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Set to the tune of Old McDonald, this charmingly animated game starts with a red barn set in a pastoral setting, underneath a cheerful sun. The barn shakes, inviting your child to tap on the doors, opening them to showcase what is inside. A duck! Tap again: A cow! The word is displayed, and a (very American) voice says the word. The animal makes its signature noise.
Simple, but effective, and very pleasing to a toddler, this app is educational and a great distraction for the littler ones.
You'll like it because: The animations are sweet, like a great picture book.
Too bad: The voices grate a bit, and mine is a big buggy (but what barn isn't?!).
iPhone Apps users gave it 4.5/5 stars
Cost: FREE for Lite version, £1.19 for fullfatAges: 2-5
This is one of those apps that proves that Kids Think Different(ly). My daughter and her friends think iClean is the funniest thing in the entire world - they have designed dances around it and play it endlessly, singing along with the tunes. Why they love it, I couldn't say. What is it? That's a bit simpler.
It's basically just a bunch of videos of real animals - a crew of "screen cleaners" including dogs, cats, and one drunk-looking hamster - licking a glass wall, so it appears to be "cleaning" the iPhone screen from the inside. Each animal has its own music-to-lick-by theme music, which spans a wide range (salsa, vaudeville, blues, and my favourite - the Hamster Dance for Stitch to lick by).
What are they putting on the glass to make those animals lick it so blissfully? Who thought this idea up? Why is it still entertaining after 74 viewings? We may never know. But it kept my daughter giggling and entertained for almost a 1/2 hour on a busy highway, so as far as I'm concerned, it was money well spent.
You'll like it because: Well, you won't like it, but the small fry will, which is the whole reason anyway, isn't it?
Too bad: Good luck getting "I got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart" song out of your head. Ever.
iPhone Apps users gave it 2.5/5 starsCost: £.059
Ages: All ages
This app is simply for fun, a silly balloon animal game that takes full advantage of the iPhone's various functions, like allowing players to "blow up" balloons,shake them into animal shapes and then pump them up with air until they explode.
My daughter's favourite bit was how the completed animals made various silly noises and motions if you poke them into different places. A good game for a variety of ages, as even small children can play and the instructions are very clear. There's also a teaser "LITE" version available for free, to trial it out.
You'll like it because: The animation is fantastic, great sense of humor
Too bad: There's a limited number of balloon animals, meaning the product has an attention-span shelf-life.
iPhone Apps users gave it 3/5 stars
Cost: Lite is FREE, Full-fat is £1.19Ages: Any age can play
