Kid in Story By Locomotive Labs
By CGregoryrRun
Overall Impression
I am impressed and found it difficult to write this review without saying “It’s so easy and fun!” every other sentence. The truth is that it performs as promised, is attractive and no bugs were found while putting it through the motions. In the future I would like to see a separation from external links and editing existing stories, but as it stands I have no issue recommending the app as long as parents and teachers remember to back-up their stories to email or Dropbox and put their devices in Airplane mode if the external links will cause issue.
Overall Rating: 5 
Appy Ratings (Appy’s):
- Educational Value: 5
- Entertains/Engages User: 5
- Customization/Settings: 5
- Value for the money: 5
- Ease of Navigation: 5
- Quality of Graphics: 5
- Overall Rating: 5
Category:
- Language Arts
- Life Skills
- Social Skills
- Teaching Tools
Goals:
- Emotions
- Following Directions
- Reading Comprehension
- Sequencing Skills
- Behavior
Age Group:
- ALL
Overview
Loco Motive Labs makes storytelling more personal than ever with their new release, Kid in Story. This is an exceptionally easy to use and customize application that has tremendous possibilities in the social stories niche as well as for creative writing. The app opens to a bookshelf with an introduction video and several sample books. In the upper right hand corner you can slide the bar to edit, share, make or delete books and access 6 story templates as well as a blank template. In the upper left corner is the setting bar which contains links to the LocoMotive website, Facebook, YouTube and the option to turn Audio Autoplay on and off. What makes Kid in Story so appealing is the ease of use. It was very simple to jump in and get started with little direction, although the extra help provided within the app and links to more help is nice to have available. After choosing a template you can edit as much or as little as you feel necessary. Adding a subject to the story is fun and simple to do by choosing a photo from your library or by taking a picture. Next steps are to add audio or reorder any pages, then return to the main page where your new story is ready to read and share.
Issues/Wishlist
- On my wish list for Kid in Story is to see the external links and editing options a bit more difficult to access. A simple swipe or touch just isn’t enough of a block to keep little fingers from fiddling. I think a lock on finished stories would be nice so kids can have the option to create, but not destroy something a teacher, therapist or parent has prepared -and vice versa. I am happy to see how easy it is to share the stories between devices by email or Dropbox, but currently the only way to print stories is to get screen shots and print from those. A print option would be nice to see in a future update as well.
Price and Download link
View Description from Developer
You can also write your own story to go with your images, or modify one of the included stories to fit your needs. Then, share your completed stories with others through email or Dropbox.
Kid in Story makes it incredibly easy to create and share high-quality visual stories to support learning, ease anxieties, reinforce rules, model social behavior, encourage literacy, document life events, or just have fun!
***Features*** -6 ready-made story templates included, with more coming soon -Create custom stories with your own images, text, and narration -One-of-a-kind technology makes it simple to superimpose your portraits over the visual narrative -Share via email or Dropbox
Kid in Story is designed by LocoMotive Labs, an award-winning team of game designers and developers closely collaborating with parents, speech and language pathologists, and educators to design a visual story app that is inspired by children with autism and other special needs. Children who benefit from visual narratives to model task analysis and expected social behavior, and to complement auditory directions for learning especially love to use Kid In Story.
*** 6 included Story Templates ***
“Faces I Make” is the perfect starter story. Your kiddo will practice posing with various expressions and really exercise those make-believe skills.
“What Will I See in San Francisco?” includes the famous steep streets, the Golden Gate Bridge, the baseball stadium, Chinatown, the zoo, and more. Prepare your child for an actual visit to San Francisco, or put them in the story as an imaginary trip!
“Are Monsters Hiding in My Room?” Know a kid who’s sometimes bothered by the thought that there may be monsters hiding somewhere in their bedroom? In this story that kiddo will be checking behind the door, in the closet, under the bed… but will find no monsters anywhere!
“At the Playground” walks us through all the fun to be had at the playground. Swings, monkey bars, climbing and slides are some of the highlights in this colorful story.
“When Is It Time to Wash My Hands?” is full of practical advice on when to wash your hands. Have you just come inside from playing? Are you about to eat? Just finished using the bathroom? Time to wash up!
“A Day at the Movies” Going to the movies is a lot of fun! We’ll get some popcorn, pick out just the right seats, watch some previews, and finally it’ll be time for the Big Movie!
——- LocoMotive Labs is a member of Moms With Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families.
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