Let’s face it — most of us learned about counting from a very cute and very hungry green insect. Night & Day Studios brings our lovable friend to life in the app Counting with the Very Hungry Caterpillar.
The app builds a basic math foundation through five levels:
- Level 1 teaches counting, and children will practice the names and symbols for each number, one through twelve
- Level 2 teaches vocabulary, as children are asked to count the number of fruit and other foods
- Level 3 teaches quantity, and children are asked to identify the amount of fruit within a larger set of the same food. This level becomes more difficult, as children cannot simply tap everything on the screen.
- Level 4 introduces addition, and children are required to choose a particular number of different foods. For example, choose one apple from five and one lollipop from four, and you see you took two bites.
- Level 5 adds all the concepts together, and children must eat what the caterpillar asks them to find. This level is timed for one minute, so the player must think fast.
The game includes multiple languages, so you have the option to try the game in Dutch, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese.
Counting with the Very Hungry Caterpillar does not include affirmations of correct answers, but points are awarded in level 5 when correct food is found. Instead, the app allows the user to click the word “done” to move on to the next round. The app is off to a great start, but many users agree that animation from the caterpillar and affirmations and rewards would be more motivating and engaging for the players. The app does effectively teach mathematical principles, and it helps supplement what children will learn in school.
Counting with the Very Hungry Caterpillar is available for iPad, iPhone, Android, Nook, and Kindle, and it costs $2.99.
