*I was compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.
As a kid, my favorite types of games were ones that I got to feel like I was a part of. I liked the feeling of having my brain engaged in a playful way. I didn’t care for games that were more basic, requiring you to do a, then b, then c without much thought involved.
Even as an adult I prefer open ended games like Sims or Minecraft that let you explore and engage how you wish. It can be hard to find games like this for young children though, so I was excited to learn about PlayTown, an open ended app for kids. You can create characters (my 10 year old sisters favorite part of any game is picking their clothing so she’d love all the options Playtown has for clothing and accessories!). You can even draw your own characters or objects using a program that is similar to Paint. You can even add photos of loved ones as characters into your story!
Once all of your characters are made, you can create the story of your choice and narrate it using your own voice or a song, and then share it with friends.
At 3, my nephew Drew is interested in app games but so many have clear right and wrong ways to play and most of them are designed for children older than he is so they’re really hard for him which causes frustration. Seems how there is no right or wrong way to create and tell the story, even toddlers younger than Drew can explore Playtown without losing or getting frustrated for not being able to win. It also increase the replay value because the story can be completely different teach time, so it doesn’t feel like you’re repeating what you’ve already done like so many other games do.
From my frugal perspective, another great feature of the app is the price – it’s free! Check out Playtown for Android or Playtown for IOS.
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
That sounds like a great app! I’ve never even thought about “open-ended” apps before! Sounds like something that my daughter would love – and I would LOVE to not have the “replay” thing going on! Sometimes it drives me batty.
That sounds like a great app! I’ve never even thought about “open-ended” apps before! Sounds like something that my daughter would love – and I would LOVE to not have the “replay” thing going on! Sometimes it drives me batty.