Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are subject areas that can be a bit intimidating for kids, but toys and tech make these concepts much more approachable. New to the Tiggly family of app-enhanced toys for preschoolers is Tiggly Counts, a set of counting rods kids can use with corresponding Tiggly apps, such as the newly released Tiggly Addventure, which allows kids to have fun while learning basic math concepts.
In Tiggly Addventure, available now for iOS devices, kids must use their Tiggly Counts toys to build bridges and ladders to get the adorable Tiggly character to his destination, like bringing an apple to Grandma’s house.
The scenery is simply stunning, a noticeable upgrade from the previous set of Tiggly apps, which corresponded to the company’s Tiggly Shapes toys and were mostly 2D. Each element has gorgeous texture that parents will greatly appreciate, giving the app a homespun and classic feel, while also tapping into kids’ creative senses.
Once the Tiggly character approaches a gap, kids must tap their counting toys to the tablet to build the bridge. The first gap, for example, has 10 spaces, so kids can place any combination of the one through five counting toys to total up to 10 spaces. If kids end up overestimating, the app kindly prompts them to try again (a friendly looking monster swoops you back to the beginning), without the use of any overly discouraging sounds or phrases.
The toys themselves are magnetic, so kids can connect multiple toys together to form long chains. Each counting toy also features a hole through the middle of each section, so kids can tap the tablet without having to remove the toys.
Kids are also able to pick up fun accessories for the Tiggly character throughout the game, such as a mustache, an eye patch, a pair of oversized and silly glasses, or a floral hat. There are also additional touch points for kids to discover, such as shaking the tree so leave fall off, or swinging the colorful buttons hanging from the bridge. While the app is extremely interactive and kids can explore the game without the Tiggly Counts toys, having the toys on-hand really bridges the gap between the physical and virtual world and makes the learning much more tangible.
A sensory overload of cuteness, Tiggly Addventures and Tiggly Counts are sure to put an adorable and easy-to-learn spin on math and counting concepts.