September 2012
The Archives
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09.29.12This week’s best iPhone and iPad apps for kids (29-Sep-12)Good morning! At Apps Playground we spend our time rooting through the App Store for the best children's apps for iPhone and iPad, and this is our latest weekly roundup. Some big names feature this time: Crayola, Disney, Dr Seuss, Lego, Fancy Nancy… But also some familiar fairytales and indie innovation. REVIEWS / NEWS Lego Minifigure Ultimate Stickers "The app is split into two sections: Sticker Challenge and Free Play, with children unlocking stickers and backgrounds in the former to play with in the latter." Dr Seuss apps get Record and Share feature "The idea: not only can you and/or your children record yourselves reading the ...
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09.28.12Thumbelina gets magical on iPadSome fairytales are a bit overused by app developers, but Thumbelina isn't one of them. We haven't seen too many apps based on Hans Christian Andersen's story so far. Here's one: Thumbelina: Magic story for iPad. It's the work of Ukrainian design studio Pogr Art, whose founder Alexander Pogrebniak has illustrated this interactive version of Thumbelina. It tells the tale over 24 pages, with lots of sound and interactivity, and the promise that it may just chill out your children in those hyperactive pre-bedtime moments: Continue Reading...
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09.28.12Crayola DigiTools iPad apps create 3D, Airbrush and Effects artworksUpdate: Read our newer story for news on the Crayola DigiTools Ultra Pack going on sale in the UK. Crayons brand Crayola is a veteran of this children's apps lark now: we've written about its Paint & Create, Silly Face Swaps and Crayola: Ruckus Reader apps in the last year. Now it's trying something new on iPad. That something is Crayola DigiTools, which the company reckons will be "the next generation of digital art". Due to be launched this side of Christmas, they're physical packs of drawing tools, designed to be used on an iPad screen with companion apps. The first three apps ...
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09.28.12Dr. Frankenstein’s Body Lab looks monstrous fun on iPadWith Halloween on the way, what better time for your children to be messing around with body parts to create a monster? Virtual ones, obviously, on an iPad. Step (or rather lurch) forward Dr. Frankenstein's Body Lab, a brand new app from books publisher DK that's just come out for iPad. "Step right into Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory to help him complete the ultimate experiment – creating a monster!" explains its App Store listing. Continue Reading...
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09.28.12Disney launches second-screen app for Cinderella Diamond Edition filmDisney is about to re-release one of its most famous animated films, Cinderella, as a 'Diamond Edition' set of Blu-ray discs. Now there's an app for that, designed for children and adults alike. It's got a long title: Disney Second Screen Personalized Digital Storybook: Bibbidi-Bobbidi-You. Named, of course, after one of the songs from the original film. The 'second screen' bit of the title means the app is designed to be used while watching the movie. "Sync the Disney Second Screen Storybook to the Cinderella Diamond Edition Blu-ray™ or iTunes extra for a whole new way to experience the classic story," explains ...
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09.28.12Lil’ Red iPad app puts a new spin on Little Red Riding HoodSometimes, the screenshots of a new app leap out at us from the App Store. Such is the case with Lil' Red, a new attempt to retell Little Red Riding Hood on iPad. Just look at it. It tells the familiar girl/wolf/grandma tale, but with monochrome visuals enlivened by splashes of red. Its designer Brian Main says the app is aimed at kids aged "three and up" with animation, interactivity and sound – but no text or voice narration ("thereby allowing YOU to tell the story on your own terms"). Continue Reading...
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09.28.12You don’t read fairytales in ZapTales: You play themThere's a big crossover between the games and books industries when it comes to children's apps: the developers at companies like Nosy Crow and Ideal Binary have a background in games, for example. Here's another sign of these blurring boundaries between games and fiction. A games publisher called Big Fish Games has launched an iOS app called ZapTales: Interactive Fairy Tales. The idea: fairytales that you play, rather than just read. "Now you can hop into your favorite tales with your children and become a character in the story," promises its App Store listing. "Enjoy colorful jigsaw puzzles, sticker books, Match 3 ...
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09.27.12Peekaboo Trick or Treat app gets spooky for HalloweenIs it nearly Halloween again? We really must learn how to carve a pumpkin – we sense our sons will expect it this year. Also, must remember not to eat all the mini Mars Bars before the trick or treaters come knocking... Oh, and apps. Every year, there's a blizzard of Halloween apps, but this time they're starting early. Peekaboo Trick or Treat with Ed Emberley is the latest app from Night & Day Studios. They're the company behind a series of Peekaboo apps for young children – we wrote about their Peekaboo Fridge and Peekaboo Friends apps last month. Continue Reading...
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09.27.12Get snappy with Kapu Tickle Toy Camera appFor an increasing number of children, their first camera may well be an iPod touch (or a parent's iPhone or iPad) – and one that they may be using at a much younger age than our generation would have been allowed near a camera. The potential is intriguing, especially with children's apps designed to make use of an iOS device's camera. A good new example is Kapu Tickle Toy Camera. Developer Kapu Toys describes it as "a super-fun toy, which combines classic kids games and toys such as peek-a-boo, tickle tag and the jumping-jack puppet with modern technology", which sums it up neatly. ...
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09.27.12Dr Seuss book-apps get new Record and Share featureOnce upon a time, we thought the option to record your own voice reading stories in book-apps was a bit of a novelty. Then we saw how much our own children loved it in apps like Peppa Me Books. With that in mind, here's some good news for fans of Dr Seuss, and the dozens of apps based on his books released by Oceanhouse Media. The company has announced a new feature called 'Record and Share'. The idea: not only can you and/or your children record yourselves reading the story; you can then share that recording with other people, either for use ...
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