When I was at the Battroborg Settle the Score event in New York I met Rich, Rich works with companies that produce kids games for iOS. He sent me a loaner iPad 2 loaded up with a couple of games for me to try out and review. Opinions of the games are 100% my own.

The first game that I tried out was Monkey Preschool Fix-It. This is a good app for kids who are old enough to know how to use the iPad. If they know how to drag items across the screen and press and keep their fingers pressed to the screen then they will enjoy playing this game and learning how to identify shapes, letters and how to match puzzles. My son is nearly two and he does not use our iPad that often so I had to hold his finger to the screen to get him to move things around. He was delighted by the monkey and his antics but he’s just too young to get any real benefit from the game at this time. Eva is older and she already knows how to identify everything that comes up in the app so she moved on quickly. Although, she did say that the monkey was cute.

So, I have two kids, one on the cusp of being ready to use this app and one who is already too old for it. I’d say that this would be a good app for kids from 2 1/2 to 4 years old. It is a good app for getting kids excited about identifying basic shapes and letters and also how to match. The graphics and animations are very well done. I got a little sick of the sounds after a while and needed to turn the monkey down. The app is fast paced and colorful so it will keep a child’s attention. There are all sorts of colorful characters who interact with the monkey, too.

When Andrew gets a little older and uses the iPad more then I can see us using these games to help him identify his shapes, think about matching and also identify letters. He’s just starting to learn that now. I can certainly see the benefits from this game. If you have multiple kids then you can take advantage of the added benefit of using the accounts feature so that up to three kids can have their own playrooms with their own toys in the game. When a child does well on a few of the mini games they earn a virtual toy that they can place in their playroom. It is a virtual wind up toy that when tapped will come to life and perform an animation. The better the child does in teh game the more toys they earn for their playroom.

Here’s what I’d like to see added to the game. I’d like to see a for parents page that let’s parents know what letters the children may be having trouble with. Are they mixing up their Bs and Ds? Those sorts of things. Then maybe see a graph with the child’s improvement over time.

I have the official launch press release that tells more about the game.

Thup Games launches Monkey Preschool Fix-It

NEW YORK, NY – September 24, 2013 – Thup Games, creator of popular children’s early learning apps, is announcing the release of Monkey Preschool Fix-It on Apple App Store.

Fix-It is the fifth offering to star Thup’s loveable Monkey character, carrying on the design philosophy of empowering kids to learn and play on their own. The first game in the series, Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, is the most downloaded game for preschoolers in the U.S. iOS App Store.

This installment takes the Monkey out of the jungle and into a busy workshop environment, with lively interactions like hammering nails, sawing wood, drilling bolts, and fixing toy cars. This toddler-friendly app features a collection of minigames that reinforce early childhood lessons including shape recognition, letter and number identification, and matching puzzles.

“Monkey Preschool Fix-It’s stages are built around classic early childhood lessons – ABC’s, 1-2-3’s, and shape and pattern recognition,” said Jim Nichols, co-founder of Thup. “It incorporates play styles that are interactive motor skill driven actions. We think it’s a great addition to the Monkey Preschool experience.”

About Thup Games
Founded in 2002, Thup has created all kinds of games for all kinds of people. In 2009 Thup launched their first app, Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, recognizing the need for learning apps that kids would relate to and love. Since then, Thup has created five preschool games starring the loveable Monkey character, available on a universe of mobile devices through Apple’s App Store, Amazon App Store and Google Play. Thup is proud to have been named to “best kids’ apps” lists by CBS New York, Conde Nast Traveler, Babble.com and Parents Magazine as well as having been awarded an Editor’s Choice award from Children’s Technology Review. Prior to launching their own portfolio, Thup has produced games for media companies like Viacom and Turner Entertainment.