We’re testing out a fun, educational iPad game for preschoolers, Captain McFinn Swim & Play, in partnership with Influence Central and Captain McFinn. I got a subscription to try out the app, plus another promotional item for sharing. Read on to see why this app is so fun for preschool learning!
In the digital age, it is so tough to get the kids away from electronics. They always want to play games. Games, games, GAMES. So, why not have your kids playing a fun, yet educational game that they love?
I downloaded Captain McFinn Swim & Play, an iPad only app that focuses on interactive learning for preschoolers aged 3-5 years old. Kids are immersed into an underwater world where there are learning games, social activities, fun characters and even a live host! This app is the first of it’s kind: the live host element makes this kind of like an online preschool, the “host” guides the activities and reads stories to multiple students, while they can actually share their work with one another!
There are a bunch of great features that the Swim & Play app has to offer young learners. My daughter will be 4 in a couple of weeks, and she just LOVES this game. After playing around with the app (and please know, my little girl was NOT happy when she was told to turn the iPad off), we’ve been able to pinpoint what we love about it.
5 Reasons We Love Captain McFinn Swim & Play App for Preschoolers
1. Immersion learning
Preschoolers dive into the sea where their underwater adventure awaits! Your Deep Sea Explorer host is a live, human being, who is able to guide each lesson, reading stories and leading activities for multiple children at once. The whole platform is interactive, the host can only see each child’s avatar fish and creates fun activities based upon what they’ve shown interest in.
2. Personalization and praise
When you begin playing Captain McFinn Swin & Play, your kids will create a fish avatar, which represents them throughout the game. The host knows each user by name, and speaks to them individually during each lesson. Also, each user can share their work, receive a badge for hard work, and applaud the work of others. Talk about positive reinforcement!
3. Social and behavioral skills
In preschool, it is important for kids to learn social skills, conflict resolution, sharing, and politeness. Since users are interacting with the host and occasionally the other kids, they have to learn to respect others, recognize when it’s their turn, and when to ask for help. Children can be social butterflies and choose to share their work with the class. For those who are having a little trouble in the social department, this app makes it easy to get them interested!
4. Fun and engagingÂ
No two Captain McFinn sessions are the same, there are various different ways to play and components to the learning experience. There are daily learning activities that are guided by the host, and they can contain many of the following: interacting with silly sea creatures, triggered by the user, full length Captain McFinn episodes, a drawing tool, silly  animated characters, building sand castles, puzzles, matching music, and so much more. The experience that each child has is specific to them, and they love it!
5. Secure and safe!
This one is super important. We want to make sure our kids are safe online, and when you’re introducing preschoolers to a tablet, especially with a live host, they are no exception. I like the fact that the kids can see and hear the host, but the host cannot see the kids. Also, users can communicate with their host only, so there is no chatting amongst other users. Parents can be involved every step of the way. It is reassuring to know that they’ve got all of these safety concerns covered!
Swim & Play with Captain McFinn!
Captain McFinn Swim & Play is revolutionizing the digital space for preschoolers, I have truly never heard of anything like it! I usually cannot stand to let my kids play on our electronics for long periods of time, but I do let them kids slide on this one. Get your iPad, iOS 8 software, connect to wifi and download Captain McFinn on iTunes. There is a small subscription fee, so your child can access a live host at any time they’re available and join the class! I really do love the concept, and both of my kids do, too!
Captain McFinn website: http://www.captainmcfinn.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaptainMcFinn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Captain_McFinn
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/captainmcfinn/
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/McFinnandFriends
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The app complies with all COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) safety standards, so although parents/children can see the host, the host cannot see them. Through proprietary technology, the host reacts to prompts, responses and creations by the child and texts from the parent (through a secure chat box) to make the interactive experience truly customized.