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Today Osmo is launching a new learning series called Math Wizard! The first two releases in the Math Wizard series are Magical Workshop, which focuses on addition and subtraction, and Secrets of the Dragons, which focuses on measurement. We were gifted the Secrets of the Dragons game and I can honestly say it exceeded all my expectations.
My kids had a blast playing with the Osmo Coding Starter Kit that I shared with you a few weeks ago, and I appreciated that it was educational and hands-on screen time for them. So when Osmo offered to send us their newest game for review, of course I said yes!
The Osmo Math Wizard series is designed for kids age 6 to 8 in 1st and 2nd Grades. My 6 year old son is in 1st grade, so he is the perfect candidate for this game. As soon as he opened the Secrets of the Dragons box and peeked inside he was excited about the game!
TOY OVERVIEW:
The Secrets of the Dragons game comes with a Dragon Guidebook, 2 rulers (one in centimeters and one in inches), and 62 food tokens featuring 18 different foods in 9 different lengths. To play the game you need an iPad or Fire Tablet, an Osmo base, and download the Math Wizard app.
In the game, the dragons live in different biomes. Kids can discover new species of dragons in each biome. Every time they discover a new dragon they have to look it up in their Dragon Guidebook. Then they need to determine if it is the baby, youth, or adult dragon by looking at its size and features. Then the kids measure the dragon with the ruler, in either centimeters or inches as specified in the game.
Next, the dragons want to be fed. To successfully feed the dragon you need to get the right number of food tokens to fill the length of the dragon from head to tail, and meet their food preferences. The dragon gives you emoji faces to let you know if they like the food or not.
After you’ve fed a dragon several times it will start to trust you and give you an egg to care for. The egg gets placed in the Dragon Preserve. The baby dragon hatches when you tap the egg. Then you find the species in the Dragon Guide Book and measure and feed the baby dragon. Kids get to name and care for the baby dragon until it grows into an adult dragon. Naming and caring for the babies is one of my son’s favorite parts of the game.
MY TOY REVIEW:
I like how the Secrets of the Dragons isn’t just a game for the iPad. The Dragon Guidebook has so much for the kids to explore and learn. It has become my son’s prized possession – he keeps it in his room next to his bed. He spends hours reading it for fun to learn about each dragon in the game.
The Dragon Guidebook has a two page spread dedicated to each dragon. On the first page it has a picture, a short description of the dragon, and space to write in the dragon’s favorite food and measurements. The second page is what is used with the iPad to measure and feed the dragon.
My son is just learning to read and write independently this year in school, and he has been excited to read about the dragons and write the dragon’s favorite foods and measurements in the Dragon Guidebook. I am thrilled that this is not only getting him excited about math and measurement, but he is also getting excited about reading and writing.
Every detail is so well done. The outer packaging looks like an ancient Dragon Supply Kit. The Dragon Guidebook, that is used to measure and feed the dragons, is made of thick binding and has an old world look and feel. The rulers are a sturdy but bendable plastic, so they will hold up to my kids playing with them, and they come in a nice case. The food tokens are a thick coated cardboard that are easy to handle and I know will stand the test of time.
It is so fun for my son to get to select the food for the dragons. He loves to look at all the food tokens, and then thoughtfully select foods to feed each dragon, based on their size and preference. He and my daughter giggle when the give a dragon a food it dislikes and it gives them a gross face emoji. And they are thrilled when they find a food the dragon loves and it gives them a heart eyes emoji.
I’ve been asked before (and wondered myself) is Osmo worth it? Because it is a more expensive game for kids. I’d say this game is definitely worth the price. I feel like it is so well thought out and executed with high quality materials and graphics, so you’re definitely getting your money’s worth for this product.
STEAM CONCEPTS LEARNED:
- Science: Kids are learning how to care for the the dragons by feeding them the correct amount of food (too much and they get a stomach ache, too little and they are still hungry), and give them food they like. This is similar to how you would feed any person or animal – give them the correct amount of food and food they enjoy and helps them grow. They also learn about the dragon lifecycle and can grow a dragon from an egg, to a baby, to a youth, and finally an adult.
- Technology: I like how this game helps my son become more proficient at using the iPad. So much of our world is online now, so it’s important he learns how to use iPads and computers. Using this game he is learning how to use to the touch screen to open the app, select tasks, and typing in the app. He is also learning about the amazing things you can create (like this app) with technology.
- Arts: I love how the dragon theme is opening my son’s mind to a whole new imaginary world. When kids can imagine new things there is no limits to what they can create in the future. I also appreciate how this game has a reading and writing aspect that encourages my son to practice those critical life skills.
- Math: Kids are learning to measure with a ruler in both centimeters and inches. They are also learning to measure using non-standard units (the food tokens). They learn to estimate length (by looking at the dragon and determining if it is a baby, youth, or adult sized dragon), and adding lengths (using multiple small food tokens together to fill a dragon).
My son did not have any real experience with measurement before using this game. Now he is measuring the dragons with rulers in both inches and centimeters independently, and he is able to use food tokens to measure the dragons. I am so impressed with how quickly he has learned to measure with this game.
The Math Wizard series is available on Amazon and on the Osmo website. The Secrets of the Dragons game would make a great gift for any 6 to 8 year olds in your life. They will have so much fun searching for and feeding the dragons, that they won’t realize how much they are learning about measurement.
