*This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Mind Gamez LLC. I received a product sample to review. All opinions are 100% mine.
It’s no secret that I am madly in love with literacy and language acquisition. Obviously, I have had a love affair with reading and learning my whole life and that is why I chose to pursue a career as an educator and a Literacy Specialist. Reading can open up a whole new world for children and, nowadays, with the integration of technology the limits to learning are endless. History Hero is the first app of its kind to use literacy to enhance families’ visits to the world’s greatest historical and cultural destinations.
The premise behind this app is to use the lure of technology to bring history to life for children and teenagers by engaging them in learning during their travels. It infuses excitement into sightseeing in a whole new way that has never been available before. This mission is accomplished by using an interactive video game to bring history to life in a way that audio tours and guidebooks never could.
The app was developed by Mitch Zamoff. He is a lawyer, law school teacher and father of three from Minnesota. The idea for this app came to him while he was traveling through Europe with his family. His goal was to make family trips to historical destinations more engaging, interactive and full of great memories while still encouraging learning.
The way it works is that it recruits children ages 4 and up to “report to duty” at 23 of the world’s top historical sites in the U.S. and Europe. Players are called upon to rescue artifacts, answer multiple choice questions about those artifacts, and take a photo to preserve the artifact for history. As kids learn more about history, they earn points and receive the Medal of Honor upon successful completion of the mission.
The Review:
PROS:
- I loved the fact that the app was structured much like a video game which made it appealing to my son. He was able to pick a character to guide him through the mission much like any other video game.
- We were able to choose our city, New York City, and have a sightseeing adventure at a NYC cultural institution.
- It integrates literacy and technology and kids are actively reading the questions and the information about each artifact while they are sightseeing.
- Children learn about following directions and sequence of events by having to complete each step of the mission in chronological order.
- The app is very user friendly and the difficulty level can be tailored to suit the learning needs of kids, teenagers, and adults.
- My absolute favorite part of this app are the learning cards that kids have to read once they collect each artifact. They are full of facts about the artifact and its history. I loved the conversations that I was able to have with my son around the artifacts using this information.
CONS:
- I would have liked to see more vivid graphics in this app since the content is so engaging. The colors within the app are a little limited.
- Although this app is available for use in the world’s major cultural and historical destinations, it is not currently available everywhere yet.
As an educator, I think it’s great that this app attempts to bridge the gap between culture, history and technology. In a society where our young people shy away from anything that is not integrated with the Internet, this app provides an opportunity for young people to become excited about learning history again. Also, it’s a great way to keep kids engaged and focused during family travels.
History Hero It is currently available for download at the App store for the price of $4.99. Make sure you also follow them on Twitter to learn everything you can about saving the world through learning about history. You can download the app today and, rest assured, sightseeing with your family will never be the same!
GIVEAWAY:
Our sponsor wants you to take your own sightseeing adventure with your family using History Hero. They are giving away a $50 AMEX gift card to help you fund that adventure and a $10 iTunes card so you can download the History Hero app on your Apple device for your adventure! One reader of Tough Cookie Mommy will win this awesome prize!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Product Review/Giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above from Mind Gamez LLC to test/review/giveaway in exchange for my opinion and for the purpose of writing this post. I only recommend products or services I use personally and I believe will be “family friendly.” I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
© 2013, Tough Cookie Mommy. All rights reserved.
It’s a great app to keep the kids occupied. It draws in their interest with great graphics, it is highly interactive and asking interesting questions to teaching them the many aspects of history.
I also entered you BirdsEye Play With Veggies Giveaway
It sounds like a great app because it’s user friendly and kind of set up like an interactive video game that interests kids. Sounds very informative and interesting for children to learn!
I entered Show Your Kids How Much Fun Eating Their Veggies Can Be! @BirdsEye #PlayWithVeggies #Giveaway
Since everything is about video games and apps anymore, this is a great way for kids to learn history. I like that it has missions for your children to complete which makes it fun and challenging at the same time, besides keeping them occupied during family trips.
Entered Birds Eye
Entered Purex
We are always looking for a good app! This looks like a fun one to use with my son.
This is a great way for kids to learn while traveling to and from the real cities too! I know my daughter would have loved this!
I think that learning is always more fun when it is more like a game for younger kids. The fact that they’re accepting a “mission” makes it more exciting.
