It’s fun hearing my kids create their own Mad Libs stories, just like I used to do with my friends (even if every other word used is some sort of potty joke). So, it’s no surprise that they all think a new app we’ve discovered is a big hit, especially when we get stuck in traffic and need something to take our mind off the slowly passing time.
SparkleFish App for iOS and Nook is a very simple-to-use app that has you plug in nouns, adjectives, numbers, and other words into a story that is then read back by a narrator—often to the screams of laughter coming from the back seat of my minivan.
Hold down the little microphone and answer the prompts before moving through more than ten screens to finish the story. Kids can even play this alone, since the story itself isn’t visible at first.
Graphics are easy to understand, though kids will need to be able to read to know what type of word they need to say into the microphone. Don’t worry if your kids forget what an adjective is–SparkleFish gives you examples like “smooth, ruddy, or slimy.” It’s a great way to get a little grammar practice into the day without it feeling like a lesson.
The only challenge I have was that when the narrator reads the story back, I find it hard to follow the story with my perky voice popping in. My kids have no such problem, probably because they use a different crazy voice for each word, making the story so much more fun when it’s read back.
SparkleFish is free and comes loaded with five stories that you can use as often as you like, even saving your favorites to play back over and over again, at lesat if you are my children. Hey, at least they aren’t fighting over the radio station. –Christina
Check out the iOS and Nook app SparkleFish. The app is free with five stories loaded. Extra stories can be purchased through the app.
