When I write for edu.Mac.nation I write from various perspectives. In some posts I am “wearing” my teacher tie, in other posts I am “wearing” my daddy hat, and in the mix you can find me “carrying” my Mac backpack full of tips and tricks. In the [Apps for Toddlers] series I feel that I wear both the “daddy hat” and the “teacher tie” at the same time. This post on matching games for the iPhone/iPod Touch serves both “daddy hat” and “teacher tie” purposes…

My son loves matching games. He also loves animals and singing his ABC’s for us anytime that he has a chance. For the past few months he has been playing “AniMatch” with his grandfather, Gary the “Boomer”, and recently he has been playing “ABC Match” with me. Both are created by the same developer, Lima Sky, and both are excellent values at .99 cents.

Below are links to the iTunes Store for both applications, a video of my son playing both games, followed by in-depth reviews from Scott at iear.org, my father (Gary the “Boomer”), and myself.

(“ABC Memory Match” iTunes Link- )

(“AniMatch” iTunes Link-)

(Check the bottom of the post for a YouTube version)

Below is the video and review of “ABC Match” recently done by Scott…

I Education Apps Review – I Educational Apps Review – ABC Memory Match – Review #4

“Program Functionality: A – Easy to use and it has never crashed on us. The score at the end might not mean much to kids this age so perhaps a younger scoring system would be more appropriate.

Purpose: A – My daughter has really enjoyed this application. The best part of the application is the linking of capital letters with lower case letters. The program effectively helps kids work on their letter recognition and combines it with a memory game as well.

Overall Educational Value: B – I think this would be an interesting tool for kindergarten teachers for assessing their students. I would give this app an A if a teacher / adult could manipulate the program a little by telling it what letters to use.”

(Via iear.org.)

I concur with Scott on the program functionality, purpose, and overall educational value of “ABC Match”. The application has been extremely stable and my son was able to quickly adapt to the game due to his experience playing “AniMatch”. The mixture of lowercase and uppercase letters demonstrates the developer’s close attention to detail. The buttons are easy to push, the sound clarity is crisp, response time is prompt, and the colors/images are vivid and engaging. I agree with Scott that an options pane would be useful for customizing the letters. It is possible that this could be something coming in the future. Even if it does not, the ease of use and immediacy of getting right into the game is positive considering some applications in the app store attempt to provide extra customization but in the end clutter or decrease usability.

edu.Mac.nation Score: 4.5 out of 5

This weekend my father sent me an email containing his reflections (that he wanted to share with you all) on “AniMatch” from his “Grandpa hat” perspective…

Of all the titles I’ve held during my lifetime, none is more important than “Grandpa.” All the aches and pains of life vanish when my little 2-year old grandson Noah comes running through the door. When we’re together, it’s not long before he wants to see my iPhone and discover what apps I’ve added for him.

His favorite, at least on my phone, is Animals Memory Match aka “AniMatch”. He jumps into my lap and away we go matching animal after animal. I sometimes give the wrong name to the animal and he quickly corrects me.

The developer, Lima Sky, has done a wonderful job of keeping the cost low ($.99) and the game fresh. I’ve lost track of how many times they’ve added new animals

The one thing that the developer couldn’t program into the game is the celebratory “arm pump” that my grandson gives after each match.

No parent or grandparent of a young child should be without “AniMatch.”

by Boomer

edu.Mac.nation Boomer Score: 5 out of 5

Thanks Dad!

I have seen how happy my dad is when he plays this with my son.

What do you think?

Have you found any other matching games or Lima Sky applications that you find educational, entertaining, or both?

Please share in the comments and let me know what you think!

Also, if you are a teacher, parent, or application developer interested in educational applications make sure to check out the I Educational App Review Network (Ning). We are asking questions, sharing ideas, and discussing thoughts related to using iPhones/iPod Touches for educational purposes. Come share!

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