So we here at IhoGeek love apps. All sorts of apps. Touchy flashy screen pressing apps.
I’ve been keeping tabs with some apps particularly for kids from Famloop, a relatively new children’s reading and game app company for Ipad and Apple products founded in 2011 from a team of original Google employees. In their relative short existence they’ve put out quite a number of fun and engaging interactive reading apps for kids including a series of beautifully illustrated and adequately fun adaptations of the classic Punky Dunk the Kitten series which my own seven year old cousin enjoys quite a bit and a second app called “Agent Magic” a talking detective mouse who revisits the Punky Dunk stories and adds extra interactive elements good for helping kids learn and practice small observation and motor skills. My cousin enjoys them and we’ve played them quite a few times when I’ve babysat. They also have a really fun take on the Wizard of Oz with the first of a series called “Oz Tales”, an app which features a blonde (like the book!) Dorothy that utilizes some great voice interactive elements.
Now most of these offerings are for older kids, in the 5-9 range. Famloop has now partnered with DK Publishing to produce interactive flap book aps for tots. The new read-along titles; adaptations of Sophie la Girafe® Colors and Peekaboo! Woof! Woof! Joining other Sophie aps and interactive Peekaboo! books.
These colorful, simple titles are great for wee people and Timelords ages 0-3 alike help develop vocabulary, coordination and identification. You follow Sophie as you learn all her friend’s favorite colors and be entertained by the new ways digitized animation can bring to a book.
I think the blending of mediums really work well and the use of digital e-readers for “flap” books actually increases what you can do with your kid as it offers more puzzles like the pieced apart lil dino above along with traditional “check underneath” interaction.
A quick little blurb for some quick and cute little books. If you know someone who has a kid check these out, let us know what you think of them!
My one complaint which has been brought to my attention; they unfortunately don’t seem to have Android support or apps; something I am keen to personally inquire about. OS exclusion isn’t fun! Like teaching kids developers should learn to play fair!
Have a great week!
Max Eber
Staff Writer/The Doctor
max@ihogeek.com
Twitter: @maxlikescomics
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It’s really disappointing that apparently this company founded by Google folks has no apps available on Android. As I don’t own an iDevice, this entire review is kind of frustrating for me, since it implies a two-class geek community: those who get to have Nice Things and those who don’t.
At minimum, the article should note what OSes they’re available for so us Android parents don’t get our hopes up.
My mistake. Thank you. I actually mentioned my qualms about their lack of Android support when talking to them and will be personally asking them if they have any particular plans. I personally don’t view Apple Products as “Nice things” and it’s a shame they’ve become so exclusionary. I will inquire and edit the article accordingly.