Always Icecream – Where Learning is Fun!

One of the main cornerstones of our homeschool is to combine learning with fun, and I believe that the designers of the Always Icecream website have the same thing in mind. DD12 is at the upper end of the age range for this program but still finds it fun and sometimes challenging.

With Always Icecream, DD12 is able to learn by playing games in many different subjects.  I have included a screenshot of one page of the subjects available.  There are two or three more pages like this.  The subjects available covered just about everything that I would want to see included…and then some more.  What is really nice is that there is a parent section in which I was able to include and/or exclude certain subjects.  If I didn’t want her to do the math drills, I could exclude them and watch DD12 jump for joy.  For the record, I did not turn anything off.  I just want to point out how this program can be customized.

Besides learning games to play, there are videos for her to watch, too.  The videos are grouped by subject and include a wide variety.

Now, while the games and videos are fun, that is not the full fun factor.  Games and videos that have an ice cream cone on it gives out “$coops” as rewards for completing the game or video.  With these $coops, DD12 is able to “buy” an egg to hatch into an animal in Pet World, and she is also able decorate her house in the MiniWorld.

As you can see above, there are several different egg choices.  Each egg is supposed to be a certain animal type.  For instance, when DD12 hovered the cursor over the “Spiky” egg, it said that the animal would be a unicorn or a pony.  This was something that she wanted, so she paid 300 $coops for the egg.  When it hatched, it was a dragon.  So, just a word to the wise, you might not always get the animal you should.  This has really been the only negative experience that we have had with Always Icecream.  {Note added:  I just got an email from Always Icecream support, saying that the text on the “Spiky” egg omitted a couple of the possible pets and has now been fixed.  Support with this website is quick and efficient.}

In the parent area, besides being able to choose what subjects DD12 could do, I am also able to “reward” her for doing things in the “real world”.  I can give her up to 2,000 extra points per month in up to 500 point increments.  I can also see a summary of what she has been doing and how well she has been doing it.

What does our family think about this program?  Well, DD12 always wants to go on Always Icecream.  DS8 always wants to watch DD12 when she is on Always Icecream.  DS8 wants to know when the boy version is coming out…

Pertinent Information:

• Product name: Always Icecream
• Price: Always Icecream is available with different pricing options.
• Age Range: Girls 7-12.
  
• Read other reviews on this product on the Crew Blog Page.

FTC Disclosure: I was given a lifetime membership of Always Icecream for review purposes as a part of the TOS Crew. Although I was given this product free of charge, my opinions stated above are my own and not influenced by anyone.