The Archives
-
05.20.13The Jungle Book gets the StoryToys pop-up book-app treatmentA new version of Rudyard Kipling's story The Jungle Book has popped up on the app stores for iOS and Android... literally. The Jungle Book is the work of StoryToys – the latest classic tale to be turned into a virtual pop-up storybook by the developer. Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera and the nefarious Shere Khan are all present and correct with 3D animated scenes, music and sound effects, and some simple mini-games to keep children interested. Continue Reading...
-
05.13.13Grr! Kids get alphabetical with the Alphabeasties iPad appWe could probably run a standalone website just about alphabet-animal apps, since there are so many available. Alphabeasties is the latest, and thankfully it's got much to recommend it. Based on a book of the same name, this offers 26 beasties – one for each letter of the alphabet – with activities, digital colouring, dot-to-dot and stickers to ensure 3-6 year-olds have fun while practising their letters. What we like about Alphabeasties is its strong typographical element – see the elephant made of E's (and e's – the app covers lower and upper case) in the image above for an example. Alphabeasties costs ...
-
05.09.13Animal antics for toddlers in Little Learners Play and Learn appWe see lots of great new apps for pre-school and school-age children, but ace apps for toddlers can be thinner on the ground. Little Learners Play and Learn looks like one of the keepers though. Released by Parragon Books, it's an app for iOS and Android aimed at babies and toddlers, fronted by a group of friendly animals. The app includes two activities in its (free) download: Let's Eat involves touching the screen to find out what foods the animals like to eat, while Let's Play involves banging a drum, winding up a jack-in-the-box and tapping other items to make things happen. ...
-
05.07.13Switch Zoo iPad app mixes up 142 animalsWhat would you say if you met an animal with the head of a hippo, the body of a bird and the tail of a leopard? Well, you'd probably be laughing too much to speak... This is just one of the comical animal hybrids that kids can create in a new iPad app named Switch Zoo, though. It's an app for "switching the heads, legs and tails of 142 diverse animals" to create new beasts, complete with a 'Randomizer' mode to jumble together a creature simply by shaking the iPad. Continue Reading...
-
05.01.13Blue Nose Friends – Tatty Puppy goes on an app adventureAre your children fond of the Tatty Teddy Toys brand? The blue-nosed teddy bears are instantly recognisable, and they've got a growing collection of mates – the Blue Nose Friends – too. Now there's an app for them: Blue Nose Friends – Tatty Puppy. Released on iPhone and iPad, it's a collection of mini-games starring Tatty Puppy, Binky the Panda, Passion the Lovebug, Blossom the Rabbit, Cottonsocks the Sheep, Peanuts the Hamster and Coco the Monkey. Continue Reading...
-
04.30.13New Dr Seuss app teaches kids all about insectsKids love bugs. Kids love apps. We're guessing they'll love apps and bugs together too, then. New iOS app On Beyond Bugs: All About Insects should prove the theory. It's the latest release from Oceanhouse Media and its licence to make Dr Seuss apps. This app is part of its The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library series of educational apps, which has previously brought us A Whale of a Tale, There's No Place Like Space, Oh Say Can You Say Di-No-Saur? and Ice is Nice. This time round, it's insects in focus. "Come along and see how these fascinating six-legged creatures, ...
-
04.29.13Geoff and his Two Dads get into Tomato Trouble on iPadDeveloper Wompi Studios raised $5,776 on Kickstarter to make a book-app called Geoff and his Two Dads in... Tomato Trouble. Now it's available to buy on the App Store. The app is the first in a planned series of stories about a Jack Russell terrier named Geoff and his two owners, who live in New South Wales, Australia. "On a warm summers day, Geoff and his best friend Sam decide to have a game of catch while staying cool under a neighbour’s sprinkler," explains its App Store listing. "But things go wrong when prize tomato plants get trampled and clean sheets get ...
-
04.28.13Talking Ginger is back with Ginger’s Birthday app for iOS and AndroidTalking Ginger apps are big hits with kids, who don't seem to be able to get enough of the cutesy ginger kitten. After Talking Ginger and I Want To Be Big, now it's time for a celebration. A birthday celebration, to be specific. Ginger's Birthday sees developer Outfit7's cheeky feline turning five years old, and celebrating with party snacks, whistles and a cake. As before, the app is essentially a virtual pet. Children can talk into the microphone to hear Ginger (squeakily) repeat their words. They can also poke and stroke him, feed him party treats, blow the party whistle and play ...
-
04.23.13Paper Fox sneaks onto iOS with a beautiful storybook-appMany kids love paper-craft in the real world, but there is also a growing number of children's apps whose graphics reference the idea. Paper Fox is the latest. Released by Bento Box Interactive – the developer behind Alicia Keys' The Journals of Mama Mae & LeeLee app last year – it's a beautifully-crafted animated storybook for iPhone and iPad. The star is Paper Fox himself – "a know-it-all fox, whose only desire is to nap in front of the fire" who is shaken out of his lazy ways by a series of earthquakes. Cue an adventure to collect magical objects, meet other paper creatures, and ...
-
04.17.13Grr! It’s the Animal Planet Hide & Seek Pets appAnimal Planet has long been a go-to TV channel for all things... animal. Broadcast around the world, it's got plenty of young fans. Now it's got a brand new app. The app is Animal Planet Hide & Seek Pets, developed by Cupcake Digital. Aimed at children aged three and up, it focuses on six virtual pets, including a fish, a dog, a bird and a cat. Children can play with the animals, but there's also plenty of educational content, including letter tracing, puzzles, colouring and a virtual piano – all based on US Common Core State Standards. Continue Reading...
recent posts
- Justin Fletcher’s Goldilocks app review (iPhone / iPad)
- Wombi offering free apps for kids all this week
- The Jungle Book gets the StoryToys pop-up book-app treatment
- It’s our one thousandth post on Apps Playground!
- Disney’s Where’s My Water? gets a new (female) alligator star
- Bloomsbury launches Pirate and Princess Activity iPad apps
- CBeebies star Justin Fletcher launches Goldilocks app for kids
