Santa’s Big Helper: 9 Christmas Apps in 1 is a really fun app for Christmas that integrates technology nicely into this Christmas app that will be appealing to children, especially precocious ones who may begin to doubt the existence of Santa.

A fun Christmas sound board is included, allowing kids to hear festive sounds with the tap of a finger. A magical compass is also offered, pointing its way to the North Pole and includes some fun sound effects as well. A Naughty or Nice list is also included that kids can check to see their status, and a Christmas countdown is featured, letting kids know how many sleeps it is until the big day, down to the hour, minute and second of Santa’s impending arrival.

Writing a letter to Santa is made easy as well here, and thanks to email, one can be sure he receives a note in a timely fashion.

For me, by far the best functions of this app are the “Elf Updates” and F.A.Q.’s also answered by this informative elf, “Dozey Toes” in the “Ask an Elf” section of this app.

These updates are brilliant, as topics such as “No Chimney, No problem” or “Dasher the reindeer needs glasses” are taken very seriously, with some quite witty, laugh out-loud moments that I really appreciate. Questions for Santa include such topics as “Is Santa real,” “How does Santa visit everyone in one night” or “Why is Rudolf’s nose red”. Each answer is quit funny and for children, thought-provoking, I am sure.

I really enjoy these elf videos, but it may be worth noting that the style chosen for this elf may be an acquired taste, as he is a rather large man in an, I assume, a purposefully ill-fitting and inexpensive or amateurishly made elf costume – details that I find quite endearing although it did take some getting use to.

These daily elf updates and the questions answered are well-written and delivered, and yield a lot of laughs and some valuable Santa information that can be found nowhere else, making this app a good choice and worth the $0.99 price.

Another very interesting feature here is the “World Famous Patent-Pending Elf Cam” which allows one to see Santa entering one’s home on surveillance camera to prove to children of his existence after the fact, a well-done element that will impress children.

A parent’s section is included, nicely-password protected, to let adults add their children to the naughty or nice list, as well as configure the video of Santa entering the house via chimney or simple magic – a thoughtful addition for those who do not have a chimney. The videos created here are really cute and fun, something kids will really enjoy and parents will have fun with as well.

Christmas is not a holiday that we as a family in a religious sense celebrate, but as my son is in preschool and exposed to the secular concept of Santa, my husband and I enjoy the idea of Santa coming for a visit to drop off a small, token gift for our son to honor the fact that he has had a good year in preschool so far.

I have really enjoyed the Elf updates and questions answered, as has my son, who has started asking similar questions about Santa, although the fantastical answers we have made up to answer these questions don’t match up always with the answers this app provides. These sections have been a source of humor that we all enjoy, and I appreciate the fact that my son can watch these short videos without the use of an internet connection.

Christmas is right around the corner and some families may not want to bother purchasing such a topical app that may not be enjoyed past the holiday, but this app is so much fun, it is worth a closer look in iTunes.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, For Parents, Just For Fun, Preschool, Primary School, Reviews, Social, Sounds, Toddlers

Thumbelina, told by Kelly McGillis, is a wonderful adaptation of this classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, developed by Ruckus Mobile Media. This version of this classic story is also part of the library of tales created by Rabbit Ears Entertainment, known for incorporating award-winning stories, amazing celebrity narrations and phenomenal music and art. These applications are universal apps and can be watched like a video or read like a book, and one can make one’s own recording as well.

Thumbelina is a tale about a girl born to a childless couple with the aid of magic who grows only to be the size of one’s thumb and the adventures she experiences as she is unwillingly taken from her home to be married off to various creatures who find that her size and beauty make her good marriage material.

This classic tale, written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1835, is a true favorite story of mine as I love the imagery of a young woman so small that she can sleep in a walnut shell as well as the interesting anthropomorphic animals she meets along the way that are so very human, although oftentimes in ways most unflattering.

Being a lengthy children’s tale, many characters are introduced within this story, and I have noticed that other apps as well as children’s books and other media based on the original tend to touch upon the plot points found within but can remain rather disjointed as a complete narrative. I am happy to say that the thorough re-telling of this classic will satisfy children of all ages as well as adult Andersen fans, although I do wish that a new name were given to Thumbelina when she becomes queen of the fairy people as is traditionally found within this story, as the name Thumbelina is in fact a slightly pejorative reference to her height in comparison to a human thumb, an issue no longer relevant once married to the fairy king, and the re-naming of Thumbelina to Maia symbolizes a new beginning.

The look of the included video is simply captivating, hand-drawn and lovingly painted in water color. Some close-ups show the texture of the paper as well, adding to the richness of this lushly illustrated story. Narrator Kelly McGillis does a wonderful job of narrating this story, with a soothing, almost sleepy tone, skillfully re-told as this video is both relaxing as it is captivating. The music of Mark Isham is also perfectly realized, working wonderfully alongside the other elements to fully create a world in which this story takes place.

