Square Panda FAQ

Square Panda is designed for grades Prek-1 in schools or ages 2-8 at home.

Yes, the Home Edition does not work for classroom implementations. The Classroom Playset & Subscription includes the SquareLand Early Literacy Curriculum; an enhanced Teacher Portal for personalized learning, classroom management, and progress tracking; and implementation training and support. Flashcards are available for purchase to extend and personalize instruction.

Yes, new learning games are released on an ongoing basis. The classic games are free to download on the App Store or Google Play. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest updates.

Go to the App Store or Google Play, type Square Panda into the search bar, and download each game separately.

Yes, please see Replacement Smart Letters.

At Square Panda we realize how important lowercase letters are in early literacy instruction. We start with uppercase letters because (according to research!) they are visually easier to discriminate for young learners. Capital letters are made with similar shapes that help kids start to develop fine motor skills, which is a great way to build early reading confidence. As learners advance, they are introduced to lowercase letter instruction in our digital games which have a built-in response for the uppercase physical letters.

More languages will be available in the future.

Educators: please call 877-469-5660 x105 (8:00-5:00 CST) or email education-support@squarepanda.com. Parents: please call 877-807-2632 (9:00-5:00 PST) or email support@squarepanda.com.

Square Panda apps and games require an adult to create an account to approve product use by a child. To fully-activate an account, Square Panda requires an adult to provide their name, email, and country of residence to help identify customer status and ensure content received is in the correct language. Square Panda apps and games keep track of children’s progress as they play. Square Panda also requires submission of the child’s first name and date of birth. This allows synchronization of gameplay to account so adults can view learning progress and games can be set to age-appropriate levels.

The Square Panda Playset requires a compatible tablet and connection via Bluetooth to access the Square Panda App. The apps are available for downloaded through the App Store or Google Play. Tablet not included. See FAQ for supported tablets.

By purchasing this product, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Make sure your iPad's Bluetooth is turned on.

The first thing to try is to close your game and power off the playset in order to restart them:

• Close/kill game – double click your iPad's Home button, swipe up the game to close it.
• Power off playset – this may happen automatically if it's not paired to a game. Press and hold down the power button to manually power on/off the playset.

If the above procedure does not establish the connection try to turn off your Bluetooth and restart your iPad:

• Turn off Bluetooth from Control Center, or by going to Settings > Bluetooth and turning off the switch.
• Reboot your iPad by holding the Home button and the Power button until you see the Apple logo. Turn the iPad off and back on and turn on Bluetooth. Now it should pair with the playset.

When your iPad's Mute is on, you won't hear audio for notifications, alerts, game audio, or sound effects like keyboard clicking. You'll still hear audio playback in your music, podcasts, and videos.

To unmute your iPad's sound, do the following per your iPad model:

• On your iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, or iPad mini 4, you'll find Mute and Rotation Lock in the Control Center. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the Control Center.
• From the Control Center, tap Mute to unmute sound.

These iPad models have a Side Switch on the upper right side of the device, above the volume buttons:

• iPad Air, iPad (3rd generation), and iPad (4th generation).
• iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3.
• Unlock the Side Switch to unmute certain sounds.

When the Location service is not enabled, Android Bluetooth will not work and this is an intended behavior, according to Google. To turn on Location permission for an app, please follow these steps:

• Click the "Apps" icon
• Click "Settings"
• Select the app
• Select "Permissions"
• Turn on permission for Location

It's easy! Square Panda learning games include simple on­-screen instructions that will walk you through pairing the playset to your device. Tap on the playset icon on your device to connect it to the playset (be sure it is turned on with blue LED scanning back and forth). The Square Panda Getting Started Video has detailed step-by-step setup instructions.

Square Panda works with both Apple and Android smartphones. Please clickhere for the list of compatible devices.

Yes, apps can be downloaded on multiple devices. The only restrictions are those that Apple or Google might enforce.
If the same login is used on multiple devices, all gameplay is properly saved for each player.