Name on rafflecopter: Mary Happymommy
Entered Bird’s Eye giveaway. Thanks.
Name on rafflecopter: Mary Happymommy
This is a great app for kids to use while traveling because it is a multi-step game with many variables. Each task is engaging and builds upon the one before it, therefore, kids feel invested in the particular quest they are playing. I love that you can geographically tailor it to where you are. This definitely appeals to the history buff in me!
Thanks for sharing both the pros and cons of this app. I appreciate the honest review.
My grandson who is 6 loves all history and science. Having this like a video game that he can play and learn is just awesome. I want my daughter to get it for him since I know he’d love to learn all he can from this.
love the idea of this app and it sounds very user friendly!
I like that it immerses the kids in history. It appeals to children’s love of video games. It’s also nice that you can pick a place you can visit in real life to make the game alive even a little bit more.
My Grandson would love this app. He is way to into video anything at this point. It does keep him occupied in the car though…
My pre-teen son would love this. Actually I think they both would. My only thing is I’ve downloaded lots of games for them and they’ve only played it for a week because it’s new then forget about it. I’ll show it to them and go from there. 🙂
My kids would enjoy the History Hero App because they really enjoy apps and would enjoy navigating museums and following the directions the apps provide. I think they would learn a lot from the information the app provided, vs. something I was trying to explain to them.
kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom
I entered the Bird’s Eye Giveaway.
kellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom
Oh wow I would have loved this as a kid it sounds amazing: ) x
I have to admit, I don’t have children, but I can see the app as a great learning tool. I was always interested in learning new things. I can see this being fun to learn about history, to want to learn more about it. [email protected]
This is a great app because it is structured much like a video game so kids will like it. Its really easy to use and will help kids learn history.
rounder9834 @yahoo.com
My son loves history and he can learn more with this app. The cool thing is that he can learn on the go
entered the Bird’s Eye giveaway
My son is passionate about studying history. Its an extreme hobby for him. I know he would love to have this app for his daughters. I will pass this information on to him. Thanks for sharing.
I think its necessary to teach them as they are seeing things. I feel like its easier for them to learn about an area or place if they can put the actual place together with what they are learning.
Entered Bird’s Eye giveaway
I love apps and learning ones at that! They are so much cheaper then buying other materials. : )
What an interesting app! It amazes me how many apps and programs are out these days to help kiddos learn to read, do math and all sorts of things education. I can only imagine how it will be when I have kids of my own; they’ll all have iPads lol
It makes history interesting in a unique way.
That looks like a great app. my kids love technology and it would be great to have some more educational apps.
What a great app. I think that this app makes it more fun for kids to learn about history. It’s a more relateable way for kids to learn.
It makes history interesting.
I think this app is a quick and efficient way to teach kids history. I think this because it is fun and interactive.
This app will be more engaging for kids especially when it makes it fun.
I love the fact that the app is like a video game. I think technology can really aid in educating our children. I know my son loved and still loves video games if it is something that will expand his education I am all for it.
No little ones here anymore but this seems like a good fun educational tool. I know kids love technology these days.
Wow, nice educational app. History subject is what kids need to learn these days.
Sounds like a pretty cool app. I may have to look into it.
Thats pretty awesome! Actually reminds me of a game I had on my first computer when I was like 13! Thats pretty cool!
I think it’s a great way to interest kids while traveling and teach them something in the process. I know when we went to New York City it would have been awesome to have a bit of a history lesson while we were sightseeing. I think the history of a city makes it far more entertaining and engaging when you’re traveling…especially for kids. I know my daughter would like it since its modeling like a video game. (Michelle Hudak)
This is a perfect app that my family would enjoy using. We travel a lot, an educational app for learning history for kids, it can’t get any better.
looks like a good learning tool, we are always looking for new apps for our little ones to one keep them busy and have them learn at the same time
Oh my gosh! This is amazing! I love your blog, and that you’re an educator. I totally entered your rafflecopter giveaway too!
I think the History Hero App works because kids love computers and they’re visual. It’s an easy way for anyone to learn.
Looks like a cool App, that’s for the great review, i will check it out for the kids and thanks for the wonderful giveaway
I think it is a great app for kids because it incorporates learning with the latest technology. This will keep them interested in learning more about it.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
I entered
Show Your Kids How Much Fun Eating Their Veggies Can Be! @BirdsEye #PlayWithVeggies #Giveaway
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
I think it’s great for kids because it makes learning history fun for them by incorporating technology. They are in a generation that relies on technology so why not use it to help them learn.
