Osmo (game system) facts for kids

Osmo makes awesome learning games that mix digital fun with real-world play. These games are created by a company called Tangible Play, located in Palo Alto, California. Osmo's products use a special system. You place your iPad or iPhone on a stand with a small mirror. This mirror helps the device's camera see and understand the objects you are playing with right in front of it. It's like the screen becomes a smart partner in your physical games!

Time magazine thought Osmo was so cool, they named it one of the 25 Best Inventions of 2014. Later, in 2017, Fast Company magazine said Osmo was one of the top ten "most innovative companies" in education. You can find Osmo games online or in stores like Target and the Apple Store. In January 2019, Osmo was bought by another company called Byju's.

Recently, Osmo's parent company, Byju's, has faced some financial challenges. On January 25, 2024, lenders started legal steps to get their loans repaid. Then, on February 1, 2024, Byju's U.S. branch filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. This means they are working to reorganize their finances. Byju's plans to raise about $200 million to help pay off debts and cover other costs.

How Osmo Games Were Created

Osmo was developed by Tangible Play. This company was started in 2013 by Pramod Sharma and Jérôme Scholler. They were both graduates from Stanford and used to work at Google. They got the idea for Osmo by watching Sharma's daughter, who was five years old at the time, play with an iPad.

Sharma noticed his daughter's face was always very close to the screen. He felt this wasn't very healthy or natural. So, he and Scholler decided to create a game system. This system uses a mirror over the camera to make the screen an "interactive partner" in physical games. This way, kids can play with real objects while still using the digital screen.

Popular Osmo Games

Words: Spell and Learn

Words is a game where players look at pictures on the screen. Then, they use real letter tiles to spell out the words that match the pictures. Common Sense Education, a group that reviews educational products, says this game is great. They noted that it has different difficulty levels, so every student can find a challenge. Plus, you can add your own word packs, which makes it very useful for both fun and learning.

Tangram: Shape Puzzles

This game is a modern take on the classic tangram puzzle. Kids arrange physical tangram pieces to match shapes shown on the screen. Playing with tangrams is excellent for helping children develop their spatial awareness skills. This means they get better at understanding how objects fit together in space.

Newton: Physics Fun

Newton is a game based on physics. Players guide small bouncing balls into target areas on the screen. They can do this by drawing platforms and ramps, or even by placing real objects in their play space. The Toy Insider described it as "a high-tech version of pinball — super fun!"

Numbers: Math Adventures

Numbers is a math game with an ocean theme. Players try to pop bubbles and free fish by combining number tiles on the table. The game instantly reads the tiles using the camera. GeekDad said, "Seeing it in action feels almost magical." The app shows the numbers on the screen and adds or multiplies them right away.

Masterpiece: Become an Artist

Masterpiece uses computer vision technology. It can look at any image and turn it into a drawing that you can trace. VentureBeat explained that it's an app that helps kids and adults become digital artists. It can also help them feel more confident in their drawing abilities.

Coding Awbie: Learn to Code

In Coding Awbie, players learn about coding. They connect magnetic coding blocks in a sequence to control a character named Awbie on an adventure. New Atlas called Coding Awbie "a good way of introducing younger children to the concepts of logic and problem solving."

Monster: Bring Drawings to Life

With Monster, a friendly monster named Mo takes kids' real-life drawings. He then brings them into his animated world on the screen. Wired magazine reported that "The whole thing is then automatically saved as a video clip." This video can then be shared with family. In 2017, Osmo even released a Spanish version of Monster, with the voice of actor Jaime Camil.

Pizza Co.: Run Your Own Pizzeria

Pizza Co. combines cooking and running a business. It uses interactive tokens that represent ingredients and money. Pizza Co. won a Gold Award from Parents’ Choice. They said the game helps children with basic math skills. It also encourages hours of imaginative and cooperative play.

Coding Jam: Make Music with Code

Coding Jam teaches coding ideas through creating music. Venturebeat described it as "An open-ended music studio." It has many characters and instruments. The game is easy enough for a 5-year-old to understand. But it also has enough challenges for a 10-year-old to master and create complex songs.

Hot Wheels™ MindRacers: Race Real Cars

Osmo worked with Mattel to create MindRacers. This game mixes real Hot Wheels™ cars with virtual racetracks on the screen. MindRacers was the first Hot Wheels™ product to say it was for both "boys and girls" on the box.

This is the only Osmo game that works only with the iPad. This is because of the unique shape of its play area.