Review: Team Umizoomi Kite Building Adventure iPhone App

Image: Nick Jr.

If your kids are fans of the new-ish show, Team Umizoomi, they will enjoy a new app for the iPod Touch/iPhone called Team Umizoomi Kite Building Adventure! On the game’s main screen, you have the option to Meet Team Umizoomi or Play the game. Selecting the first option opens Safari and takes you to the Team Umizoomi website where you can learn about the characters from the show or see Team Umizoomi videos.

Image: Nick Jr.

When you choose Play, the game starts with a skippable video that tells you what the whole game is about. Next are skippable directions for the first game, which you play with Geo. You tilt the iPod to fly up in the sky, trying to match shapes to the blueprints of three different kites. Avoid the shapes you don’t need, and fly into pinwheels to make Geo spin around. Once you’ve built the three kites, your results are shown. You are then quickly moved on to skippable directions for the second game, which you play with Milli. You help her walk through the grass trying to collect the next item in a pattern that she describes. If you make Milli run into a butterfly, she’ll do a special twirl for you. On either of these games, if you hit the wrong shape or pattern item, it says, “Not quite!” If you miss the item you are supposed to get, the next time it comes around it is blinking.

Image: Nick Jr.

After playing both of these games, you get to see the kites you rescued at the kite festival. You can then make your own kite. You choose which kite to make from three choices, drag the proper shapes onto the kite blueprint, then put patterns on the kite shapes. From here, you can save the kite, which puts a photo of the screen in your Photos section, or create a new kite. You can also play the game again, which takes you back to the very beginning. There are more than three possible kite blueprints, so each time you play the game, it is slightly different.

That’s all there is to the game, but it is very true to the show. If your kids enjoy watching and playing along with the show, they will love this app. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t include the awesome theme song from the show as a part of the app, but perhaps that could be a future improvement. There is some background music that is very un-kid-show-like, which is nice.

Image: Nick Jr.

Bot doesn’t do much in this game, unfortunately, but he’s there to complete the team. Perhaps in a future version, his belly screen will feature more prominently. Be sure to listen to Natania Barron’s earlier GeekDad interview with Donovan Patton, of Blue’s Clues fame, who does the voice for Bot.

There isn’t much challenge to this game for school age children, but it is perfect for the preschool set. Team Umizoomi Kite Building Adventure! is available for $1.99 from the iTunes app store.

Wired: This game is just like the show, and incredibly cute. Will help teach very small kids shapes and patterns. Also has a creative element.

Tired: There is no way (that I found) to pause this game, nor can you only play one part of the game. It’s all or nothing. You also don’t get to unfurl Milli’s hair.

Note: I received a free copy of this app for review purposes.