Fun With Directions HD vs Fun & Functional
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fun With Directions HD
Engage young children in practicing listening and following directions through interactive scenarios. This app offers a fun way to learn colors, spatial concepts, and auditory skills with customizable difficulty levels.
- Follows simple to complex directions
- Practices colors and spatial concepts
- Enhances auditory memory and processing
- Customizable difficulty levels
- Data collection for progress tracking
- Text on/off for reading practice
- Record and playback for expressive language
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Open a door and see what’s behind it! Give the boy something to eat. He’ll even say “Thanks!” Color a cat with the help of the magic crayon! Push a button and watch the elevator door open-what could be inside? Check it out on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXCe1fETCnc A perfect speech-therapy app! Fun with Directions is a ground-breaking app for the iPAD, designed to provide a fun and engaging way to practice listening, following directions, colors, spatial concepts, auditory memory and auditory processing. From the simplest of directions (“Touch the cat”) to the more complex (“With your orange crayon, color the large one that is a furry pet and likes to chase mice”) your child can grow and learn with this game over time. Colorful, vivid art and animations against a white background combine to create a complete game experience without visual clutter. Sound effects and surprises keep the game engaging! This app is a great choice for a toddler/preschooler, or any young child who would like to practice listening to or reading directions! Included are ten concepts: Give, touch, open, close, top, middle, bottom, push, color, erase. Features include settings for data collection, individual (up to 75users) vs. group play, automatic advance or manual advance to next direction, touch/drag OR touch/tap option, text on/off, (to practice reading vs. listening) selecting specific concepts, and the desired level of play: easy, intermediate, and advanced. An added bonus that is included in this app is the optional “Superstar Direction” which allows additional practice for remembering (“What did you have to do?”) but also expressive language. The child’s response is recorded and played back. Superstar Directions can be set to a variety of intervals or turned off completely. A perfect speech therapy app! Hamaguchi Apps is dedicated to the mission of bringing high-quality apps to the general public and professionals for affordable prices. *Please contact our tech support if you are experiencing any technical issues with our apps. We will always help you troubleshoot it and get back to you generally within one business day. We cannot respond to reviews and there are generally easy solutions to every issue. info@hamaguchiapps.com PRIVACY POLICY: We do NOT collect personal data from our users and have no ads. Personal data regarding user performance on the tasks on this app are self-contained and not transmitted in any way. There are no in-app purchases in this app. There is a link to our other apps in the iTunes store from the homepage which requires internet access to be viewed. Find our privacy policy here: https://hamaguchiapps.com/privacy-policy Developed by Patti Hamaguchi, M.A., CCC-SLP, a noted speech-language pathologist and author of Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know, as well as books on the treatment of auditory processing disorders. To find out more about this app and our other upcoming projects, visit our website: www.hamaguchiapps.com Questions or need Tech Support? Email us at info@hamaguchiapps.com
Fun & Functional
This app teaches users to understand and describe the function of everyday objects. It's designed for children and adults, offering a research-based curriculum to build vocabulary and literacy skills. Features include dual-mode learning, high-quality visuals, and multilingual support.
- Teaches object function
- Dual-mode learning (receptive/expressive)
- Over 20,000 visuals
- Multilingual support (EN, ES, PT)
- 10 functional categories
- Customizable difficulty
- Data tracking and reports
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Unlock the power of functional communication with Fun & Functional, the premier speech therapy tool designed to teach children and adults how to understand and describe the use of everyday objects. Created by certified speech-language pathologists at Smarty Ears, this app bridges the gap between simply naming an item and truly understanding its utility in the real world. Whether you are a clinician working on Common Core standards, a teacher implementing RTI (Response to Intervention), or a parent supporting language at home, Fun & Functional provides a research-based curriculum to build "word consciousness" and advanced literacy. Why Choose Fun & Functional? Evidence-Based Practice: Built on linguistic research, the app targets verb-based vocabulary—concepts that are typically more difficult to acquire but essential for narrative and expressive language skills. Dual-Mode Learning: Addresses both receptive language (identification) and expressive language (verbal description) in a single session. High-Quality Visuals: Features over 20,000 Smarty Symbols to represent real-life items with professional clarity. Multilingual Support: Fully localized in English, Spanish, and Portuguese—the selected language determines all commands, stimuli, and clinical reports. Powerful Features for Professionals & Families 10 Functional Categories: Target specific themes including Electronics, Grooming, Occupation, Kitchen, Vehicles, and more. Customizable Complexity: Adjust settings to show 2, 3, or 4 choices per screen. Control task difficulty by selecting "Less Similar" or "More Similar" distractors. Precision Data Tracking: Automatic "Report Cards" track student progress chronologically, identifying specific areas of mastery. Therapy Report Center (TRC) Compatible: Seamlessly sync data for easy report writing and caseload management. Versatile Design: Appropriate for a wide range of learners, from early elementary students to older individuals with severe cognitive deficits or those in stroke rehabilitation. Educationally Aligned Fun & Functional is the perfect companion for the classroom, meeting Common Core State Standards for sorting common objects into categories and producing complete sentences in shared language activities. It provides the intensive monitoring required for successful RTI Tier II and III interventions. Download Fun & Functional today and help your learners move beyond naming to true functional communication!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Fun With Directions HD at 35 against Fun & Functional's 5. Fun & Functional's advantage is price ($14.99 vs $15.99). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Fun With Directions HD costs $15.99 and Fun & Functional $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Fun With Directions HD against 4.4 for Fun & Functional. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fun With Directions HD has 35 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Fun With Directions HD's written reviews are positive against 93% of Fun & Functional's.
Fun With Directions HD ships an update every 6 months, Fun & Functional every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fun With Directions HD | Fun & Functional |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15.99 | $14.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (35 ratings) | 4.4 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | 93.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 35 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 11 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 292 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hamaguchi Learning & Development, LLC | Smarty Ears |
Customer experience
Fun With Directions HD
Fun & Functional
Bugs and requests
Fun With Directions HD
Reported bugs
4 issues- No sound
- Previous graphics staying on the page
- Crashing when adding new groups
- Difficulty clicking/dragging items
Requested features
11 requests- More specific response requirements
- Ability to change background color
- True randomization of concepts
- Option to mix concepts in random mode
- More variety in pictures and items
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- A level between intermediate and advanced
- Option to just click and place instead of drag
- More concepts added
- Ability to track users/progress more effectively
- Automatic advancement to next concept
- Mix concepts together instead of one at a time
Fun & Functional
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Fun With Directions HD
No in-app purchases
Fun & Functional
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Fun With Directions HD free?
Is Fun & Functional free?
Which has better reviews, Fun With Directions HD or Fun & Functional?
Do Fun With Directions HD or Fun & Functional have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fun With Directions HD or Fun & Functional?
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