**Product received for review.
As a Christian mom, I am always on the lookout for fun ways to keep Jesus at the heart of our holiday celebrations and to teach my son (and eventually my daughter) the true meaning behind Christmas. We incorporate it into our decor, listen to classic Christmas hymns and have found some amazing books as well. But let's be honest, for many kids these days- my son included- it's all about the technology. Honestly, he would much rather play on Mommy or Daddy's iPhone than sit down to read an actual book...so the Nativity Story app for the iPhone or iPad was a perfect fit for our family. Here is a little bit about the app:
Where will baby Jesus be born? At the market? At a restaurant? At the inn? Readers of this book app can follow Joseph and Mary on their search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. Along the way they encounter a variety of colourful local people and animals. This is a fun and engaging way to share the original story of Christmas with the young generation and remind them what Christmas is all about.
A phone app that not only teaches my technologically savvy little man about the birth of Christ, but also keeps him engaged in the story? Yes, please! My little guy can be quite picky about books- both regular and digital, but this app truly has so many features to keep him interested...
The Story:
There are two options available with this app- you can read to yourself or be read to, making it ideal for any level reader to enjoy. In the app, we follow Mary and Joseph in their journey through Bethlehem as they search for a place to stay for the night. It is written beautifully and has a great rhythm that children and parents alike will love, and helps to keep little ones engaged in the story. After you've finished reading this creative version, you can also read the story as told in the bible as well.
The Visual Appeal:
The artwork in this app are truly amazing. It has classic woodcut style illustrations that certainly captured MY attention as an adult. It has a vintage pop up book style look to it, which makes it great for us adults, but also remains fun for the little eyes as well. For me personally, the graphics certainly make this app memorable.
The Interaction:
For my son...and most kids I'm sure...this is what it's all about. It may be a beautifully written story with amazing illustrations, but that's not what he cared about most! For him, interactive features were the key and this app was full of them. Throughout the story, there were speech bubbles that your little one could click on to hear the characters speak, adding more depth to the story. They could also move the characters and different elements throughout the story as well. (My son particularly liked tossing around a couple caged chickens...it added no real significance to the story, but kept him entertained and made him want to keep going.) He could knock on doors, tap on windows, pull chains, etc to introduce new characters into the story and help in the search for a place to stay. But perhaps our favorite interaction was at the end when you could help a band of angels play their instruments. So much fun all around!
Overall, we absolutely LOVED this app. If you have a little one who loves technology and you're looking for a fun way to keep the birth of Jesus in the center of your holiday celebrations, the Nativity Story app is a great way to do it. And at just $1.99 for the iPhone and $3.99 for the iPad, it's very affordable as well! You can learn more or purchase the app by following the links below:
The Story:
There are two options available with this app- you can read to yourself or be read to, making it ideal for any level reader to enjoy. In the app, we follow Mary and Joseph in their journey through Bethlehem as they search for a place to stay for the night. It is written beautifully and has a great rhythm that children and parents alike will love, and helps to keep little ones engaged in the story. After you've finished reading this creative version, you can also read the story as told in the bible as well.
The Visual Appeal:
The artwork in this app are truly amazing. It has classic woodcut style illustrations that certainly captured MY attention as an adult. It has a vintage pop up book style look to it, which makes it great for us adults, but also remains fun for the little eyes as well. For me personally, the graphics certainly make this app memorable.
The Interaction:
For my son...and most kids I'm sure...this is what it's all about. It may be a beautifully written story with amazing illustrations, but that's not what he cared about most! For him, interactive features were the key and this app was full of them. Throughout the story, there were speech bubbles that your little one could click on to hear the characters speak, adding more depth to the story. They could also move the characters and different elements throughout the story as well. (My son particularly liked tossing around a couple caged chickens...it added no real significance to the story, but kept him entertained and made him want to keep going.) He could knock on doors, tap on windows, pull chains, etc to introduce new characters into the story and help in the search for a place to stay. But perhaps our favorite interaction was at the end when you could help a band of angels play their instruments. So much fun all around!
Overall, we absolutely LOVED this app. If you have a little one who loves technology and you're looking for a fun way to keep the birth of Jesus in the center of your holiday celebrations, the Nativity Story app is a great way to do it. And at just $1.99 for the iPhone and $3.99 for the iPad, it's very affordable as well! You can learn more or purchase the app by following the links below:
The Nativity Story App: http://puddletap.com/apps/miracles/nativity/
Watch a video on The Nativity Story App: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtBhge8DWFA
Download The Nativity Story fact sheet: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7p2cmw6uh1yyq9o/nativity_story_app_info_english.pdf
Disclosure: I received the app above in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
This is awesome, I will have to download it for my little guy. He is just getting to like stories and I'm always looking for Christian books for him.
ReplyDeleteWe are always looking for good books that emphasize the reason for the season. Thanks for a great review!
ReplyDelete