A little while ago I was introduced to a fab new technological product. It’s colourful, intelligent, interactive, educational, mind puzzling and for kids. Everything enticing in one little package.
At the time I was completely smitten with it for my little girl. I had visions of her starting school with some super intelligence and pictured me gladly spruiking this to other Mums and telling them they really should get one for their child. But then the fairy dust settled as I focussed in on my daughter with peanut butter all over her face and hands, up her nostrils, on the new lounge, stuck to her hair and all over her toys…and realised this product is probably far beyond her years yet – I might wait a bit.
Osmo The Most Intelligent iPad Game For your Children?
Saying that, I can definitely see it in our household in the future and felt you should all know about it.
Osmo is a gaming accessory which is very unique. It’s for the iPad and the games it comes with challenges the way your child plays and how their mind works. Osmo helps with social intelligence, for example, the ability to negotiate complex social relationships and environments. Whilst it is geared for children ages 6 and up, it actually is timeless and the games are designed for attract all adults also.
So what are Osmo’s games?
MASTERPIECE – “Learn Tangible Skills”
Masterpiece turns your iPad into a drawing artistry tool. It is that smart that it adjusts the proportions and perspectives to make your drawing just right. You can choose artwork from the Osmo Library, the web, use your own existing photos or take one on the iPad. Osmo will then convert the image into an outline just like a colouring in template! You can even go on to share it with family and friends.
WORDS – “Word Fun in Puzzle Form”
Words encourages image and word association which leads to spelling. It is a very interactive game as it uses ‘real-life’ letters which you assemble on the table in front of the iPad. Guess the words before the clock stops. There are 150 default puzzle images to choose from and if that’s not enough you can download new albums via your MyOsmo account which have been compiled by the Osmo community. Words can be played alone or with friends or in teams in competition mode
TANGRAM – “Real Tangram pieces, full digital experience”
The Tangram puzzle has actually been around for thousands of years but as you’ll see Osmo has remastered it in a fully interactive digital experience. Arrange the ‘real-life’ shapes to match the overall object shown on the iPad screen. There is visual and audio feedback as well as varied levels of difficulty designed to exercise spatial thinking and problem-solving skills. There are over 500 Tangram puzzles to play. Completed puzzles unlock new challenges.
NEWTON – “Physics meets creative problem-solving”
Newton is really all about creativity and imagination. Similar to Masterpiece, this game transforms the iPad into a drawing tablet. The difference is though that these are brought to life as you guide moving objects through your hand drawn maze simply with the placement of objects in front of the iPad or with your drawn lines. There are over 60 levels increasing in difficulty using simple strategies to start with. “Newton will challenge you with bouncing balls, accelerating platforms and fans that force you to think in new ways!”
What is included?
– Reflector mirror for the iPad camera
– White iPad stand
– 2 sets of game pieces (2 complete alphabet letter tile set and 7 wood tangram shapes)
– All 4 games – Masterpiece, Words, Tangram, Newton
– Instructions for downloading 3 free apps in the App Store
Osmo works with latest iPads
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