Yes! If you ever recycle your playset be sure to take it to your local electronics recycler.

No. We have designed them to be durable but they should not be immersed in liquid. If they become wet, please wipe them off with a dry cloth as soon as possible. Do not play with any electronic toy in the bathtub.

Several reasons are possible:

1. The letters have been damaged or are dirty which prevents them from seating properly in the playset. Clean the letters with a damp cloth and dry them thoroughly.
2. The letter slots may need cleaning. Watch out especially for crumbs or small debris which may prevent the letters from sitting flat in the letter slot.
3. Playset may need calibration. Make sure the playset is clear of all letters before calibrating.
4. If the letters still read incorrectly after going through the above steps please contact us at support@squarepanda.com and we will replace them.

Your playset is calibrated at the factory to detect the smart letters. Under certain circumstances, the software may request that you calibrate the playset. Follow the instructions on screen or on the game's main menu, select MANAGE/PLAYSET. On the "MANAGE PLAYSET" screen select 'Calibrate' and follow the on-screen instructions.

We intentionally made the button into a "soft lock" that requires a long press to prevent players from accidentally entering the menu.

For optimal performance, please have at least 1GB of free space on your hard drive.

If you are in a school setting, please send the below note to your IT department. This will help fix and prevent any connectivity issues, even if you are not having them currently.

Note for IT:
Please make sure the below websites are whitelisted to prevent any connection issues with my Square Panda learning system in my classroom:

• *.squarepanda.com
• squarepanda-dev.s3.amazonaws.com

If domains cannot be used, please whitelist the below names (which are subject to change).

• services.squarepanda.com
• teacher.squarepanada.com
• playground.squarepanda.com

If you sent the above note with the list of websites to IT and are still having connection issues, next check to see if you can access other websites such as Google.com or IRS.gov. If you cannot access these websites you should check with IT or your Internet Service Provider for help. This connection issue is separate from Square Panda.

The current default is 3 players.

Use a coin to push and turn the battery compartment door lock at the bottom of the playset to the open position. Open the compartment door and replace all four batteries. Please use new alkaline batteries.

The Parent Panda Portal shows your child’s newly earned badges and more skills he or she is ready to learn. The Teacher Panda Portal lets educators track student progress and personalize learning.

Log on to the Parent Portal 

1. Click on "Login"
2. Click on "Don't have an account"
3. Sign up for Parent Portal
4. Fill the details
5. Agree to the terms and conditions and click "Continue"

Log on to the Parent Portal

Click on "Login" and then click "Resend activation email." Next, add your registered email address and click "recover account." You will receive an activation email. Please click "Consent & Activate" to activate your account. Next, check your inbox and spam folder.

There are two categories of the badges: Big Badges and Mini Badges. These can be earned by when the child has completed a task given for each badge.

You can login to the Parent Portal and click the "MY ACCOUNT" option. Next, under the "LOST LETTER SECTION" tab, click on the lost alphabet letter and submit. This will help the system recognize the missing letter. We also suggest you contact our support team at support@squarepanda.com for a replacement of the lost letter. Once you receive the replacement, kindly undo the process of lost letter in the Parent Portal.

Square Panda is a socially responsible company that respects all of our customers' privacy, especially children. We support and abide by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Briefly, (1) we collect the minimum amount of data necessary to provide our service, (2) we collect no data directly from a child, and (3) we safeguard any data collected using the highest industry standards. The data we collect, how we use it, and your rights are explained in our Children's Privacy Policy

Log into your Teacher Panda Portal or Parent Panda Portal account and under the "Player" menu, select "Add Player". You can also add a player from within any game.

Log into your Teacher Panda Portal or Parent Panda Portal account and go to MY ACCOUNT.

Make sure Wi-Fi on your iPad is turned on. It will sync the next time you open the game (may take a few minutes).

Yes. Log into your Teacher Panda Portal or Parent Panda Portal account and select "CUSTOMIZE" to upload your own picture for any word. Either the default picture or your own picture will be shown at random. Currently, only the Square Panda Lagoon game supports this function.

