Osmo Coding Awbie

Do not get this. If you’ve already purchased the kit, don’t open it and return it. The recognition is so awful, my kids are getting turned off to coding. It’s unbelievably frustrating to watch them figure out the symbology, place the tiles correctly, and then every 15 seconds say, “Dad, isn’t this right?” And of course it’s right, but the character keeps running into trees. The trouble shooting support is laughable. Does everything except admit that the recognition is at fault. Yes, the camera settings are correct. Yes the lighting is more than adequate. Yes, the stand and mirror are positioned correct. Yes, the software is updated. Save yourself the frustration and money. Hopefully all this is going to cost you is the time you took to purchase it and then return it. If I find another app that helps my kids understand and love coding, I’ll update this review.

The app is nicely conceptualized. Like all the Osmo products, the screen plus hands-on-pieces combination really keeps my six year old engaged in learning. This and all Osmo products are a nice complement to existing curricula, especially when kids are home with school closures. But the app crashes (closes unexpectedly) every four or five minutes and my six year old loses a little bit of progress each time—thankfully, not all progress in the level is lost. This has really cut her motivation and she no longer wants to play this game. Other Osmo apps, especially the pizza game, have kept her engaged on an ongoing basis and they are much more stable. Would give this five stars if it didn’t crash so much.

My five year old loves this coding game so much it's all he talks about. However, he's blown through every available level in a few weeks (would have been sooner if we let him have more iPad time). He's asking me every day if there is an update yet? Is there an idea of when more levels will be available?