4.2
Where to Buy

Toca Mini App Review

App Info

Price: $3.99

Overview

Kids can build their own Toca Minis to photograph and share. These cute models may be customized to look like mini versions of the kids themselves, turned into animals, or simply made into silly monsters. Older kids may create very detailed models to look like their favorite cartoon characters or important people in history. With a wealth of colors, features, and backgrounds to choose from, kids can create virtually any creature they want. Because of the non-verbal instructions, it may take kids a bit of time to get started and figure out all of the options they have available, but once they do, they can start creating a whole army of cute Toca Minis.

Features include:

  • Upbeat background music and sound effects
  • Customizable features
  • Detailed parent instructions
  • Non-verbal instructions for kids

Quality

Like most Toca apps, Toca Mini has a high-quality feel. Instead of choosing from a few basic colors, kids choose from a huge selection of colors, including multiple shades of the same color. They can pick from a large selection of detailed facial features and other accessories, zoom in and out to make detailed changes, and interact with various elements of the app as they go. Sound effects and other animations get kids further involved in the game and make give it the appearance of a high quality app.

Education

Kids will have little trouble expressing their creativity as they build silly creatures. They will also learn to think of the big picture as they make smaller decisions that will affect the overall outcome of the creature they create.

Entertainment

It takes time to craft a detailed Mini and younger kids may get bored with the process quickly. Artistic kids and those who have the patience to pay attention to the details, however, will appreciate the step-by-step process and be willing to carefully craft their own Minis. Even those without patience will enjoy tapping on a few colors and features to create a silly creature of their own.

Value

With numerous colors, facial expressions, backgrounds, and other options to choose from, kids can create hundreds, if not thousands of their own Minis. The potential of what they can create justifies the price tag.

Child Friendliness

It may take a bit of time for kids to get the gist of the app. Non-verbal instructions make it difficult to know where to tap and what will appear when they do tap. While they will eventually figure it out, it may be hard for younger kids to see the big picture within the context of the smaller steps. Most little fingers, and even older kid fingers, will have a hard time zooming in and out to add all of the unique features or create minis as intricate as those shown in the examples. However, creating an intricate mini is not required and most kids will be happy just to create something silly. Parents will be happy to see that special parent sections are protected by special swiping instructions. In the parent’s corner, they will find details on how to create Toca Minis and how to turn off the parent’s corner or disable the snapshots feature to keep kids from filling the device’s albums with photos of their creations.

Toca Mini
Toca Mini
A blank canvas awaits kids, ready for them to create animals, people, or whatever creatures they desire.
Quality
Education
Entertainment
Value
Child Friendly
4.2
Where to Buy