https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9TSkS9Nj5A[/embed
MentalUP is a popular educational games app, developed with input from academics and educators, offering dozens of mind games with difficulty levels suited to children. For this family review, we asked some of our MyKidsTime families to try it out with their kids and tell us honestly what they thought.
What is MentalUP?
MentalUP includes games designed to boost memory, attention, focus, analytical thinking, visual intelligence and other cognitive skills, aimed at children roughly aged 4 to 13.
The app has been downloaded by millions of families worldwide and has built up a large base of reviews on app stores. MentalUP has also been involved with the University College London Institute of Education’s EDUCATE Programme, which supports education technology companies.
What Our Testers Thought
How Easy Did You Find It To Install And Use?
Mum of a 5 year old: “I found it very easy to install and use. The app is very self-explanatory and all instructions are very clear and concise.”
Mum of a 6 and 10 year old: “Very easy to download, instructions are easy to understand and the set-up is very straightforward.”
How Easy Did Your Child Find It To Use?
Mum of a 5 year old: “I found that I had to stay with her at all times while she was on it. I think a quick demo of each game should be shown before they start. The instructions are given verbally and written on the screen, but I think kids would miss this and would benefit from a sample. I found that the first few attempts in each game were generally spent figuring it out. She did navigate through the game with no problems, and moving between levels was simple.”
Mum of a 6 year old: “He found it very easy and enjoyed reading the instructions aloud before playing. Some games were harder than others but he still enjoyed the challenge.”
Mum of a 10 year old: “She found it very easy to use, navigate and understand.”
You might also enjoy 5 Easy Ways to Turn Screen Time Into Quality Time
What Did You Think of the Bonus Features and Performance Reports?
Mum of a 5 year old: “I would have liked to have seen the number of other children her age that she was compared to at the end of each game. It’s given in the percentile reports, but I’d like to see it on each end-of-game report too. That would make it even better.”
Mum of a 6 year old: “It was interesting to see where he finished up against the age group, and he was determined next time to do better than the ‘other side’.”
Mum of a 10 year old: “I found that she was way ahead in most of the games, so she didn’t find it much of a challenge. If she’d kept playing and the games had gotten harder, that would have been beneficial.”
What Did Your Child Think About MentalUP?
Mum of a 5 year old: “I think she didn’t like the fact that I had to explain every game to her. She’s used to other apps that show her clearly what to do without needing my input, which gives her a sense of independence.”
Mum of a 6 year old: “He said he enjoyed the bubble-popping game and the others. He was able to read the instructions himself so I didn’t have to sit with him, and there were lots of giggles and ‘oh cool’ moments!”
Mum of a 10 year old: “She found some of the games a little too easy and wasn’t too fussed about playing it much. She did enjoy seeing how much she had improved after playing, though.”
Would You Recommend MentalUP To Other Parents?
Mum of a 5 year old: “I would recommend it.”
Mum of a 6 year old: “Definitely would tell other parents of kids in his class.”
Mum of a 10 year old: “Yeah, I probably would, although we (fellow parents) don’t tend to compare notes much on apps.”
Over to you now — has your child tried out MentalUP? Tell us what they thought in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age group is MentalUP designed for?
MentalUP is designed for children roughly aged 4 to 13, with games and difficulty levels that adjust to suit different ages.
What skills does MentalUP help develop?
The app focuses on memory, attention, focus, analytical thinking and visual intelligence, using short game-based challenges.
Will my child need help using the app?
It depends on age. Our younger tester needed a parent nearby to explain each game, while our older testers were confident navigating and reading instructions independently.
Can I see how my child is progressing?
Yes, MentalUP includes performance reports and percentile comparisons so you can see how a child is doing over time.
Would parents recommend MentalUP?
Our testing families said yes — all three would recommend it to other parents, though experiences varied depending on the child’s age and how much of a challenge the games offered.
You Might Also Like
- 5 Easy Ways to Turn Screen Time Into Quality Time
- Best Educational Apps and Games for Building Kids’ Brain Skills
- Screen Time Tips: Choosing Learning-Friendly Apps for Your Family
Looking for more ideas like this? Browse our learning hub for more app reviews, activities and family-tested resources.
Don’t Miss Our Weekly Ideas
Want more family-tested apps, activities and learning ideas delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the MyKidsTime newsletter for weekly ideas to keep the kids engaged, learning and having fun.
