Light Up the Cave vs Smithsonian
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Light Up the Cave
Explore different light sources within a simulated dark cave environment. This educational tool is designed to align with grade 1 physical science curriculum, focusing on how we can illuminate our surroundings.
- Cave light source simulation
- Grade 1 physical science alignment
- Interactive learning tool
- Exploration of illumination methods
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This simulation allows users to test various light sources in a dark cave. This resource is aligned with the Smithsonian Science for the Classroom grade 1 physical science module, "How Can We Light Our Way in the Dark?"
Smithsonian
Explore the solar system with interactive games and animations. Learn fascinating facts about planets, moons, and the asteroid belt. Designed for curious young minds to introduce astronomy basics.
- Fascinating facts about the solar system
- Mini games like Space Winter Rush
- Interactive activities
- Educational animations
- Read to Me text
- Collect planet badges
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Join us on an exciting voyage through the solar system! Play, touch, read. and learn facts about the 8 planets in our solar system in this new app from The ©Smithsonian and PlayDate Digital. Designed for curious minds, this app features brilliantly illustrated animations which are sure to engage and entertain. Why is Mars called the Red Planet? Which is the brightest Planet? How many moons does Neptune have? What is the Asteroid Belt? Explore Planets, learn facts, and play games as you rocket through the solar system. Your space enthusiast will love learning all about the wonders of space and the universe. The mini games reinforce the learnings and interactive activities will keep kids engaged. Features: • Lots of fascinating facts about our solar system, its planets, and more! • Featuring mini games including Space Winter Rush, Comet Ceasefire, Solar System Sorting, Gas Planets and more! • Over 10 other interactive activities related to your space adventure. • Educational content and animations will entertain and engage while teaching simple astronomy basics. • ‘Read to Me’ text • Collect solar system and planet badges as you complete each level Planets and the Solar System from ©Smithsonian Kids is designed to deliver on these Learning Goals: • STEM: Introduce young learners to astronomy and science methods. • STEM: Expand young learners' curiosity and knowledge of the world around them. • Counting and Quantifying: Identify and organize groups of objects logically. • Visual Discrimination: Distinguish between different shapes, sizes, colors. • Visual Memory: Remembering and recalling visual information. • Color Recognition and Differentiation: Identifying and naming colors. • Shape Recognition and Classification: Identifying objects based on different shapes. ABOUT THE SMITHSONIAN The ©Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex, dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, ©Smithsonian sciences, and history. The name of the ©Smithsonian Institution and the sunburst logo are registered trademarks of the ©Smithsonian Institution. For more information, please visit www.si.edu ABOUT PLAYDATE DIGITAL PlayDate Digital Inc. is a publisher of high-quality, interactive, mobile educational software for children. PlayDate Digital's products nurture children's emerging literacy and creativity skills by turning digital screens into engaging experiences. PlayDate Digital content is built in partnership with some of the world's most trusted global brands for kids. Visit us: playdatedigital.com Like us: facebook.com/playdatedigital Follow us: @playdatedigital Watch all our app trailers: youtube.com/PlayDateDigital1 HAVE QUESTIONS? We'd love to hear from you! Your questions suggestions and comments are always welcome. Contact us 24/7 at info@playdatedigital.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Light Up the Cave at none against Smithsonian's 2. Smithsonian's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 35 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Smithsonian sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Light Up the Cave asks for nothing beyond the download.
Light Up the Cave ships an update every 35 months, Smithsonian every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Light Up the Cave | Smithsonian |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 285 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Smithsonian Institution | PlayDate Digital |
Customer experience
Light Up the Cave
Smithsonian
In-app purchases
Light Up the Cave
No in-app purchases
Smithsonian
- Remove Ads$1.99
- Buy 5 Planets$2.99
Questions
Is Light Up the Cave free?
Is Smithsonian free?
Do Light Up the Cave or Smithsonian have ads?
Which is updated more often, Light Up the Cave or Smithsonian?
Other comparisons
