Osmo Review

We have been fans of Osmo now for a little while and have quite an extensive collection. But truth be told I came across Osmo a few years ago and although Ita was too young at the time, I always remembered seeing the different sets and thinking how fun they looked. I had wondered if it was a fad but I really liked the idea that Osmo supported and promoted learning, development and logical thinking. I also really liked that it incorporated IT skills which was something that others did not really do at the time. In fact I can remember very clearly that anything to do with children and iPads was typically frowned upon. When Osmo reached out at the beginning of 2020 I was more than keen to review their packages because I had fully intend to purchase one. We are now fully fledged Osmonaughts!

Initially we received the drawing sets called Super Studio – both Disney – so I knew Ita would enjoy them. What I did not expect though was how much Ita would learn from them. Copying and drawing what she saw on the screen has helped improve drawing/listening skills, hand-eye coordination & drawing confidence.

Other sets that Ita now has is the Coding which is for children aged 5-10 years (so quite a bit older than Ita). This set promotes logic, coding fundamentals, basics of programming, solve coding puzzles, teamwork, listening, critical thinking, observation, creative problem solving, music creation & pattern recognition. I was not expecting her to take to it so quickly but within a week she was able to put together simple instructions for Osmo to follow. Really quite impressive!

The Tangram set uses puzzle pieces to match on-screen shapes and complete over 500 designs/puzzles enabling creativity & visual problem solving. I was so surprised to learn this was for 6 years plus! Ita really took to it quickly and really enjoyed the challenge of choosing the right puzzle piece. Much like Coding, this set encourages visual thinking, problem solving, puzzles, creative problem solving and fine motor skills.

With the Creative Set your child travels on an adventures to solve story problems with their drawings brought to life instantly on the iPad.

This set helps develop drawing, listening, speed of drawing, visual thinking, problem solving, physics, creative problem solving & fine motor skills. This is one of our newer sets and although we have not used this as much as the Coding or the Little Genius kit, I think Ita really loves making her stories come to life.

The Words set came as part of the Genius Kit for 5 years +. It is slightly more challenging for Ita so this is  set we will be working on more. You look at the on-screen clue to guess the secret word. As Ita is just learning words now that she is in Reception, I think this will soon become something she will want to do.

We also have the Numbers set but this is also for children aged 5 years – 10 years. This one is slightly more advanced I would say where you arrange physical tiles, including dots and digits, to make numbers and complete levels. The ethos of this game is to experiment with numbers without the fear of getting the answer wrong. I feel like this is quite important because I am quite sure Ita will be that child who has a worry about not being right all the time!

The Little Genius Kit is the set that I believe you should start off with! This package is specifically for 3-5 year olds and comes with a few different games inside. They are ABC’s, Squiggle Magic and Costume Party. (There is also a Genius Kit for children aged 5 – 10 years).

Here are some details about what is included in the Little Genius Kit..

ABC’s – This helps with letter recognition, phonics, construction and vocabulary. There are over 300 words for preschoolers to learn.

Squiggle Magic – Your child builds and creates anything their mind can come up with and then it come alive on-screen. Using the squishy, colourful sticks and ring pieces specifically designed for little hands, young artists will develop their cognitive, creative, social and emotional skills through this fun-filled exploration.

Costume Party – Experiment with clothes and colours to make party outfits; then watch characters react on-screen! Designed for early learners, this fun imaginative play fosters spatial reasoning, creativity and fine motor skills, plus they’ll have a blast using the cardboards clothing cutouts to dress the characters for the party! This game got her through the initial lockdown!!

One thing I want to reassure parents is of the durability. Considering Ita was only 3 years old when she started using Osmo, I was a bit worried with how heavy handed she appeared with the pieces. So I want to say with complete confidence, Osmo really is very strong! Even the pieces made of card have not been damaged at all and Ita has played with these over and over!

Every morning Ita puts on her Tonie story box and picks and Osmo to do before we get ready for school. It has become a routine that Ita set herself and I am sure it’s because she finds Osmo fun rather than a boring learning activity.

‘’ Osmo merges tactile exploration with innovative technology, actively engaging children in the learning process’’. This is a statement I fully agree with. I was not obliged to write this blog post. It was not requested by Osmo. I wanted to share my honest opinion and because I believe that there are certain toys that children learn so much from without realising it and those in our opinion are the best kind of toys! Osmo would make a fantastic Christmas present for those as young as 4 years old.

If you are new to Osmo you will need to purchase one of their Starter Kits which includes the base and the Osmo reflector. (You will need your own iPad or Fire Tablet).

How Osmo works

1 – Put your device in a compatible Osmo Base with the red reflector over the device’s camera.

2 – Play with physical game pieces – draw, code, spell and more.

3 – Osmo scans the table and your child’s creations come alive on the screen!

Osmo is compatible with iPad and Fire Tablets.

You can shop Osmo here in the link below.

https://www.playosmo.com/en-gb/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_P6Fje6p7QIV74FQBh20vQWSEAAYASAAEgLiSfD_BwE

And also in John Lewis, Smyths Toys Super Store and Amazon too.

Currently, as it is Cyber Monday, you can get up to 40% off!!