I think it’s wonderful that the app brings history to life while they are actually on site. They can access facts and use a video game like format that makes it fun,
I Think The App Is Great. Can Let Kids Learn About Places They Visit. Makes The Experience Much More Enjoyable And Effective.
I feel like kids are more engaged with learning when it seems like a game. I love that you can pick your city and I like that it goes in chronological order as well
I love learning apps. the kids use the phones all the time so its great to have good history edu through technology
It is great because it cuts down on boredom and teaches them things. It’s always fun to combine technology and lessons.
I also entered Birds Eye $50 AMEX Gift Card/ 4 free coupons giveaway.
I think that it will inspire my children to go out and discover the world around them and learn about the rich history this world brings. I love the idea of making trips into historical adventures.
History Hero would be great for inspiring kids to learn and explore things all about history. My son loved anything he could play electronically on road trips. He thought he was playing games, but he was actually learn things. 🙂
I think it is great because it combines 21st century technology to other century’s history for 21st century kids.
I entered your other giveaway: Power Up.
I love HIstory and I would love to impart it to my children and the tech part of this might encourage them a little bit more
Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. Famous words about why we need to study history to prevent many of the atrocities of the past. Our society has become more technologically advanced and children are handling their parents ipads, iphones etc and can starting learning history even before they start school.
It’s important for kids to learn about history. What better way when they’re bored in the car? Keep them learning!
This app would be perfect for helping to teach kids about history and the world around them. Using technology will help them take ownership of their adventure. I would love to try it out!
I entered the Birds Eye giveaway.
I like that the whole family can use and enjoy it. Sequencing is an important thing to learn. Kids might think they’re just playing a game instead of learning (don’t tell them).
entered power up
Thanks for the contest.
slehan at juno dot com
My son is quite the history buff, so he’d love to use this app to learn more about the places we visit!
My kids love to learn, but only when it’s a game and not rote memorization. This app makes it fun for them and I think I would actually learn quite a bit along the way too!
History is fun when you can actually see the places you read about. What a great way to learn history with History Hero. Keeps the kids occupied during a long car ride.
I think its a great way to keep kids enjoying and learning about history while on the go! Kids today always have a iphone or ipad whether its there own or there parents so using this app will teach great things while making it fun and not boring!
I think it’s a great way to keep kids engaged in things. Today it’s hard to compete with technology so why not just use it? They soak up that information so fast though we kind of “trick” them into learning things
[email protected]
Its a great way to keep kids interested in history.
It’s important for kids to learn about history.
I love that it’s a game to learn history, history can be boring to younger people that don’t yet know how to appreciate the past and making it fun will help them
hippopurplemonkey at yahoo dot com
My grandson is interested in history, this would be a fun learning tool for him to experience. History is important for our younger people to learn.
It’s important for kids to learn about history. That’s why I think that it’s a great app.
It will make learning about history & historical things more fun for them, I think. It can also show the importance of what happened in the past in relation to what’s happening in the world now.
I think its great for family trips and for getting kids excited about history.
I entered the Birds eye giveaway
It makes learning and travel more enjoyable
History is all around us, and it is important to learn from history. I think this is why this would be a good app .
It will make it fun and something different while being a teaching tool.
This would be great to have when we travel with our granddaughter. We always try to visit an historical site when we vacation. I am all for finding fun ways for kids to learn.
i love history but didnt as a child. i think this would be a great tool to teach kids and get them interested in history. i wish i had this as a child.
I think this app would be great to get children excited about their vacation. History doesn’t have to be boring. There are many interactive experiences for families at historic sites.
The app does a great job of emphasizing the importance of preserving our history and sharing the knowledge that we get from records and artifacts — the superhero storyline is a perfect way to get kids excited about historical collections and landmarks!
Geoff K
gkaufmanss at yahoo dot com
This would be great for getting kids interested in history as you go along on a trip. They would be more interested because they are seeing new places.
lazybones344 at gmail dot com
I think it can be a learning experience while still fun; some children may be turned off from learning because it seems more like work and takes the fun out of learning
Knowing that kids seem to somehow innately love video games, this app is clever to integrate history into such a form to teach kids! I think that would be such a goody way for our kids to learn history which they shy away from otherwise.
