Technology and Aging: Adventures with an iPad - Week 7
Technology and Aging: Adventures with an iPad Week 7: Flow Free
True confession time…between my iPhone and my iPad I have well over 100 apps!!! I can afford to do this because most of them are / were free. I'm always looking for new games or activities that might be of interest to my clients, or so I tell myself as I spend hours "test driving" them to see who might benefit and how. I'm amazed at the variety and quality (or sometimes the lack thereof) of the apps that are available and find myself frequently repeating the phrase "I'll bet there's an app for that!" before hunting one down.
One of my new favorites is Flow Free. I feel like this gives me a glimpse into the lives of all the engineers in my family (in fact my son is currently working as a piping engineer…stick with me and you'll see why that's relevant) and it doesn't hurt that it's fun too!
Just as an aside, I found this app by searching the "Top Charts" in the App Store. I enjoy stopping by periodically to see what the latest and greatest apps are…check it out if you haven't lately, who knows what you may find?!
Now, back to the app itself. The goal of Flow Free is to "connect matching colors with pipe to create a flow". Sounds easy, right? And it is…at first. In the beginning, there are 5 different colors on a 5x5 grid. But as you improve, the games become more challenging by adding more colors, more squares and more complex patterns. There have been times when I've been tempted to call my piping engineer son for clues! (And just so you know, there's an app for that…not for calling my son but for getting "cheats" to solve the piping puzzles…crazy, right?!...an app for an app!) The game has been great for my clients on several different levels, which I always think is a bonus.
First, it requires fine motor skills as you use your finger to draw a line between the dots. Then there's the mental part…looking at the grid and "seeing" how the water will flow. No two pipes can cross over and all the squares must be filled. Try it for yourself…it's addictive! And that's another plus, you're exercising your brain AND having fun too!!!
With over 750 FREE games at multiple levels, Flow Free can keep you and your clients entertained and challenged for a long time! There's also a Time Trial version in which you solve as many games as possible in a set amount of time.
Just remember...I told you this game is addictive. So don't go blaming me for the hours you lose…you've been warned!
Now enjoy!
Chris Hicks, C&S Care Manager
C&S Care Management, Inc.
C&S Care Management, Inc.
