REVIEW: “Elmo Calls” & “Cookie Calls” iPhone Apps

Connor Asher – Two new Sesame Street iPhone apps have recently been released, Elmo Calls and Cookie Calls. They are innovative and fun ways for young kids to interact with two of Sesame’s most popular monsters. Sesame Street is best known for creating innovative and fun ways to help children learn through a variety of media, that’s exactly what these apps deliver! The apps help kids to discover how to use technology while learning a variety of skills from two Sesame Street favorites.

In both apps, kids can “call” Cookie Monster or Elmo and use the iPhone’s Facetime feature to seemingly interact with the monsters through a set of videos. In “Cookie Calls,” Cookie Monster teaches a variety of subjects including healthy eating habits and mathematical skills with addition, subtraction, and more. “Elmo Calls” focuses more on using your imagination and tapping into creativity.

There are also a variety of add-ons which can be purchased by parents. Currently all of the additional content purchased will only add other video options to the calls, providing some more variety. There are a few down-sides to the apps, including the limit of what is available once purchased, and like most apps, there will always be a few bugs to overcome.

That being said, in the end these apps are very useful learning tools for young kids. Although the content is limited at first, additional content available for purchase really supplements what are already enjoyable apps. The apps teach a variety of useful and helpful skills, including the use of technology to supplement the standard mathematics and imagination lessons. I would highly recommend these apps, giving each a 4.5/5.