Alien Monster Mix and Match is a simple, fun educational matching iPad game for kids or very bored adults.
There are three spin dials of mixed up sections of friendly looking alien faces. Spin the dials to match the face parts and make an alien. You get a cheery “Hooray!”, occasionally a simple video of a hippo holding balloons or a monkey with a cupcake hat.
It’s very simple – maybe so simple that really it’s for very young toddlers or a 5-minute time filler for under fives. There are 11 faces to match.
My (just) four-year-old daughter loved it and played for some time while I was supposed to be getting on with something else – except I couldn’t because I was terrified that she’d suddenly hurl the iPad across the room into a wall.
See, Alien Monster Mix and Match works just great on the iPhone (Alien Monster Mix and Match for iPhone review), but it requires a quite vigorous shake to spin its dials to mix up a new turn. While the iPhone would be in some danger a child can/should be able to hold it in their little grasp.
The iPad on the other hand requires both hands and while it wasn’t dashed to pieces on the wall I wasn’t sufficiently confident to not be at her side throughout her play.
Yes, I know I should be at her side, encouraging, congratulating, etc, but kids don’t always want or need you there. They just want to play on their own.
The problem could be solved with a touch option as well as the shake, especially if the parent could set such a preference.
Otherwise it's a fun app and so simple any child with a hand should be able to get started immediately.
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