Journey of Water

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4.1
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Journey of Water App Review

App Info

Price: $1.99

Overview

Journey of Water is an interactive, narrated ebook designed to help young children learn about how used water goes from impure sewage-laden liquid through several types of natural purification processes and finally becomes pure and ready to use once again. There is also another ebook included that explains the attributes of water, how it changes from one state to another, and more.

Features include:

  • 18 interactive pages
  • Autoplay and manual modes
  • Pleasant background music
  • Narrated pages
  • Beautiful artwork

Quality

These ebooks are high quality. They are definitely translated from another language, and the written and oral transcriptions do contain some unusual expressions and constructions that may puzzle some young children. The app includes a protected parents’ area where users can learn more about the developers’ goals for the app.

Education

The idea behind this app is excellent; it strives to introduce young children to important concepts about water, such as its importance to life, how it can take many forms, and how it can be purified from common usage by natural processes.

On one hand, it might be a concern that the content is oversimplified, even for young children. The Water Purification Journey segment seems to imply that no matter how much we pollute or abuse the water, these natural processes will fix the problem, and this might give youngsters a wrong idea about the importance of conserving and protecting water when they are at an impressionable age. It teaches that no matter what we put into the water “in the city,” like fertilizer and chemical waste as well as household wastes, the water running through rivers, ponds, and finally wetlands will always be restored. While it is true that the natural cycle has remarkable purification powers, it might not be a good idea to imply even to the very young that this will solve all water problems.

On the other hand, the developers seem to have over-emphasized technical vocabulary for the target audience. Words such as ‘discharge,’ ‘chemicals,’ and ‘acid rain’ are used and are not explained to any extent. This may make some of the main ideas and content of the app less accessible for young children.

Entertainment

Young children are likely to find “Journey of Water” to be entertaining for one or two viewings. One offering is set up in video format, with some interactions such as digging a pond and planting things in the wetlands to help purify the water. The ebook boasts some animated text and a few instances of items that respond to taps, such as fish that swim away and balloons that move slightly. Overall, it’s pleasant, but may not have much staying power compared to other apps.

Value

This app costs $1.99 on the App Store, which is an ok value if your child is interested in learning more about water. It is suitable for younger children, preschool through early elementary. After that, the information is quite basic and contains concepts that they likely learn in school.

Child Friendliness

This app is child friendly. There is a well-protected parents’ area (accessible by completing a series of three multiplication problems) that includes links to the developers’ website and email. There is also a visual “library” of other apps from this developer that will show up on the home page if a user presses the swinging icon in the upper right corner. Selecting one of the other app icons triggers the parent gate, so children cannot accidentally purchase additional materials without adult participation.

  • YES external links protected behind parent gate
  • NO social media
  • NO 3rd party ads
  • YES more apps visible, but protected from purchase 
Journey of Water
Journey of Water
Journey of Water is an ebook/video app that teaches young children about the attributes of water, including its many forms and states and how it can be used and then naturally purified through the water system.
Quality
Education
Entertainment
Value
Child Friendly
Reader Rating0 Votes
4.1
Where to Buy