Study: App Boosts Closeness, Lowers Math Anxiety
September 2025 —We're thrilled to share results from an independent evaluation conducted by WestEd, a leading research and development agency based in California. The study found that the app strengthens caregiver-child relationships while reducing parental math anxiety. Participating parents described ThinkPlayful™ as a valuable tool for creating fun and connected learning moments with their children. Many parents noted that the app helped them discover new ways to bond with their child through shared, creative play. Others said they appreciated how the app encouraged their child to engage more with math-related tasks.
Key Findings
WestEd's evaluation, a randomized controlled trial conducted over six weeks with preschool-aged children and their caregivers, showed that participants that engaged with the app reported significantly greater closeness with their children and lower parental math anxiety compared to those that had no access to the app. Families using ThinkPlayful™ experienced significantly:
Greater caregiver-child closeness (p < .01)
Reduced math anxiety in caregivers (p < .05)
The randomized controlled trial found significant positive impacts on family relationships and parental attitudes toward mathematics. These results confirm that our guided play approach supports adult-child interaction and drives both learning and relationship benefits.
“We are thrilled with the results of WestEd’s study,” said Tyler Schwartz, CEO and Co-Founder. “These results strongly validate our guided play approach – we know that when parents and children are able to play together, that is the gold standard for helping kids learn. We were especially happy to hear the comments from parents that their children are excited about things like measuring and other math-related play.”
Development History
ThinkPlayful was developed with support from a National Science Foundation grants. The app integrates research-backed early learning principles with technology, providing learning experiences for preschool children while emphasizing caregiver interaction.
The app is now available free on iOS and Android.