iPad App Review: My PlayHome - The Ultimate Social Story

Looking back, I can't believe I've never done a review on My PlayHome. It's been a longstanding favorite at our house and the development team continues to delight with each new upgrade.

Just what is My PlayHome? Well, it's a virtual doll house, complete with family, two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, bath... even a back yard. Everything in the doll house is interactive -- and when I say "everything," I mean it. Take Little Miss's favorite room (the kitchen), for example:

There is a working sink, stove, clothes dryer, and a microwave that beeps. You can open every cabinet and find everything from pizza (in the fridge) to cupcakes. Pass the food in front of a family member to watch him or her "eat" and "drink" and then run the water in the sink to wash your dirty dishes!

And speaking of family members, I love that the app lets you choose your family members from different cultures. Little Miss always chooses the little Asian girl ("it's me, mama!") and mixes up her families to her heart's content.

But even without the diverse family choices and the continuous upgrades (recent ones have added a back yard, a bedroom for mom and dad, and new interactions like changeable clothing), this app is a keeper on my list. That's because My PlayHome is the ultimate customizable social story.

Having trouble getting your little one ready for bed? Choose a character, dress him or her in their pj's, and tuck them in. You can even make a stop in the family bathroom to take a shower and brush teeth before bedtime.

Having an electronics battle in your house? Talk about what happens when one person in the PlayHome tuns on the living room TV while another family member is trying to listen to music.

Need your child to help out with clearing her place after dinner? Let them get the idea by helping their PlayHome character put dirty dishes in the sink.

The list goes on and on. You can even make up playground interactions in the fully-loaded back yard.

My PlayHome is available in both a Lite (free) version and Full ($3.99) for iPhone/iPod and the iPad. And never fear, Android users -- there's a version for you too -- just $2.99 at GooglePlay!

And if you already own My PlayHome, I'd love to hear in the comments how you play with it. Considering the mileage this app gets with Little Miss, we're always looking for new scenarios!