Normally speaking like many parents, I try and keep screen time down to a minimum. However we are now in week 7 of lockdown and sometimes the girls (and me) need a little down time and the only way I can stop the girls tearing around like loonies is to put them in front of a screen. Osmo is fast becoming a favourite in our household, it not only provides quiet time, it’s hand’s on and interactive.
Osmo is a total parent win, it’s engaging, encourages your child to think outside the box, it’s educational and most importantly fun. There are so many different apps and activities to choose from including puzzles and coding, phonics and letters, maths and drawing and so much more. Bella absolutely loves playing Osmo and it’s really given her the confidence to try new things, whether it’s helping Queen Elsa draw a snowflake or making the shapes of letters from the Alphabet.
It’s really easy to set up and navigate and each activity and challenge is completed with Mo, a loveable furry Monster who makes the whole Osmo experience extra fun. He is full of life and always makes Bella giggle and he is voiced by Jaime Camil from Disney’s Pixar COCO and TV’s Jane the Virgin. We have been sent three amazing Osmo activities to try and I wanted to review each one for you.
Osmo Little Genius Sticks and Rings
With the help of Mo, your children are encouraged to make the shape of letters on their Osmo mat, whist copying the letters they see on the screen. Once your child has made their letter, they click the green arrow and Mo works his magic and drags their letter so it appears on the screen, Bella is always amazed when that happens! Mo then sounds the letter out and he spells out a word that the letter begins with.
Mo then asks your child to draw the shape of the word he spelt out, for example carrot or tent. This activity has been brilliant for Bella because she’s always scared of getting things wrong and Osmo Little Genius Sticks and Rings encourages her to step outside her comfort zone. She always has the biggest sense of achievement when she completes an activity, it’s really lovely to watch.
Osmo Little Genius Costume Pieces
This is Bella’s favourite Osmo activity so far, Mo reads you stories which takes your character (hero) on all sorts of adventures. Each story has puzzles to solve and there are characters that need help. Using the costume pieces you solve the puzzles by dressing your character in the appropriate headwear and clothing. For example there’s a sleeping bear blocking your path and you need to wake him up gently, so your child is encouraged to find a costume piece that has an accessory that they can use to wake the bear.
One of the costume pieces has a guitar, so if you placed that on your character on the Osmo mat and then tap the guitar when it’s flashing on the screen, your character starts to play the guitar and wakes up the bear. With each character you meet, you have to solve a puzzle and help them before you can move on. I love how this game gets children to think logically and it definitely holds their attention well.
Osmo Super Studio Frozen 2
I love how creative and hands on this activity is. Both of the girls are Frozen fans so Bella was really excited to get stuck in. Your child is encouraged to embrace their inner artist as they are taken on a magical Frozen 2 adventure. There are 30 pages in the Super Sketcher and each page sets different challenges, as well as teaching your child new ways to draw.
Using your Super Marker you work your way through the Super Sketcher and complete all sorts of fun challenges. Whether it be designing Anna’s dress or drawing Olaf’s nose, hand and hair or helping Elsa by drawing snowflakes, once you have completed your picture, your creation appears on the screen! You can then add colour and even glitter and watch in amazement as your creation comes to life!
I am really impressed with Osmo and I’ll definitely be adding more games and accessories to Bella’s collection. There are two different bases; one for the iPad and one for the Amazon Fire Tablet. You can buy a Little Genius Starter Kit (aimed at 3-5 year olds) for just £79 and this includes; Osmo Base, Little Genius Sticks & Rings, Little Genius Costume Pieces , plus 4 game apps including ABCs, Squiggle Magic, Costume Party and Stories.
It’s great value for money and will provide hours of fun, whilst your child is constantly learning. We use Osmo everyday and it’s definitely helping Bella learn her phonics. There are lots of games and apps you can buy which is great for supporting your child’s educational needs as they grow. Check out their website https://www.playosmo.com and see for yourselves!
MamaDoIt 