I think anything that helps make history fun makes learning easier! Would love to have my older kids check it out!
Learning has to be fun for some children and having an app that makes history into almost a game can help keep them interested and learning at the same time.
it makes the teaching fun. You don’t want to think about learning on the road. You just want to relax and have fun. If you can learn doing that it is a bonus
Kids will have fun while learning since it’s presented like a video game which all kids love and it will keep them occupied while travelling. What parent wouldn’t want that for their kids?
[email protected]
Kids love technology and video games. They might not even notice they are learning while they are having fun playing the game.
Because it’s usable in the car and easily read
I think it’s really great because it gets kids to see the fun in history by making it more like a video game!
I also entered the $0 AMEX Birds Eye Contest
Rafflecopter Name: Carolsue
History Hero is a fun way for kids to learn.
We we had this when I was in school.
Thank you.
Rafflecopter name Barbara Montag
Gave this post Google+1 Barbara Montag
It helps kids have fun learning, which is always important. If a kid is not having fun they will not want to continue reading or pick up another book again.
I entered the BirdsEye Play With Veggies Giveaway
It makes learning fun. My husband loves history – especially the civil war. I would hope that History Hero would help kids have fun with history.
anything that makes learning fun always makes it easier to learn – regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com
I think it keeps the kids busy and they have choices on what city they want.
its a cool app and makes learning fun !
We homeschool so we are always looking for fun things for teaching, I think it is great because it makes learning fun. I can tell you my daughter learns more when she is interested in what she is learning and the app makes it that much better /
I love that kids can do research on their own. Things seem to stick a lot more when they do it on their own rather than just being told the info.
The saying goes along the longs of those who don’t learn or know about history are doomed to repeat it. So, I believe it is good for children to learn about history and since computers are such a big part of today, this would be a great tool to do so.
the app would make it easy for the kids to learn and make it more fun. Rather than having them to watch cartoons this would be a great alternative for them during travelling. Im big on anything educational that I can give to my kids.
I like the amount of control that it gives the child. They are able to learn about what is interesting to them. I am a homeschooling mom, and my kids would love this because it looks fun!
I think it’s good because it makes learning history more fun.susan chester
It makes learning fun! It’s easier to learn things when you make a game out of it.
As others have said it makes learning fun and that kids don’t really know that they’re learning–they think they’re playing a game. I think sometimes games/apps are a great way to “hide” learning so that kids will be interested.
I think it’s a great app because kids should really develop a love of learning at an early age and anything that makes it easier, fun and engaging, like this app, is a winner in my book.
Knowing that kids seem to love video games, this app is clever to integrate history into such a form to teach kids! I think that would be such a good way for our kids to learn history..
Great Contest!
By turning history into a game format, it is much more likely to appeal to today’s technology savvy kids. Learning is often best when they don’t even realize they are learning!
history hero will make learning fun and interesting to kids. they will actually learn something without even knowing it.
I think History Heroes is a great app for teaching kids because it is interactive. The kids can learn without even realizing they are learning. And at their own pace. My son is very receptive to anything on the computer as opposed to paper, paper is like homework, the computer is more like a game, he retains more.
If you make learning into a game, kids don’t even realize they are learning. Of course, what they learn is only as good as the content of the material. It also looks like kids can take their time instead of worrying about getting extra points for speed.
I think it’s a good app for teaching kids because it makes learning fun. Turning it into a game definitely makes some kids want to learn more.
My grandson loves to play video games, but “learning” doesn’t hold much appeal for him. When you can sneak in learning moments and they don’t even know it, everybody wins!
I think it’s a good app because it makes learning history more fun. It’s easier to learn things when you make a game out of it.
I think that History Hero is a great app to teach children. As educators we need to find what is attractive to children to engage them in learning. Children these days love technology, so it makes sense to teach them through technology.
I think its a great way to get children involved in the historical/educational aspect of vacations. It allows them to interact historically using the technology that they are accustomed to.
Since kids love technology the learning apps make them feel like they are playing a game instead of just learning. It’s a different kind of learning that is important.
I think a History app is a great idea to encourage learning. If I hand my son a book, I get the eye roll and pouting, hand him the tablet and it’s all smiles. I think most kids learn more from an interactive experience than a static one.
