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I’m sure you’ve all heard or have at least seen on your social something about OSMO but wasn’t sure what it’s about or how it can be beneficial to your kids learning. Well, look no further, I’m here you to give you some insights on what it is and on whether or not it is a good buy in my opinion. Let’s get right into it.
WHAT IS OSMO?
Osmo is a one of a kind gaming accessory that brings excitement and does not leave you feeling guilty about screen time. Osmo is designed with artificial intelligence and embedded with up-to-date technology that bridges both the physical and digital worlds.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE GENIUS STARTER KIT?
The Osmo Genius Starter kit system contains a base/stand for your iPad to sit in and a clip on reflective mirror that attaches to the camera. This recognize and tracks the objects that are placed in front of your iPad. Also included are three stackable storage for the Tangram pieces, Number tiles and Word tiles along with five game apps: Numbers, Tangram, Words, Newton and Masterpiece.
OUR EXPERIENCE
My kids have been going to be bed a little later than they were a month ago and upon receiving our Osmo, it has now become a part of our night time routine. Both my kiddos love to learn. Nate is 9 years old and Sophia is turning 4 in less than a month. Every night after dinner and bath, instead of them reaching for their iPad to watch YouTube and the Nintendo Switch to play Pokemon, they would set the Osmo up on the table and play for about 30 minutes on their own. Honestly, that’s my quiet time because they are so engaged with the games that they’re not calling for mom to get something for them. (Score for mom). They were both involved from day one. The feeling of excitement and curiosity filled their little faces. After all, it was a new game but more so a game that is hands on while having fun together.
The setup itself was simple. I created our account and then downloaded the games. There is an option to download the parent app. This is awesome for those wanting to see their child’s progress.
WORDS GAME:
Let’s start with the Words game. There are 52 letter tiles which contains both red and blue tiles, caps and non caps. The way it works is that you guess the letters, each correct letter appears on the screen until the entire word is revealed. Although the game is for ages 6-10, I can honestly say that my soon to be 4 year old worked along her brother’s side and had fun. Nate guided her by having her sound out the words and Sophie then guessed the letters. It was exciting to hear her sound out of her words and guess most of them correctly. They even raced to see who can find the letters first.
TANGRAM GAME:
This was Sophia’s favorite game. The way it works is simple. You arrange the physical pieces to match the screen puzzles. She loves to build and explore so she was confident and did not want Nate’s help. After she fixes the puzzle, she makes the biggest laugh. It’s a feeling of accomplishment.
I noticed that when Nate is in school, Sophie wants to be independent and would take her iPad and start using the Osmo on her own. I honestly loves that she is doing something educational and is learning so much at the same time. It is definitely prepping her for Junior Kindergarten which she is starting in Sept 2022.
NUMBERS GAME:
You kids will be ready to dive into an ocean of math fun. The Numbers game is set in an underwater world and the kids must use their skills to burst the bubbles, save the fish and collect all of the surprises. Which kid doesn’t like surprises? They get to practice their subtraction, addition and multiplication while having fun. It starts off very easy however it does become more challenging as you move up.
While Nate is breezing through the games as he is in a split class and is a math wiz, he has been a rockstar in working with his sister on each of the puzzles. He guides and cheers her on while refreshing his mind at the same time.
MASTERPIECE GAME:
Masterpiece is a fun interactive drawing tool. Using the screen as an interactive guide, the image of the paper is replicated onto the screen making it easy for the kids to follow the lines of the image. I’ve got to say that this one took a little getting used to at first. It is more challenging for Sophie but Nate has now mastered it. I love that it allows you to save your drawings to a gallery which can be shared with family and friends especially the grandparents who are not close by. It brings out their creativity and allows for them to draw with confidence. The photo below is Nate’s first attempt and trust us when we say, practice makes perfect.
NEWTON GAME:
Fun Fact: Nate and Sophie enjoyed being OSMONAUTS.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit was gifted to us for this review. No other compensation was received.