'Many children need practice in balance, coordination and rhythm. Dance Party Zoo is a fun way to get it! This fun dancing game helps children practice basic motor and balance skills. How do you play? Children begin by selecting a zoo animal for their dancing avatar. Then they can choose a dance tune from their iPhone or iPod's music library or play a favorite song on a boom box. After the music starts, children hold or pocket their iPhone or iPod Touch and dance away! After dancing, children sit back, watch and laugh – as their avatars replay the dance! A colorful and easy-to-understand graph gives children feedback about how well they did at keeping an even rhythm. Blue bars that touch the mid-line show perfect rhythm, while bars above or below the mid-line show body swings that were too fast or slow. Kids can play a one-person game against a random zoo animal or they can play a two-person game with a friend, sibling or classmate. In the two-person version, children compare their dance graphs as their avatars dance alongside each other. Since many children are still developing sportsmanship skills, the game includes a non-competitive option where there is no winner and all players are congratulated for their good effort. Dance Party Zoo is designed for all children who enjoy dancing, as well as those who need practice in motor and balance skills. This includes children on the Autism spectrum or with Asperger's Syndrome, and other children who benefit from physical and occupational therapy. Dance Party Zoo provides practice in rhythm, balance, timing, and coordination. It can also serve as a rhythmic aid in reducing stress and anxiety. But most important of all, it's lots of fun!'
Recommended by Autism Speaks
This app costs $2.99
Cris Guenter (Faculty)