I think it makes history more real. It makes learning fun and interactive. It also helps them master technology.
History app makes learning fun in a visual way. I loved where in the world is carmen sandiego growing up, which is a similar concept.
rafflecopter: daniel
I believe that it would be a great app for my oldest son he always has so many questions about history he even watches the history channel all the time.
my son loves history but doesn’t get enough of it in school. he also loves game. this is perfect!!
Looks like a great way for new learning
I love that the difficulty level can be changed. This means that all 3 of my older children could have fun using this app and it would be a fun learning challenge for each on of them.
Lisa Garner
I love it makes history fun and exciting grabbing a childs attention better I think it would be great for my oldest
Because it’s exactly the technology that impresses them. It’s also appropriately engaging.
ky2here at msn dot com
To me History Hero make learning history interesting and fun.
It would definitely make it more interesting for my children. I will know that it’s a field trip of learning yet they will think of it as just fun. Anytime that you can make learning fun I think that children absorb more than just a book and a class.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
I think it would be an excellent app for the kids . It would keep them engaged and it would be fun. I feel it would be fun and educational for the whole family.
To use this app, kids would have to be involved in the story which can make the learning more fun. It would be a great educational app to have along on a car ride.
I think it’s a good idea because not only does it keep the kids occupied and engaged in what their doing, it also teaches them valuable information at the same time. My kids learn best when their having fun.
History via technology… I think for today’s students, that is a perfect combination.
I really like that the app can be used by different age groups. The fact that it is interactive will make learning fun and interesting . There should be more educational apps like this one.
I love that it gets kids looking up interesting facts about different places. I would like to play on the app also
I think this app is so clever, not only does it making learning History a game but also keeps the kiddos occupied while traveling. I can see the whole family learning and enjoying this, like a family trivia trip everywhere you go.
I think that learning while actually seeing would help retain the information.
I think History Hero is brilliant because in order for kids to really learn anything they have to be engaged. When it comes to my boys games of any kind can help them stay interested, but if it was a video game (or anything with technology really) it has their full attention! The app would be a perfect way to keep my sons engaged and learning during a family trip- and keep boredom away- yay!
I definatly think that History Hero is a wonderful app to download. I am always looking for an opportunity to teach my kids, and using my tablet is the perfect way. My daughter seems so engaged when she is learning from the computer or tablet. It would be great for car rides and late nights
HH would make it more fun for kids to learn. And sometimes parents don’t know answers offhand so props for instant gratification in education! lol
I am pleased that instead of getting answers from others, the children can use this on the tablet and find out the correct answers. Going on trips or just turning the television off and having learning time instead of staring or some cartoons, this is great.
It is informative, fun, and a simple way to help my kids learn while being engaged in a brain stimulating activity!
It’s great because you can learn interesting information about the cities you visit. It’s a nice way to keep busy and learn at the same time.
It is nice that it gives them something constructive to do, on car rides. I think the game aspect would be very engaging for kids. I think it could spark their interest, on several levels, and that is the first step to learning. I love that it is something that can be enjoyed as a family, making outings more fun for all.
I think the app is wonderful because as we are traveling to can look things up as we are passing them and even make special stops based on what we find in the research. Love that there is an app to help start teaching kids history at a young age.
It makes history more fun.
I think the App is great because they can actually learn about the cities and states that they are visiting and I would consider that they are there and learning it at the same time!
I think anything that helps kids learn history is a good app, especially if it is done in a fun way.
It is great that it engages them actively and history is such an important subject that we all need to know more about!
I think it is great because it can stimulate their minds & inspire discussions. They can learn about the places they are going, the places they have been and also the places they want to go.
entered the kia hamster giveaway
I homeschool my kids and I know the importance of having portable learning for them. I think History Hero would keep my children engaged and excited as they learn. They enjoy history and every new way they have to learn is appreciated.
Anything that helps kids enjoy learning is good. Reading, playing and learning while traveling would keep a child entertained and, if not quiet, at least discussing something of interest. Sounds like a great app.
My husband and I love history and the app would be great while we are travelling. My grandson is more into electronics and this would get him learning while still being entertaining to him.
I think it’s a great teaching app.
Will you be announcing a winner (on the Rafflecopter form) soon? Thank you!
Hi, Cheryl. Winners have already been notified. Have a great day.
Simply interested in seeing who won — not whether I did. You have a great day too.