Grapple Dog helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Working Memory: Recalling and retaining information in our minds while working. 

In order to move through the different levels of the game successfully, the player needs to remember what buttons perform which functions. They need to do this in real time because, otherwise, they will find themselves landing in fields of spikes, rotating saw blades, or missing a crucial jump. For players who are new to practicing this skill, the levels do not have limits, meaning that they can be practiced multiple times until the player is comfortable with the button combinations. 

Self-Awareness: Understanding our own actions, thoughts and feelings.

Platformers can be difficult, especially if the player is new to the genre. It is quite possible that the same level, or parts of it, will need to be repeated a few times before the player makes it all the way to the end. Having good self-awareness skills allows the player to recognize when they are feeling too frustrated to play and self-control can help the player set down the controller and come back to the game later after they have taken a break.