Is that Silly? vs Ballyland Code 1
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Is that Silly?
This app uses vibrant illustrations of absurd scenarios to help children develop critical thinking and language skills. It's designed to assist those with ADHD, Autism, and language disorders by encouraging attention to detail and vocabulary expansion.
- Identify silly vs. not silly image pairs
- Explain why scenarios are absurd
- Customizable auditory and text prompts
- Progress tracking with Report Card
- Targeted for ADHD, Autism, language disorders
- Clinically proven design
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Is That Silly? is a premier educational tool developed by Smarty Ears to promote expressive and pragmatic language skills in children. Designed specifically for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), educators, and parents, this app transforms traditional therapy into a joyful experience that encourages children to pay attention to detail while expanding their vocabulary. Why "Is That Silly?" is a Must-Have for Language Development Children with ADHD, Autism, and various language or learning disorders often struggle to notice subtle details in their environment. This app utilizes over 120 vibrant illustrations to target these challenges through fun, interactive "silly" scenarios. By identifying absurdities—like a shark walking in the desert or a car flying in the sky—students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Key Features & Therapeutic Benefits: Receptive & Expressive Language: Children practice identifying "silly" vs. "not silly" image pairs to build foundational language skills. Higher-Level Reasoning: The app prompts children to verbally explain why a picture is silly, bridging the gap between simple identification and complex expressive formulation. Customizable Learning: Adjust settings to toggle auditory prompts, written text, or "Well done" reinforcement to match each child's developmental level. Progress Tracking: Generate a detailed Report Card after every session to track accuracy in identifying absurdities and expressive explanation scores. Clinically Proven Design: Perfect for story comprehension, adjective practice, and aphasia therapy. Who Is It For? Speech-Language Pathologists seeking an engaging, data-driven tool for clinic use. Parents looking for "brilliant" educational apps that make learning feel like play. Teachers aiming to improve visual and auditory attention in the classroom. Unlock your child's potential for language growth through the "Science of Silly." Is That Silly? is available now on the App Store.
Ballyland Code 1
This app introduces basic coding concepts and skills to children who are blind or have low vision. It uses audio descriptions and sound effects to create an accessible learning experience, allowing users to navigate a game grid and complete coding challenges.
- Audio Based Coding™
- VoiceOver accessible
- Tutorial and coding challenges
- Designed for visual impairment
- Develops computational thinking
- Supports tactile grid use
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Get started on your programming journey today! Children who are blind or have low vision can in this fun app learn basic coding concepts and skills that will be applicable to any programming language. Get introduced by way of the Tutorial game ‘Play with Coding’. Then take on your first Coding Challenge with simple coding commands. Make Wheelie, the little car from Ballyland, move around a digital game grid, on a mission to say Hello to a friend. Audio description and great audio effects are at the core of this innovative app, creating unique accessibility for learners with visual impairment, including adults who are keen to find out what coding is about. This is the first in a series of Ballyland Coding apps. Finger gestures used in this app: Finger drag, Flick left and right with one finger, Flick down and up with one finger, Double tap, Three finger flick left, Touch and hold. Visit the Sonokids website for tips and tools, and for the other fun educational Ballyland apps that help build preparatory iPad/gesture skills. Features: • Beginners’ level, no coding experience required; • Suited for novice users of VoiceOver; • Audio Based Coding™: built-in speech, spoken coding panel, audio description, meaningful sound effects, audio and visual on-screen coding output; • VoiceOver accessible at start page, accessible menus in the game; • Two main sections: ‘Play with coding’ (Tutorial), and the Coding Challenge (three levels) • “Black Curtain” option to create level playing field for all; • Designed with feedback from children with visual impairment, parents and teachers; • Use with Ballyland 3D printable tactile grid, characters and accessories (specifically designed for the Coding apps); • Use at home and school. Develops: • Computational thinking, basic coding concepts and skills, such as breaking problem down in steps, sequencing, patterning, using basic coding commands; • Listening, Locating, ‘Mental Mapping’; • Orientation, spatial awareness and navigating a digital game grid • Experiential learning of VoiceOver accessibility by sighted players “It is so fantastic to be able to offer our younger students something accessible and fun when their peers are already using fun coding apps.” Pam Ayling, Specialist Teacher (Vision Impairment), School Support Service Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, Sydney
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Is that Silly? at 84% against Ballyland Code 1's 0%. Is that Silly? also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). Ballyland Code 1's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $14.99) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 22 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Is that Silly? costs $14.99 and Ballyland Code 1 $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ballyland Code 1 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of Is that Silly?'s written reviews are positive against 0% of Ballyland Code 1's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Is that Silly? ships an update every 22 months, Ballyland Code 1 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Is that Silly? | Ballyland Code 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 170 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Smarty Ears | Phia Damsma |
Customer experience
Is that Silly?
Ballyland Code 1
In-app purchases
Is that Silly?
No in-app purchases
Ballyland Code 1
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Is that Silly? free?
Is Ballyland Code 1 free?
Which has better reviews, Is that Silly? or Ballyland Code 1?
Do Is that Silly? or Ballyland Code 1 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Is that Silly? or Ballyland Code 1?
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