Inside: Find out how to make screen time learning fun with the FirstCry Playbees Educational App!
Ready to make screen time learning fun?
As a new mom, I was extremely anti-screen time. I thought screens for toddlers were counterintuitive to learning…but man, was I wrong!
With the right boundaries and with the right apps you can make screen time for your toddler full of learning fun.
When my daughter reached 2 and a half years old, I began to implement educational screen time filled with apps that promoted age-appropriate learning alongside our morning learning time.
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It taught my daughter independent learning while reiterating what I was teaching her, such as helping her learn colors, sharps, and rhymes. And we’ve continued to search for educational apps ever since.
I recently partnered with FirstCry to try their brand new educational app and it was a completely hit!
The FirstCry PlayBees educational app is great for children to build and work on existing skills while keeping the fun in learning. From colors and numbers to rhymes and letters, your child can begin learning in a fun, new way!
In this review, I’ll walk you through the complete app and show you the best features my daughter enjoyed as well as share my personal thoughts on this educational app.
FirstCry PlayBees Educational App
How to Download
The FirstCry Playbees learning app can be easily downloaded and installed on any iOS or Android device. You simply open the app store, search for the app, and then you’ll be prompted to download it.
Here are the direct links to the PlayBees app in the app store for each device:
Android PlayStore
iOS AppStore
The First Cry Playbees app is free to download so you can poke around the app and get a feel for it.
How it Works
What I love most about the First Cry PlayBees educational app is the ability to download certain games within the app that can be used with an internet connection. Which is great for car rides and errand runs!
There is a free section in the app which includes some stories, games, and songs. You can let your little one play around with the free section to see if this educational app is the right fit.
You can also start a free 14 day trial to access the entire app that includes all of its features:
- Educational Games
- Stories
- Rhymes
- Read Aloud
- Flip Books & more!
It currently has over 1,000 games, rhymes, stories and books.
Within the app, you can set the age range for your child so the app gives you age-appropriate games and activities for your little one. I love this app because it can grow with your child and meet their developmental needs as they continue to learn!
There are 3 age ranges:
- 0-2 years old
- 2-4 years old
- 4-6 years old
My Honest Review
I’m usually skeptical to purchase subscription-based learning apps because I usually find all of them to be the same. And honestly, it’s sometimes cheaper to just download different free learning apps instead of purchasing a yearlong subscription to one app that your child will get bored with…
But I can honestly admit, this is the first educational subscription-based app my daughter has truly enjoyed.
So far, my daughter has enjoyed most games and really likes the story section of the app. She has used it long enough to switch her age range from 2-4 years old to 4-6 years old.
She recently turned 4 so I was afraid the app wouldn’t be able to meet her where she is in her developmental transition from 3-4 but the creators did a good job with the difficulty levels and activity variety.
I also really like the ability to download different games and activities within the app that you can use without internet. You can tap the little red arrow in the top right corner of the activity for it to be downloaded within the app.
When I first started poking around the app my daughter was a bit confused with how it worked but we later figured out that you have to individually download each activity you want to play with. I prefer this because it saves on device storage!
That was honestly the only hiccup we had with the app when we first started using it.
How I Schedule Screen time
As you know, screen time is a controversial topic in the parenting world but I believe screen time can be used as a great educational tool when boundaries are set.
Every day after our morning activity lessons, my daughter is able to have 30 minutes of educational screen time. This helps her independently play while reiterating what we were just learning!
For the first 10 minutes, I sit with her on the app to engage and use that time for bonding and for the last 20 minutes she is able to play on the educational app as she wants. I personally have very strict standards for what my daughter is exposed to at such a young age so having an educational app that I trust really makes all the difference!
Subscription Details
Basic– includes rhymes, games, and stories for $24.99 a year
Gold– includes rhymes, games, stories and read aloud books for $34.99 a year
Platinum– includes rhymes, games, stories, read aloud books, and flip books for $39.99 a year
Each subscription package does include a monthly subscription option starting from $2.99 a month.
Disclaimer: I was gifted with a year subscription to the First Cry PlayBees app but this in no way affects my review of the app. My opinions and views are my own.
Recap:
Educational screen time can be a great tool to practice existing skills with proper boundaries.
The FirstCry PlayBees educational app is one of these great tools to help your child learn new milestones and exercise existing skills!
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