Price: 0.99$ (was 1.99$)
May contain `more apps` links
Overall Score: 91/100
version reviewed: 1.0
reviewed:
What it is: an interactive animated story (about 18 minutes long) about the values of caring, generosity and friendship.
What you do with it: follow The Rooster and his Grandma around the farm, interact with the story (e.g. collect various objects from farm animals that are met along the way to help solve the mystery of the Rooster's lost voice).
What we liked: the story (theme, flow, humor), beautiful illustrations and animations, cute characters, great narration and voice acting, background music. The interactive elements don't distract and help to keep the child 'immersed' in the story.
What we didn't like: no text for reading/following the story on your own (we would like to see it as an option), for children and parents used to typical 'swipe the page' interactive books the navigation may not be intuitive at first.
Bottom line: we wish there were more apps like this one...
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: free
Overall Score: 91/100
version reviewed: 1.10
reviewed:
What it is: an electronic rattle.
What you do with it: shake the phone and you'll hear animal's sound and its name.
What we liked:the concept, simplicity of the illustrations and the interaction (this app is suitable even for the youngest kids).
What we didn't like:only six animals (more variety would be better).
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
Price: 0.99$
May contain `more apps` links
Overall Score: 88/100
version reviewed: 1.0
reviewed:
What it is: a classic puzzle/logic game with a farm theme and a dedicated 'kids mode'.
What you do with it: help the black sheep find the way out of the barn by moving other animals and objects out of the way.
What we liked: the concept, special 'kids mode' with extra easy puzzles, easy operation.
What we didn't like: some sort of clues/prompt system (showing how to solve a particular puzzle) would make this game even more suitable for kids. We would like to see more variety of animals/objects in the barn in the 'kids mode'. Contains links to the Open Feint scores network (scoring system is practically useless for kids).
Bottom line: good for early logic/strategy practice (but we recommend parental assistance for the more demanding levels and to keep the kids motivated). Good for parents, too!
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
Price: free
May contain `more apps` links
Overall Score: 88/100
version reviewed: 1.1
reviewed:
What it is: a pack of puzzles and coloring activities.
What you do with it: touch the animals to hear its sounds and see simple animations, solve simple puzzles, color pictures.
What we liked: concept, illustrations, navigation/interaction.
What we didn't like: we would expect a little more interactivity (especially with the 'animal sounds' scene), no option to change or turn off the background music, no spoken instructions.
Appysmarts
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: free
May contain `more apps` links
Overall Score: 86/100
version reviewed: 1.0.0
reviewed:
What it is: an app for creating sticker scenes with the farmyard theme.
What you do with it: choose the background, drag the stickers from the menu, flip or move them to create your scene. There are over 50 stickers, 5 animated backgrounds and 6 animated foregrounds to choose from. Created scenes can be saved and shared.
What we liked: the concept, simple but very nice illustrations, good selection of stickers, lots of tiny fun details (many stickers are animated), good educational value (when you grab a sticker the name of the animal/object will be read out: 'spotty pig', 'white sheep'), sounds and sound backgrounds, ease of use.
What we didn't like: no instructions (it took us some time to figure out how to remove a sticker from our scene). We would like to see an option to resize the stickers manually (now they are resized automatically when you move them 'further' or 'closer' in the scene). Prominent links to Twitter and Facebook (on the starting screen and in the 'share' menu).
Bottom line: great app for younger kids to play and learn, we realy liked it!
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
Price: 3.99$
Overall Score: 85/100
version reviewed: 1.0.2
reviewed:
What it is/what you do with it: 3 interactive scenes (On the Farm, In the Country, In the Barn). About 90 animations and sounds.
Touch the characters/objects for simple actions and interactions: e.g. feed a donkey, plant beets, harvest etc.
What we liked: the concept. Nice, detailed illustrations. Great number and variety of interactive elements. Humor and fun factor. Sound backgrounds and sounds. Ease of use. No distracting elements.
What we didn't like: could have much more educational value (the actions are not explained - we recommend parental assistance). No narration or spoken instructions.
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: free
May contain `more apps` links
Overall Score: 84/100
version reviewed: 2.1
reviewed:
What it is: a virtual farm with 3 scenes and 15 activities.
What you do with it: the activities include:
- 'growing' vegetables (preparing the vegetable patch, planting seeds, watering, picking)
- 'growing' berries in a pot (filling the pot with earth, planting, adding fertilizer, watering, trimming bad parts of the plant etc)
- growing and harvesting wheat
- treasure hunt (find easter eggs hidden in some of the scenes)
What we liked: the concept, number of activities, easy operation.
What we didn't like: complex navigation (we got lost at times!). No spoken instructions. Limited educational value (the actions are not explained - parental assistance is recommended).
Free preview: if you are not sure, please see our 'See before you buy' video (below) or try the free version of the app.
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: free
May contain `more apps` links
Overall Score: 84/100
version reviewed: 2.0.2
reviewed:
What it is: Interactive 'Hide and seek' toy for the very young children.
What you do with it: Listen to the animal voice in the barn and tap on the door to let the animal out.
What we liked: the concept, simple graphics and animations, simple navigation clear sounds and narration, language options.
What we didn't like: spoken instructions would be a plus, a little pricey.
Appysmarts
Android
Android
Price: 0.99$
May contain `more apps` links
Overall Score: 82/100
version reviewed: 2.7
reviewed:
What it is: a simple interactive toy teaching animal names and sounds. 4 scenes. 3 difficulty levels.
What you do with it: depending on the mode: listen to the animal's voice, touch reveal the animal, point to the correct animal looking at it's picture or listening to the sound it makes.
What we liked: the concept. Number of scenes and animals. 3 difficulty modes (baby, toddler and kid). Ease of use.
What we didn't like: no spoken instructions. Some animals are oddly placed (e.g. the polar bear at the bottom of the ocean).
Appysmarts
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPhone
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
iPad
Price: free (was 1.99$)
May contain in-app purchases
Overall Score: 70/100
version reviewed: 1.9
reviewed:
What it is/what you do with it: 3 interactive role-play scenes: a barn, vegetable garden and sheep pen.
Listen to the instructions and complete the activities (e.g. clean the pigs in the barn or harvest required number of vegetables in the garden).
What we liked: a good set of simple farm-related activities. Fun characters. Simple illustrations and animations. Narration and spoken instructions. No distracting features.
What we didn't like: we wish there was more variety in the activities (they can quickly get repetitive). Educational value could be higher. The reward badges are difficult to earn.
Appysmarts
