Fireworks Lab by Cowly Owl is a sure-fire winner for little creators. Gameplay is straightforward and easy to use. On opening the screen the app displays a number of place markers for making a safe firework display, and by tapping on a drop pin, the fun begins! Kids are then transitioned to a screen displaying 4 different firework styles to design. Designing these adorable animated little fellows makes it friendly and fun. Kids feed these fired-up chaps both color and an overlay design. There are 4 designs and 5 placeholders, and this encourages sustained attention to get to the end. Finally, all that hard work at the fireworks factory has paid off and it’s show time! There is no greater joy than watching a child create something and observing their interaction. This little game is highly addictive, whimsical and just plain fun. There are no IAPs or ads.

Fireworks Tap by Jesse Potter is a delightful app for early learners. Just by tapping the screen little ones set off a series of fun animated fireworks complete with real sound effects. The benefits? For kids just learning to point and isolate their index fingers, Fireworks Tap provides them plenty of practice to hone this skill. The emergence of a child being able to point is a blessing for many parents. When children begin to point, they are establishing communicative intent, and that often leads to decreased frustration. In addition, children with auditory sensitivities’ can often habituate through play and control in the app when the sound comes. By familiarizing themselves with the unexpected and surprising sounds, it may help them remain calm during the real festivities. There are no IAPs or ads in this app – which makes it a winner in my book!

Real Fireworks Artwork 4-in-1 HD 2012 – Play Awesome Light Show, Enjoy Fun Visualizer… by INNOVATTY is an older app, but one that is a standard in many therapist’s toolboxes. It’s easy to use, the graphics are professionally rendered, and it comes with a cool firework drawing pad and the ability to save pictures to share with grandma and grandpa. What makes this app rock is the settings panel. There are many options to this little app, from autoplay for improving visual attention to artist mode where kids draw their own displays. Every detail of input can be tweaked or monitored. Tips for use – buy the full version, so you don’t get ads interrupting play, stay close as there are links to social media and additional apps that I have not been able to turn off. Once in-app, however; kids are not usually drawn to the bottom of the screen to toggle these settings.

Setting up these apps with Bluebee can be a choice of either pairing with the app and playing the sound effects through Bluebee or having Bluebee be a friend whose gentle presence encourages participation. If you do use Bluebee’s remarkable ability to sound out the fireworks, Bluebee can be placed anywhere in the room to help kids tolerate sound from a variety of positions in space or sources which may desensitize to unique auditory input.

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