As our reviewer Allison Tran notes, WonderBox provides content, creation opportunities, and a mini social network—with plenty of features and safeguards that will please parents. Cheerfully designed with bright colors, and offering intuitive navigation and appealing sound effects, WonderBox: Explore & Learn Science, Geography, Music, and Design (Duck Duck Moose, Inc., iOS Free; PreS-Gr 5) is sure to be a hit with kids from preschool through elementary. The app presents learning opportunities across disciplines by combining informational videos (3000+) and images with content creation challenges that invite users to put their knowledge into action. There are activities based on animals, geography, math, art, music, and more.

Sharing sneaker designs in WonderBox (Duck Duck Moose)

The app is also a mini social network. After setting up a profile and creating an avatar, users are presented with a news feed showcasing activities that correspond to the season or current events. The feed features artwork created by other users, with an inviting “Do this!” link under each item. Children can create their own jack o’ lantern, draw the Taj Mahal, or supply a voiceover for a talking cat, and view all their handiwork and creations in a gallery linked to their profile. In addition, they can share their work with friends within the app, too, for the true social media experience—but to add a friend, kids will need that person's WonderBox code, ensuring that they’re adding someone they actually know—while parents can be assured that their child is learning to navigate social media safely. In addition to motivating content creation and sharing, WonderBox rewards users with in-game currency. Users start with 1,000 WonderBox coins, and can earn more coins for completing challenges. All challenges include free components, but children may spend coins on premium options. Choosing to spend or save coins helps kids develop essential financial skills, and parents will be relieved to know that there are no in-app purchases; WonderBox coins are strictly imaginary and cannot be bought with actual money. The only potential drawback to the app is that it requires an active Internet connection. Additionally, some of the content is curated from YouTube, and if the original source video has been removed, it won’t show up in WonderBox. That aside, it's a truly enriching app for kids and likely to become the go-to recommendation when parents ask for an app that’s both fun and educational. A trailer is available.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, California For additional app reviews, visit our dedicate app webpage.