Animals For Kids! And More!

Firstly, we love the icon of the application as it is very child-friendly. Once the user has opened the application they are shown a number of visual slide show options which include:

·     Pets

·     Farm Animals

·     Wild animals

·     Mountain Animals

·     Reptiles and Amphibians

·     Fruits and Vegetables

·     Transportation

·     Ocean Animals

·     Household Objects

·     Insects

·     Musical Instruments

·     Colours

·     The American States

·     Christmas

·     Articles of clothing

·     Birds

·     Weather

·     Space

·     Sports

·     Numbers

·     Letters

·     Shapes

·     Human anatomy

·     Planets

·     Flowers

Many of these categories display sub-categories within and there is also an option to play ‘All cards’. The developers may want to consider an opening splash screen to introduce the application before the main screen is shown.

There is a selection of soothing music available at the bottom of the app such as Memories, Cute, Little Idea, Acoustic Breeze, Tenderness and New Beginning. All of these sounds be adjusted via the volume slider and scrolled through using the left and right options. Our users really loved the music in the background which certainly added to the appeal of the application.

In the top right is an option for a ‘Slide show’, ‘Card show’ or ‘colouring’ mode.

The ‘Slide show’ option scrolls through the visual slides from right to left with the word at the bottom. The pictures are very clear and colourful and the text is very easy to read. The developer has considered the speed rate of the slide show which can be increased or decreased using the hare and the tortoise icons, this is ideal for slower learners. There is also an option to change the text from upper case to lower case. This is a great feature that will match the methodology of different curriculums. There is an option to return to the ‘Home’ screen in the top left.

The ‘Card Quiz’ gives the user an option of four visual cards to choose to match the keyword at the bottom. A correct answer gives an enlarged picture and a haptic click. An incorrect answer eliminates the picture from the choices. The developers may want to consider a method to record a score for the child as this could be a powerful tool to track progress throughout the application, for instance, the number of correct answers, the number of incorrect answers etc.

The ‘Colouring’ option with the application allows the user to colour in the black and white picture with their finger. This is ideal for developing fine motor skills as well as colour recognition. There is a percentage display to show how much of the picture there is to colour. Once it is complete the word is satisfyingly revealed.

We love this application with its high-quality pictures and its simplicity. Often applications similar to this are confusing with too many menu options to navigate. The child can use this app unsupported by the parent knowing that a button that is pressed by mistake will only return them to a familiar position within the application.

The developers have also indicated that further cards will be added in the future or if you have an idea for a card or visual slide show you can contact them via the description of the application.

You can download Animals For Kids! And More! on your iOS devices from the Apple App Store.