Kids’ App of the Week: Name Play

Any master preschool or Kindergarten teacher knows that one of the best words to unlock the power of reading is a child’s first name. Because it is comprised of letters, syllables and phonemes, it makes sense to use kids’ names as part of an informal early reading curriculum.

After you type in your child’s name into Seven Academy’s Name Play, you hand the tablet to them so they can enjoy its 14 easy-to-play activities.

They can blast the letters as they fall, type them using an old-fashioned typewriter, feed a hungry word snake, play with the letters of the name on a magnet board, or tilt the screen to try to capture the letters in the right order. There’s plenty of variety.

Parent options let you toggle between 18 languages, just in case you want to use this app as an immersion activity. You can also add the names of friends, pets, or family members.

Need to know: Explore the parent options to add friends names, and adjust the background music.

Name Play
Android; iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 8.2 or later)
$1.99
Ages: 3+

Warren Buckleitner, Ph.D., is editor of Children’s Technology Review, an ad-free, subscriber-supported publication that was founded in 1993. Did you like this review? Get hundreds more for just $20/year.)