Osmo Genius Kit Review: Turn Screen Time into Learning Time
We like
Ming-sharpening tool disguised as playtime
Interactive award winning concept
Entertaining way to boost educational development
Countless colorful gaming possibilities
Artistic and creative approach
Durable and tangible iPad accessory
The apps are simple and easily managed by children
The iPad has to be removed from its safety case to be connected to Osmo
How it works
Have you been looking for an unconventional way to work with an app without touching the screen? What If we tell you that there is a tech toy that runs on your iPad but it can detect shapes and objects when you place them in front of it and actually have those things appear on the screen. Sounds like magic doesn’t it?
Welcome to the wonderful futuristic universe of the Osmo Genius Kit. With this product, you get the best of both worlds since there is immediate feedback of an app that you manipulate with real physical objects. The Osmo Genius kit comes as an educational accessory for an iPad, and for those of you wondering, no, the iPad is not included in the box. The games are meant to be educational yet entertaining so they keep your child focused on learning while playing at the same time.
The creators have described it as a tangible playtime experience and they were even granted the award for the Most Innovative Company in Education for 2017 by Fast Company. It has been included in various toy lists as one of the best toys of 2017 and won Parent’s Choice Magazine’s Gold Award in 2016. TIME magazine included the product in 2014’s Best Invention and famously claimed that it „Turns you into an artist.“
Design
Although when purchasing this product, you also get the Newton and Masterpiece apps for free, the original box included games are Tangram, Words, and Numbers. They are carefully stocked in separate containers and on top of each, there is a user guide that explains the rules. The Numbers game is in a red container and each piece is red and white. The Tangram comes in a yellow box with 7 shape pieces, all in different colors, while the Words game has 2 sets of all the letters from the alphabet, upper and lower cases included. This is quite convenient in case you need to write a word or a name that has two of the same letters.
A white safety case for the base stand is included so you can keep your tech accessory intact and 2 cute complimentary Osmo logo stickers to glam up your iPad. The overall design is simple yet undeniably charming and tasteful.
Entertainment Value
As you can tell from the storing box, the Words game has 2 separate sets of alphabet letters in both red and blue colors. Once you open the game with its adequate app you can choose whether you want to have an Adventure with Osmo characters, play Versus against a friend, Zen with multiple players or Zen Junior for the younger users.
The Adventure game has an adorable owl character named Owla that will guide you on an enchanting educational journey. The game will provide photos of different objects or animals and your child will have to guess the spelling by filling out the empty spaces using the letter blocks. It is constantly entertaining since Owla is interacting with you during the whole guessing game so your children won’t feel like they are taking a test.
As instead, Owla will even help you out and ask you: What do you think this is? I think it’s a CAT! This way children get to learn the proper pronunciation of the word and have a study buddy near them to keep them focused. The cute owl even sparkles tiny hearts every time you get the correct answer so your child can feel rewarded and motivated during the tangible process.
Education
You can also practice counting, adding and dividing by playing the Numbers game. It comes with a number of tiles and it is equipped with different levels of difficulty which is quite motivating for children to improve their math abilities. The counting games and number puzzles are solved by placing the appropriate numbered tiles in front of the iPad and there is a reward for each level the child passes, for example, discovering a baby goldfish and bringing it back to the ocean.
Logic Skills
As you are making the collage of shapes, the colors of the object will become more vivid and the pieces that are not included will remain in their lighter color so your child can get the idea of which object is missing from the puzzle. Similar to the other games, you will get rewarded for your impeccable logic skills after completing each level with a tiny orange gem.
Creativity
Once you pick your favorite challenge, the reflective mirror will show your hand and the piece of paper on the screen with the outline of the photo on top of it. All your child needs to do is follow the lines on the screen and recreate the drawing. After the sketch the item, they can have a personalized coloring sheet and finish the art project by themselves or move on to another photo.
Ease of Use
Once you have your apps on the screen all you need to do is write down your email and create an account so your child can save their hard-earn progress. The great thing about it is that you only have to do it once, you will not have to repeat the dreadful process of making numerous accounts and agreeing to all the terms and conditions for each additional game.
Once you pick the games you got with the Genius kit, you will notice that the Masterpiece and the Newton game are also included for free. You can also purchase additional apps in case your child indeed is a genius and master them in a short period of time. Parents can create individual profiles for their children, pick cute little avatars and give nicknames for each child, as well as write down their birthdays. Once you fill out all the information, a verification link will be sent to your email and you can activate the account.
Once everything is activated, you can rest assure your child has animated companions who will guide them through the whole process and will explain all the rules in a fun and colorful way. The challenges are set up at different levels which are unlocked as children improve their problem-solving abilities.
Sizing
iPads are quite pricey and therefore need to be protected from potential damage especially around children who have a reputation of being reckless with their possessions. An option for including a safety case would be a lifesaver in further models of this product.
Age Range
You might want to help them in signing in and creating an account, as well as borrowing them your email, however, once they play with it a few times, they will be prepared to go back to it without further assistance. A lot of elderly people who had less contact with technology and have difficulty in exploring the virtual world find this app quite entertaining for getting a glimpse of the future. This would be a lovely gift for grandparents who face difficulties in memorizing or adults who love problem-solving challenges.
Price Range
You will be investing in a product which can be used by various age groups, individually or as a group activity. It is a great gift if you want to surprise your loved ones with a durable and long-lasting teaching companion and inspire your little ones to learn while they are on a holiday break from school.
Conclusion
It is a wonderful companion for children and adults who need help with concentration and ADHD, autism or learning disabilities. This toy is a great mind sharpening tool for older people and an excellent group playtime activity. It is based on math, languages, and physics yet it is almost impossible to get bored with it. If you want to unleash the genius in you, this is the right place to start.