Gadget of the Week – Osmo
Published on April 7, 2015
Award-winning Osmo uses iPad technology in a multi-dimensional way, opening up a vast array of physical play possibilities for children.
Named one of the best inventions of 2014 by TIME Magazine, Osmo may be the most unique accessory ever made for the iPad. It consists of a simple reflector and stand for the iPad, which allows for a real-life-meets-technology educational game system that can incorporate real tangible pieces with app functionality.
There are 4 primary apps of choice that Osmo boasts:
- Masterpiece - which picks an image from the camera, gallery, or integrated web search to transform into an easy-to-follow line drawing that you can trace in real life;
- Words - which is a tangible hangman-esque game to be played with a group;
- Tangram - which requires participants to arrange tangible puzzle pieces with on-screen shapes (and challenge your friends);
- Newton - which requires you draw inventive objects to guide on-screen balls into targeted areas.
The brillance of this app is the real-world functionality it brings to childhood education, creating a nurturing play experience that goes far beyond the screen.
Perhaps even more brilliant is the affordability of this technology, coming in at $79.99 including all technology and all available games.