me, Samsung KidsTime makes it possible. My kids enjoy playing the games within the app, and I get to interact with them and bring forth learning points while playing on the app together with them. It is a great tool for family bonding.
Above and beyond that, by introducing Samsung KidsTime to my kids, I feel that I have addressed the concerns that many parents, including myself, have pertaining to screen time. Samsung KidsTime is really more than play because effective learning is achieved through the play time, and this is an issue that Samsung has successfully addressed. Best of all, that whole process is sometimes done without the kids realizing it themselves, which makes learning fuss-free and less stressful. In this world that we live in, we can do with less stress anytime.
If I were you, I would waste no time at all to download Samsung KidsTime right away, and let your kids have a go at it, or you can also find out more at www.samsungkidstime.com. . These educational apps for kids can be downloaded for free from the Google Playstore, and comes with free games and e-books. Of course, you can also opt for the paid version that comes with 80 games and e-books (updated periodically) at $6.50/month. During this coming year-end holidays, have a great time on Samsung KidsTime with your kids! :)
