Comparison

Kiko's Thinking Time vs Grow Forest

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Kiko's Thinking Time

This app helps children develop essential cognitive skills like memory and attention through adaptive games. Designed with neuroscientists, it offers a safe and engaging way for young learners to build a strong foundation for academic success.

Highlights
  • Adaptive cognitive games
  • Memory and attention training
  • Neuroscience-based design
  • Dynamic skill leveling
  • Parent progress tracking
  • No ads
Features
Read full description

Kiko’s Thinking Time trains memory, attention and key cognitive skills through adaptive games. Designed with Harvard and UC Berkeley neuroscientists, with support from the US Department of Education, it was created with one goal in mind – to help children succeed. Featured by Apple. Winner of 2014 & 2015 SBIR Award from the US Department of Education. Best of 2014 Preschool Toolbox - Teachers with Apps 2014 Finalist for the Verizon's Powerful Answers Award "A Lumosity for the preschool-plus set" - TechCrunch "Every Pre-K classroom should have this app" - Teacher review "5/5. Recommended for parents, teachers and clinicians alike" - Clinician review AN EARLY START “Children with stronger worker memory, inhibition and attentional skills have been found to make larger gains on tests of early math, language and literacy development” – Harvard University. It’s important for children to develop their cognitive skills early in their lives. Kiko’s Thinking Time targets these skills through a variety of exercises. BASED ON NEUROSCIENCE Our games are designed from neuropsychological tasks that have shown promise in lab research. They are developed alongside Kiko Labs’ Scientific Advisory Board comprised of leading researchers in developmental neuroscience from Harvard and UC Berkeley. DYNAMIC SKILL LEVELS Each game adapts to match the appropriate level of each child. This allows children to just pick up the app and play, and ensure that they are always challenged but not frustrated. GREAT PARENT TOOLS Our parents’ area offers a variety of tools & charts to view the progress of your child. See how your child is doing in 6 cognitive areas: Memory, Reasoning, Flexibility, Selective Attention, Spatial Ability and Inhibitory Control. PEACE OF MIND Safe, trusted, and fun. We take your privacy seriously. No ads, ever.

About

Grow Forest

Explore a magical forest, plant and chop trees, and build a vibrant community. Engage with whimsical characters, create crafts, and learn about sustainability in a stress-free, kid-friendly environment. The game offers a peaceful and creative experience for young players.

Highlights
  • Build and craft in a magical forest
  • Plant and chop trees for resources
  • Create comic books and crafts
  • Interact with forest characters
  • Learn about sustainability
  • Play 14 mini-games
  • Hand-made graphics and sounds
Features
Read full description

Ah, the forest, such a magical place! In this particular forest, Banja and her friends are waiting for you to help them build a wonderful, healthy forest community. Plant and chop down trees to create wood that you can use to build houses, roads and renovate buildings. You can also create comic books and other fun stuff. The forest provides a wealth of things to do and produce. If the forest is feeling good, the inhabitants of the forest feel good - and not just the animals and humans. The supernatural beings of the forest, such as imps and trolls, will also be delighted and will thank you with their love. So step into the magical forest and start playing! The game is free to download. If you like it and want to buy the full version then you can make a one time purchase inside the app. You will be able to continue building the world you've created in the free version. FEATURES: - Build, craft, paint, play - explore a child's creativity - Create a large, magical forest world and watch it develop and grow - Play 14 different minigames - Interact with fun characters and creatures in the forest - Learn about the forest, sustainable forestry and climate change in a simple and fun way - Enjoy the hand-made graphic style and the harmonious sounds of the forest - No elements featuring stress or timers - Kid friendly interface - easy to understand and navigate - Kid-safe environment: totally free from 3rd party ads and commercials Grow Forest is a game specially developed for children aged 3 to 9 years old. The main purpose of the game is to entertain, but also to pique the player's curiosity of the forest and the part it plays in creating a sustainable society for us all. There are no stressful moments in the game, and children can play at their own pace, never risking getting stuck at any point. STAY TUNED Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GroPlay Instagram: http://www.instagr.am/GroPlay Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GroPlay Website: www.GroPlay.com

Screenshots

Kiko's Thinking Time4 screens
Grow Forest4 screens

Verdict

The call

Kiko's Thinking Time and Grow Forest both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Kiko's Thinking Time's written reviews are positive against 75% of Grow Forest's. Kiko's Thinking Time also leads on iOS requirement (6.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Kiko's Thinking Time sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Grow Forest sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Kiko's Thinking Time against 4.5 for Grow Forest. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 677 and 271 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Kiko's Thinking Time's written reviews are positive against 75% of Grow Forest's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kiko's Thinking Time ships an update every 2 months, Grow Forest every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Kiko's Thinking Time versus Grow Forest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKiko's Thinking TimeGrow Forest
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (677 ratings) — better4.5 (271 ratings)
Positive reviews84.1% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings677 — better271
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size134 MB157 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKiko Labs Inc.Gro Play

Customer experience

Kiko's Thinking Time

All ratings664 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral4.5%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive84.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative11.4%

Grow Forest

All ratings271 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Kiko's Thinking Time

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login and password reset issues
  • Compatibility problems with older devices
  • Rewards not always working as expected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Family sharing option
  • More customization for parents
  • Offline mode or reduced data usage

Grow Forest

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Kiko's Thinking Time

One-time6
  • Kiko's Thinking Time Unlimited - 1 month promo$4.99
  • Kiko's Thinking Time Unlimited - 1 month2 variants$7.99
  • Kiko's Thinking Time Unlimited - 3 month promo$11.99
Show 3 more
  • Kiko's Thinking Time Unlimited - 3 months$19.99
  • Kiko's Thinking Time Unlimited - 1 year promo$29.99
  • Kiko's Thinking Time Unlimited - 1 year$49.99
1 purchases

Grow Forest

One-time1
  • Full Version of "Grow Forest"$4.99

Questions

Is Kiko's Thinking Time free?
Kiko's Thinking Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Grow Forest free?
Grow Forest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Kiko's Thinking Time or Grow Forest?
Kiko's Thinking Time is rated higher. Kiko's Thinking Time averages 4.6 out of 5 from 677 ratings, while Grow Forest averages 4.5 from 271 ratings.
Do Kiko's Thinking Time or Grow Forest have ads?
Neither Kiko's Thinking Time nor Grow Forest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kiko's Thinking Time or Grow Forest?
Kiko's Thinking Time ships an update every 2 months, and Grow Forest every 3 months. Most recently, Kiko's Thinking Time was updated on October 19, 2026 and Grow Forest on October 12, 2026.

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