We’re fans of the Swedish children’s app developer Wombi Apps. They make some genuinely entertaining apps for young children, which we’ve reviewed in the past. Today we’re back with an oldie but goodie from them: Around the Clock.
Time is Ticking
Around the Clock is an activity app which introduces juniors to the clock and the different hours in a day through fun and colorful mini games. As you may have guessed from the title, the app comes with 24 mini games — one for every hour. For example, at 7 AM you fix a broken an alarm clock, at 1PM you prepare lunch, at 9 PM you tuck a teddy bear to sleep, and so on.
The game starts by showing a clock on the wall, next to a window. You wait until the clock’s hands stop moving, and then you tap on the Play button to play the mini game for that hour. Some games revolve around the activities that we can do in specific hours, like biking home at 5 PM, while others involve more abstract concepts like helping the moon set and the sun rise to indicate the transition from night to day.
The app also divides the time in a day into four periods: morning, noon, evening, and night. As the day progresses into a different period of time, the scenery outside the window also changes.
Parents Need to Know
Around the Clock is an interactive clock for kids that introduces juniors to the concept of time and the structure of a day. However, it should be noted that the app doesn’t actually teach juniors how to tell time, so if you are looking for such app then Wombi Around the Clock may not be for you.
Like other Wombi apps, Around the Clock is geared towards young juniors. The mini games are indeed short and simple. Some games require no more than a few taps to complete, while others may ask the players to drag a few things here and there. Thus, the app is good for developing fine motor skills.
As the app does not give out instructions, no reading skills are necessary to play. The app has no timer, so younger juniors can take their time and complete the activities at their own pace.
Things I Like
Around the Clock is a simple app that most preschoolers will enjoy. While its primary function is not for learning how to tell time, I think Around the Clock is still a valuable app for introducing your juniors to the different hours of a day and for practicing their fine motor skills.
I like that the activities introduced seem to vary from one another and also fit the time of day. Some of my favorite activities are connecting the stars to form the Big Dipper constellation at 3 AM, and story time at 10 PM. There is also an interesting activity at 12 AM which involves erasing the wrong answer to a simple addition problem on a blackboard to get the correct one.
Presentation-wise, the app features simple but colorful graphics and upbeat music that are appropriate for young kids. I also enjoy watching the scenery change with the time, and I think parents can use this feature to discuss with their juniors about different time periods.
One thing that I wish to see in the app is the ability to jump to a specific game by adjusting the clock’s hands. This is not only convenient, but it can also add to the app’s value by allowing juniors to practice telling time.
Around the Clock is an enjoyable app that invites juniors to learn about the hours in a day by playing a unique mini game for every hour. It is excellent for preschoolers because it is simple, playful, and rule-free. It also makes a great practice app for developing their fine motor skills as the mini games involve simple finger motions like tapping and dragging. I would recommend it for juniors ages four or under.
App was provided for our honest review.