MakeTime2Play App

Mumsnet selected me and several others to review the MakeTime2Play app, they say: “Whether you have a newborn or a 12 year old there is so much to explore with our updated app; it’s free to download, available on iOS and Android devices, and has over 400 play ideas! You can filter the play ideas to fit your needs by choosing between location, age of children, number of children and time.”

“The app isn’t just about fun play ideas, it also provides information on the benefits that children receive when playing. There is a page detailing the physical, emotional, creative, social, behavioural and inquisitive benefits of play. Symbols on each play activity page will tell you which of these benefits your child is receiving from each game they play.”

I used this app for my 3 year old daughter.  


I wasn't impressed and I don't think I would recommend the app.  For my daughter she was in the 2+ section so a lot of the games suggested were a bit basic like 'roll a ball to each other' and I had to scroll through the ideas to get something suitable. When I did I found that you had to make 12 cards with different animals on them and get lots of plastic boxes, I wasn't really sure exactly what they meant tbh so photos would have been good. Some games such as Big Bird required ingredients I hadn't got so need planning. Under travelling games one suggestion was get them to bang a rhythm on an instrument, I wouldn't appreciate this while I am driving, I don't think others would appreciate on public transport. I looked at some of the suggestions for older children indoors, really for me there were too many boisterous games listed that we wouldn't allow in our house.  Also this game was listed in 2 years plus but it talks about encouraging crawling!  My daughter was walking at 12 months.

The front screen could be a little more obvious as to the button you click to then navigate to the next screen for the ideas. Perhaps the Play Ideas button could be really big and the other buttons a bit smaller around it otherwise the navigation was easy and easy to select the age range, activity type - indoor, outdoor or travelling and length of time the activity lasted.

There is a share and a favourite option for each activity, these are good features, however they just need to be a bit more obvious, both the share button and the favourites are blue and blend into the skyline at the top so it took me a while to find. If I hadn't been looking for them I wouldn't have noticed them there.

I didn't think there are enough play ideas for the age group I was searching for, they were either too basic (for a younger age range) or required too much preparation.
 
I would like to seem more activities which require no preparation, to me this is more of a spur of the moment app you click on when you think you have a bit of time and don't know what to do. So it doesn't make sense that some of activities take a lot of planning - collecting toilet rolls, boxes, empty bottles etc.