A maximum of 50 words can be added. Currently, the Square Panda Lagoon game supports this function.

Yes, Log into your Teacher Panda Portal or Parent Panda Portal account and select "CUSTOMIZE" to add words. Currently, only the Square Panda Lagoon game supports this function.

Yes. Log into your Teacher Panda Portal or Parent Panda Portal account and select "CUSTOMIZE" to filter a word. Currently, only the Square Panda Lagoon game supports this function.

We accept all major credit cards: Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, PayPal, and Visa. We do not accept bank deposit, money orders, and COD.

Yes. Expedited shipping is available for an additional fee. Charges are calculated at checkout.

Yes. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee 1- or 2-day shipping to a P.O. box or APO/FPO address.

We are proud to support our military families with a discount of 10%. Please send a copy of your active duty, DOD, or dependent photo ID to support@squarepanda.com.

Order processing takes 24-48 hours, sometimes longer during promotions and holidays. Ground shipping takes an additional 7-10 days, sometimes longer during holidays.

Yes. Educators: please email education-support@squarepanda.com. Parents: please email support@squarepanda.com.

If you have purchased directly from Square Panda, you will receive two emails—an order confirmation email and a shipping confirmation email, which will show your tracking number and estimated delivery date.

We cover one-year parts and labor for product malfunctions related to any manufacturing defects. The warranty applies to product issues resulting from normal use. Damage from abuse of the product (dropping, spills, etc.) is not covered. Loss of letters is also not covered. Check out our full warranty at http://squarepanda.com/pages/warranty-information.

If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, please notify us at support@squarepanda.com within 30 days of receipt of the product, and you will receive a full refund less shipping costs. Estimated shipping cost is $15 per unit. The item must be returned in original condition with all original packaging and materials.

Only items purchased directly from Square Panda can be returned to Square Panda. Items purchased through a retailer must be returned to the retailer in accordance with their returns and refunds policy.

We will notify you regarding the status of your refund after inspecting the item. If your return is approved, we will initiate a refund within five business days.

The refund will be applied to your original payment method. Credit card refunds are processed to the card-issuing bank. Please contact your card-issuing bank to determine when the credit will be posted to your account.

To return a product purchased directly from Square Panda at any time for repair or replacement under the terms of the Square Panda Standard Warranty or Extended Warranty, please email support@squarepanda.com to request a return authorization. Include the original proof of purchase from Square Panda with your email.

Please include the return authorization and return the product in the original shipping box to Square Panda, Inc., 935 Benecia Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94085. For products returned under the terms of the Square Panda One Year Limited Warranty for Parts and Labor, Square Panda will pay for shipping using the carrier and method of our choice.

To return a product at any time for repair or replacement under the terms of the Square Panda Standard Warranty or Extended Warranty, please email education-support@squarepanda.com to request a return authorization. Include the original proof of purchase from Square Panda with your email. The Square Panda Education Client Success Team will work with you to verify that the product is defective.

To minimize classroom disruption, we provide advance return replacement and will ship you a new device while you are shipping back the defective device. We also cover the return shipping costs. Please return the defective device within 10 days of receipt of the replacement device to avoid any charges.

If you change your mind or you are not happy with your purchase for any reason, please contact us at support@squarepanda.com
within 30 days of delivery - we are happy to help you return your item.

Conditions for return:

• Returns must be unused, unassembled and in the original packaging.
• Returns are not accepted on clearance items.
• Shipping fees are non-refundable.
• Return items are subject to a 30% restocking fee (of the PO’s value).
• Returns are subject to inspection before your refund can be issued.
• Refunds will be issued in the form of the original payment.
• No returns will be allowed after 30 days of delivery.
• Please allow 1-2 weeks for refund processing.

If your order hasn’t shipped yet, we will process your cancellation and refund. If your order has been pulled and packed for delivery, a restocking fee of 10% of the PO’s value will be applied. If the order has been shipped but not delivered, return items are subject to a 30% restocking fee of the PO’s value.