Pepi Bath 2

Pepi Bath 2 is an updated version of the popular Pepi Bath app, which encourages preschoolers to think about washing and other hygiene routines. In Pepi Bath 2, you are presented with a choice of four characters to play with - a girl, a boy, a cat and a dog. Having chosen your character, you can play out one of six scenarios with them - using the toilet, brushing teeth, washing clothes, bathing, getting dressed or ironing clothes. Within each scenario, other activities are included to cover other aspects such as cutting nails, washing hands, folding clothes and so on. The interface is very simple to use, even for very young children, with instructions being implicit or gently hinted out throughout. There is a parents’ section that can be accessed from the main menu as well, which provides some background information for adults supervising.

The graphics and sound throughout the game are of a very high quality - each background, character and animation really pops from the screen and will be sure to engage young players. Although on the face of it the app is for entertainment alone, it really connects to the way that young children learn, and seeks to address many of the problems that parents of preschoolers have with trying to maintain a healthy routine for their youngsters. Given that this age group learns very effectively through play and role play situations, this app really hits the mark in terms of trying to develop early self care skills and provide a basis for discussion between parents and young children.

Given the target age group, there is plenty of content here to allow replayability, although any supervising grown ups may find repeated playing ever more tedious! Overall, this app has been well thought out, and designed very capably to meet the requirements of young children and their carers. The likeable characters are very relatable, and there are so many aspects covered that provide useful starting points for discussions and behaviour modelling.  This app could provide a basis for developing a routine that both child and parent were really happy with, or just simple entertainment if that were all that was required.