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A Back to School 3D and Augmented Reality Adventure: Lizzy's World

A Back to School 3D and Augmented Reality Adventure: Lizzy's World


This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Playing Forward. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Lizzy's World is an adorable digital story created by Playing Forward, a company that creates storytelling apps that support social-emotional development in young children. This particular story is a 3D and augmented reality adventure about a young girl named Lizzy who is getting ready to start school. This story captures all of the "firsts" that a child who is getting ready to start school for the first time might encounter. Getting dressed for school, boarding the bus for the first time, meeting new friends, and discovering new things are among the different experiences Lizzy explores in this story. It is rated for children age 4+ and is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play (Beta) on the latest iPhones, iPads and Android devices that support ARcor. You can download the Android or iOS version for $3.99.

The story is really adorable and relatable. I like the variety of options for children to read the story. The child can read it aloud and tap on individual words if they need help which will be read aloud for them or they can hold down the speaker button and have the sentences read outloud:



Children love the option to personalize the main character, Lizzy, and her bedroom. They can change the way Lizzy appears: hair color, eye color, skin color, pajamas, clothes and even her underwearšŸ˜‚. I don't know a child who wouldn't love that!



Children can even personalize Lizzy's bedroom by changing the colors of her bed, wall (they can even choose from different kinds of wallpaper), furniture and floor providing a different experience every time they read the story!



With each app download you receive 25 coins. Each personalization costs 5 coins. If the reader would like to purchase more coins they can do so through in-app purchases.


3D Experience


There are butterflies that flutter around throughout the story. When they are tapped, you can pan around the room or whatever setting is on the page. This allows the reader to become immersed in the story! I love this feature! 


Augmented Reality Experience

There is also the option to enjoy the story through an augmented reality experience. Users can place Lizzy and her surroundings right in their own world and explore the story through different perspectives! Below is a screencast I took when I was reading the story in augmented reality mode sitting at the bottom of my staircase. You can see that Lizzy comes alive as she jumps up and down on the stairs with my dog, Riley, in the background.



I think any child who is getting ready to attend school for the first time or even those who are nervous about returning to school would greatly benefit from reading this story. The 3D and augmented reality components make it engaging and a different experience each time the story is read! 

Compatible with the Following Devices:

• iPhone 6s and 6s Plus,
• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus,
• iPhone SE,
• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus,
• iPhone X,
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular (1st and 2nd generations),
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular (1st and 2nd generations),
• 9.7-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular (1st and 2nd generations),
• iPad (2017, 5th generation)


About Playing Forward

  • Playing Forward is a transformational technology studio that creates digital experiences that ignite children's imaginations.
  • Playing Forward apps are specifically designed to support kids' social-emotional development through entertaining storytelling, movie-quality visual effects, and the use of Augmented Reality.
  • According to studies, social emotional development is key to success in school and life. Playing Forward's name comes from the fact that the company is "playing it forward" to give every child the very best shot at a happy childhood and successful adulthood.
  • Playing Forward based its app designs on extensive research in the field of social-emotional learning and beta-tested its apps with over 300 children in 18 classrooms across the United States and Canada.
  • Playing Forward has now launched three character-driven apps based on books: a Penguin Publishing classic ("MAXI THE TAXI DOG"), a story from Stan Lee's Kids Universe series ("DEX T-REX") , and Lizzy's World featuring the STEAM-powered character from a new independent book series ("IT'S JUST SO...").
  • Each story can be experienced in two ways: as a "bedtime story" that can be read aloud with in 3D, and as much more active 'exploration' in augmented reality, encouraging the reader to move around and experience the story from multiple perspectives.
  • John Attard and Victor Talbot founded Playing Forward after years of entertainment industry successes-including an Academy Award for Visual Effects. They have worked on 100+ films, television & digital series, Broadway & Off-Broadway shows and more. In addition to the VX Oscar for Ridley Scott's Gladiator (Disney); Superman vs. Batman (Warner Bros.); Guardian of the Galaxy 2 (Marvel); and Avengers 3 (Marvel).

Enter to WIN!


To celebrate the launch of the Playing Forward apps, they are running a contest with the Grand Prize being a whirlwind STEAM-powered weekend of play and exploration in Manhattan!


  • The Grand Prize includes air transportation, a two night hotel stay, a Visa gift card to cover meals, various museum tickets for a family of four.
  • It will also include personalized experiences at two of Manhattan's most unique museums- the Natural History Museum & the Children's Museum of the Arts
  • The contest's runner-up will win an iPad

Click HERE to enter!

If you enjoyed this post then you might be interested in reading another post about augmented reality children's books: Augmented Reality Children's Books that will Engage Students.

A Back to School 3D Augmented Reality Adventure with the digital story: Lizzy's World.

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