News from the Friends of Reinstein

Warning: The following Apps may be appropriate for adults.

Although they are aimed at kids, PBS’s “Plum’s Creaturizer” and Plum’s Photo Hunt” apps are a great way for the entire family to enjoy the outdoors. Based on “Plum’s Landing,” an animated television show in which a purple alien named Plum explores the environments of earth with human friends, these apps provide an acceptable way to include technology in your outdoor adventures.

“Plum’s Creaturizer” lets you design a creature, then sends you on a mission to take a photo of your creature outside. For example, on my latest mission, I was sent to find a place where my creature (a happy animal with a turtle shell, alligator snout and its own lightbulb on its bird-shaped head) could use its lightbulb to help it hunt for food. Pretty challenging!  The app is available for iPhone and Android operating systems.

 “Plum’s Photo Hunt” encourages kids to explore the outdoors to capture photos of nature: water, animal life, clouds, tiny things, and even trash! The photos can then be put into a “field journal” where you can record notes on what you found and, in the case of trash, what you will do to protect the environment. Characters from the t.v. show can also “photobomb” your photos, and you can send your photos to Plum too!  This app is available for iPhone and iPod touch.

So the next time you can’t get your kids to stop staring at their phone or tablet, you can invite them to bring their technology along for an outdoor adventure!