Planet Mechanic
In Planet Mechanic, players meet the demands of fickle aliens who can’t seem to make up their minds about what conditions they want on their planet.
mnth
mnth
mnth
mnth
yrs
yrs
yrs
yrs
yrs
yrs
yrs
yrs
yrs
yrs
What is it
Key learning objectives
- Learn how the Earth-sun-moon system affects the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons
- Learn how gravity affects motions of planets and other objects within galaxies and the solar system
What our team of testers said
"It was fun but also really hard." - Boy aged 11
"Oh longer, so make it (the rotation) bigger." - Girl aged 11
Skills Developed
- Teaches children about planets
- Introduces scientific terms
- Encourages problem solving
What our experts think
Our testers enjoyed completing the various challenges given to them in Planet Mechanic, and it was great that they were given lots of tools to experiment with, e.g. the planet’s tilt and rotation speed. Some children really got imaginative with the game, changing the controls and laughing about how the planet’s inhabitants might be reacting!
We liked that there were explanations available to children about how the planet was affected by each control, e.g. the temperature. Children engaged well with the problem solving and it really got them thinking about what they might change to get the result they wanted. It was also lovely to find that the app encouraged discussions around planets and the effects of their properties.
It would be even better if...
Children felt a bit overwhelmed at the amount of controls and information they were given. When they got stuck there was also a lot of frustration, so an adult might need to provide some support (this is a good chance for discussion to solve the problem). You can tap on the indicators on the right hand side to see how each is affected, to work out what changes might be needed to meet the goal.
Features
- Brands: Filament Games
-
Key Features:
- No external links
- No 3rd party adverts
- No links to ‘more apps’
- No in-app purchasing
- Child Restrictions: Yes - no restrictions required
- Languages available:
- Apple version: iPad
Requires iOS 5.1.1 or later - Android version: 2.2 and up
- App Types: Educational Apps
- Types of skills developed: Cognitive
Logic, strategy & problem solving
Science
Speech, language and communication skills
Trial and error learning
Understanding the world
Vocabulary building
