Let your kids explore and discover the weather and how it affects living things

Source:  Google Play description (modified) / Video: Marcopolo Weather app preview

Useful information

Download:  Android 2.3 (92.26MB) / iOS 7.0 (117MB)

Price: Android free (offers in-app purchases) / iOS 2,99$

Language: English / Spanish / French / Japanese / Russian / Chinese

Runs offline: yes

Last update: Android 10/10/2016 (v. 1.9.5) – iOS 02/03/2016 (v. 1.9.4)

Website of the developer:  MarcoPolo

Notes: article updated on 13/01/2017

Description

Aimed at children (as classified by platforms download the application, for children under 5 years), MarcoPolo Weather lets explore the weather, see the importance of climate and how different living beings react before different weather conditions.

Within the application interface two areas can be distinguished :

  • top provides access to the different climatic variables (climate, temperature – in ° C and ° F – and wind) and can modify them freely. The selected character is adapted to the weather of the moment (ie, if temperature is selected below zero, the character will shiver, and if it’s hot, it will show an unbearable heat), as well as a switch to change the settings between night and day. .
  • the lower part that slides allows feed, dress or entertain to the selected character. You can also interact with the animals that appear on the screen (eagles, squirrels, etc.) or plant flowers that grow in the rain.

The application on Android version used to perform this analysis includes in-app purchases. That is, to unlock additional weather events such as tornadoes or storms (identified with a lock), you must pay €2.19.

More information

http://gomarcopolo.com/weather/

Images: Screenshots 13/08/2015 ©MarcoPolo

Rating
3.5

Analysis

Although this application may not be described as a purely environmental app, it can serve to introduce children to the phenomenon of climate change, showing the effects that changes in temperature has on the living beings of planet. Similarly, it is a useful tool to acquire knowledge related with science and nature, watching, for example, how rain makes the plants grow or the sound they make some of the forest animals. The graphics and the usability of the application are very good, allowing smooth functioning although it is a pretty heavy application.
As improvement area, note perhaps the system of purchases pointed out above. Access to Google Play payment platform, in the case of the test carried out, requires prove that the user is of legal age entering the age of birth (not necessary the correct year). This verification system seems a bit simple and can involve that children have access to unwanted purchases. Although the price is not very high, to avoid this action may be useful to switch off the internet connection in the device that will use the child. Also mention that in the initial test, performed on a device with Android 5.0.2., this check process did not work well (the dialog box to enter the year closed). In another device with Android 4.0.3, this problem was not reproduced.

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Técnico de medio ambiente, community manager y content curator especializada en temas de medioambiente - Environmental technician, community manager and content curator specialised in environmental issues