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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

App Review: Magicflix

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Magicflix and Latina Bloggers Connect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the things that has always bothered me about letting my kids watch videos online is the adult content that frequently works its way onto the screen through ads or links. It drives me crazy that inappropriate content is may only be a click or two away.  It is something that every parent should be on the look out for. How I've longed for sites that have lots of parent approved content for children! So I'm absolutely thrilled to have discovered Magicflix, a new app that curates kid-safe, kid-friendly content! Read on to learn more...

Name: Magicflix
Subject(s): science, math, Spanish
Brief Description: A safe, curated video service for kids
Price: Free
Language: English, Spanish
Ages: 0 - 12 years
Device: iOS, Android

What I like:
I love that I don't have to watch over my children's shoulder to make sure that they won't be exposed to any content that is inappropriate. Their videos are good "edutainment" - they entertain kids while teaching them new things. When I visited their site to learn more about the app, I read that a Montessori teacher is in charge of their curation process for videos, so the criteria is based on Montessori guidelines. (That's a WIN! in my book.)

And I know that many MommyMaestra readers will love that the app includes Spanish and bilingual videos, too, including some of our favorites by Music with Sara, guiainfantil.com, and more.

This app was created by moms, who like myself were looking for age-appropriate and positive clips. It makes me feel more confident in the product knowing it was created by other moms. While they have a great selection of videos currently available, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more added. I would like to see more categories for geography, world cultures, craft tutorials, how things are made, and holidays included.

When you download the app, you get a free trial period. I'm not sure how long this lasts as I didn't see any details about it in the introductory email that I received. But the email does also give you a link back to the Magicflix site where you can make video recommendations or add your own child's videos to their account. (PLEASE use caution when doing this and do not include videos that reveal your address or where your child goes to school.)

What my kids like:
They love the variety of videos on so many different topics, but especially science. My kids can learn about everything from birds of paradise to dolphins to tsunamis. My son loves the funny (sometimes) animated characters. It's obvious that the selection of videos are from companies that create content specifically for children.

They also love that they can save all of their favorite videos in one spot so that they don't have to search for them in the different categories.

So if you are looking for an app to gift this holiday season, be sure to consider Magicflix!