My daughter is an educational sponge. Seriously we just had a play date at the bowling alley with one of her friends and she told the mother that her teacher doesn’t give ENOUGH homework. She loves homework. I think it is for two reasons 1.) It makes her feel big because she sees her brothers doing it and 2.) She really just loves to soak up anything new. She loves to learn. So I should her a fun new iPad/iPhone app called How My Body Works
How My Body Works uses 3D male and female models to guide readers on an interactive adventure through the human body. Parents and children can now explore the body’s systems and organs in a fun and engaging journey right from their iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.
The How My Body Works app is not your every day download, look through it, and be done. There is so much information included in this app I was amazed. In fact I don’t suggest trying to get through it all in one setting. The app is free to download and includes one system the “sensory system”. This is enough to let you try it out and decide if you are interested in it enough to purchase the remaining systems: locomotor, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary and lymphatic, and reproductive. If you want to purchase all systems the price is $9.99 which is not much compared to a book you might purchase to study or teach your child. If you want to purchase only selected systems each system is $1.99.
You have the choice to learn about the male or female body (note: the $9.99 covers both). In the photo below I’m looking at the female body and I’ve selected the respiratory system. When you select a system you may have to wait for a few minutes for it to load (I noticed this takes longer the first time but much quicker after that). Also just a side note you can zoom in by pinching and moving outward (the normal way on an iPad/iPhone).
When the system appears the little guy in the right hand bottom corner will announce the system and tell you a little about it. On the left you have several choices to choose from within that system. Once you make a choice it is dissected further.
In this particular system and organ you are also given a slide bar on the right to look at the inside of the organ.
When ever there is a label with a book icon next to it you can select the word to get even more information. Below I have selected “The lungs”. You can zoom in even further on the photo that is presented with the article.
As you can see there is a ton of information in this app. This is a drill down on just ONE of the systems. The learning potential is huge. If you are ever in need of help you simply click on the character in the top right screen. In the female body it is a girl inside a capsule. When you do this hotspots will appear on the screen. When a hotspot is selected the girl will zoom over and helpful information will appear.
My daughter and I sat down together to explore How My Body Works and started with the sensory system since that was something she was familiar with. As soon as it popped up and showed her the senses she went on to tell me all that she had learned and started pressing on the senses to see what it said. The only thing I think would be helpful at this stage would be to have the option to turn on the little guy that talks and reads the article to you. The application at this stage in my daughters education is a little too much, and too old. However I can see how it would be a great tool to work along side learning this information in school. Or if you are in a situation in which you need to explain to your child how something in the body works.
There are two additional features within the How My Body Works app. Each system comes with a cartoon and a game. The cartoon would be similar to my suggestion above as they appear to be appealing to children. The game is not such a game in the sense of learning but creating a fun photo of the system and characters. You are given the option of different backgrounds depending on what system you are in as well as a list of different characters you can place on your background to create a fun photo.
Overall this app is full of a lot of knowledge and helpful information in regards to learning How My Body Works. As I mentioned I think this would be a great tool alongside a lesson in school. The only thing I would love to see would be maybe some educational games regarding the system to appeal to younger children before they get to the level of this app. Or maybe a quiz or two to see how much information you absorbed while learning. For the price and information you receive I think this is a great app to learn about How My Body Works!
Disclaimer: I received the above product(s) at no cost to me by the company or representing PR agency. All opinions are my own. You may read more of my disclosure here.
