If you’re not a kid, children’s entertainment can be a special kind of hell. For every Bluey – a show that’s thoughtful, funny and suitable for ages five and up – there’s a Blippi. If you’re not familiar, he’s Mr. Beast for toddlers. But he’s not alone: YouTube Kids is awash with cheesy, algorithm-optimized videos of colorful trucks and Cocomelon knockoffs. It’s weird outside.
As we prepared for our first cross-country flight with our kids, I stumbled upon a real treasure: a collection of iPad games that are not only bearable, but actually pretty good.
They’re made by Sago Mini, and every one of its games is just so cute. Some of them are structured as “playsets,” which are open-ended cartoon worlds with minimal interactivity. Wander around a city or airport terminal and you’ll find tons of objects to interact with, vehicles to drag and drop, and fun little Easter eggs scattered throughout. You can adjust the speed of the escalators to send characters flying into pits, and if you open the door to a bathroom stall, you might find a pigeon sitting on the toilet. Objectively speaking, this is hilarious.
Other games are more structured, but when you’re sending a cute little cartoon cat to visit friends or building a rocket ship using various construction equipment, there’s plenty to stop and explore along the way. The attention to detail was outstanding and there was plenty to satisfy my children’s curiosity – and mine too, to be honest.
What makes these games stand out, aside from the fact that they aren’t unbearably annoying, is that they feel real. I don’t feel like they’re exploiting my kids’ attention to get views or downloads; they’re rewarding it. I’d rather have him spend his screen time playing these games than watching some ghoul figure out how to exploit a toddler’s attention while frolicking in an indoor playground.
These games don’t grab my kids’ attention to watch or download;they reward it
Sadly, the Sago Mini recently took away one of my favorite features: the ability to download and pay for games individually, which is a cruel reminder that parents can’t catch a break these days. Now, it’s all housed in an app called Sago Mini World, with a monthly subscription costing $6.99 (iOS) and $5.99 (Android). There’s really no escaping the subscription economy.
I guess it speaks to the strength of Sago Mini’s games that I’ve continued to subscribe even though I’ve already paid for several indie games. But the subscription also includes dozens of games, and if I’m going to complain about the lack of good children’s entertainment, then I should pay and support high-quality games. I just wish I could pay once and be done, you know?
