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Teacher Review for BallFallDown Deluxe

Endless fun and creativity, but lacking in concrete educational value.

August D.
 Classroom teacher
Ridgewood Elementary School
Eureka, CA
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My Grades K
My Subjects English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Arts
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My Rating
Learning Scores
Engagement
Pedagogy
Support
I Would Recommend It Yes
Setup Time Less than 5 minutes
Great for Creation
Great with Advanced learners
ELL
General
Low literacy
Special needs
How I Use It
Ball Fall Down Deluxe (BFDD) is a fun, physics-based, cause and effect playground suitable for all ages. Although not an app I want available everyday for my kindergarten students due to it's addictive nature and middling educational value, BFDD is a mind stimulating treat I can see offering students from time to time as a reward. Navigating the drop down controls and manipulating items was a small, but quickly overcome challenge for me, but may prove too much for K and first grade students. However, once the basics are mastered, students are free to build (and rebuild) endlessly as they explore limitless outcomes.
My Take
"A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there" comes to mind when thinking about this app. While BFDD does offer creative design and construction in a limitless "sandbox" setting, it resides largely in the category of entertainment. That said, for the worthwhile price of the deluxe version, players are rewarded with engaging and thoughtful entertainment. The addition of construction challenges, maybe with a STEM influence or a budget with which to "purchase" items, would propel this app solidly into the education realm.