I appreciate greatly how pretty both the world around her and Thumbelina herself are with these simple, tender illustrations, with a great contrast to the gruesome creatures also introduced such as frogs, june bugs, and a most unpleasant mole, with great voices created to further develop these antagonistic characters.

I also enjoy how the artwork used within the storybook sections of this app are also transformed into moving images for the video with the use of the “Ken Burns Effect” as these water color paintings found within this app have been panned and zoomed into, directing the reader where to look and creating a sense of drama within this story. Although the video section is watched like a movie, the effect here is unlike something commonly seen on television and will impress even those who are not keen on kids spending time with kids videos as this is in fact an alternative way of exploring artwork.

These illustrations are also found within the storybook sections as well, but they are slightly concealed in some areas of the screen by a window that is includes text within a white background all its own, semi obscuring the painting beneath. This does make the text easy to read, especially helpful when recording a personal narrated tract, but I can’t help wonder if a simple band on the bottom of the screen would have distracted less from the very special artwork.

I have used this video section to calm my son mid melt-down with great success because from the first few moments of listening to this opening score, earnest and beautiful, combined with the impressive water colors. This is a very engaging, yet relaxing experience for my son, who quickly settles down to listen to this story, forgetting what was causing him concern.

This app is an impressive length of almost half and hour and 73 pages found in the storybook, making this a lovely choice of application to share with children of all ages on long trips, keeping kids occupied with a great experience in both art and literature that parents can feel good about. Sometimes I enjoy simply listening to these Ruckus storybook apps as this alone is a lovely experience, making the video mode something everyone on a long car ride can enjoy, even if not directly looking at the images.

Please also be aware that through Black Friday and Cyber Monday, all the proceeds of the sales from Ruckus Media Groups Read-Play-and-Record Along Rabbit Ears interactive storybooks, along with their other apps, will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I feel privileged to have been able to review the majority of Ruckus Media Group apps, so I know from personal experience how terrific they all are. This, combined with the wonderful charity they are now connected with, and the fact that during this time each are on sale for $1.99 makes these apps wonderful digital stocking stuffers and Chanukah gifts, with different apps available for every age range, including adults.

Art, By Age Range, By App Feature, For Parents, High School +, Just For Fun, Language, Middle School, Preschool, Primary School, Reading, Reviews, Sounds, Stories, Toddlers

Piece me BIRDS! is a lovely puzzle app for iPad that introduces young players to birds, the sounds and movements that they make in this simple, beautifully created app that kids will enjoy and adults will appreciate, as there is a vintage appeal to the look of this application in general that I am quite fond of.

This is a special app that will be enjoyed by young puzzle lovers as well as those interested in learning more about animals – here specifically birds.

This application opens up to a home page consisting of seven birds grouped together among branches of a tree. Here, one can tap on a bird to work on a specific puzzle. Once a selection is made, players are taken to a page where the child can faintly see the flying creature’s outline within a white oval center screen. A tap here allows these puzzle pieces to enter this page with a random toss and a satisfying sound of wood pieces dropping onto a hard surface.

Now children will be able to place the correct pieces in their places, each with an equally satisfying “click” sound of a wood piece being placed correctly within. When completed, the bird will come to life, becoming animated with an appropriate movement and bird call specific to the type of bird in question. I love the look of these delightful creatures, their movements looking distinct for each bird, as do their calls that sound very realistic and well-recorded. Once complete, players can re-set these puzzles or go back to the home page and choose another puzzle to explore.

There is also a section giving the children a chance to meet the artist, Amy Ruppel, with a short biography of hers and a few pictures of Amy and her art. I really like looking at this section which allows children to get to know the people behind the apps that they love, and I enjoy Amy’s artwork very much here as well, as I especially appreciate how these puzzles become animated while maintaining the handmade quality that I really enjoy from this app. To find this section, tap Amy’s signature found on the title page of this app – a nice touch that made me smile.

I hope parents looking for a puzzle app for their child will consider Piece me Birds!. All the elements used here are well-done, and the level of difficulty among these puzzles is quite nice for toddlers, young preschoolers and possibly for older kids as well. Adults will enjoy this application as I now know the names and sounds of some familiar birds I did not know much about until now. The birds are wonderfully bright and colorful, the puzzles have a tactile feel that I love, making this a simple and sweet app worth looking into.

Animals, Art, By Age Range, By App Feature, Just For Fun, Preschool, Primary School, Puzzle, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

WeirdButTrue is a very fun and interesting National Geographic app that brings intriguing facts and an interactive design for both iPad and iPhone.

Very easy to use, the app is a random fact generator filled with interesting tidbits that kids and adults will enjoy. Each page has its own weird but true information, with bright colors and many vivid photos of related images used to illustrate what is being explained, and I also appreciate the creative use of fonts and design in general to fit the text onto the page in most interesting ways possible. These facts can be about animals, the human body, toys and other topics as the app has a plethora of information and it is great fun how varied sound effects are used per each page that in some way relate to the fact being presented.

Although this app is not narrated, I can’t imagine adults not enjoying these interesting facts on their own as they read these pages to their children. Nicely interactive, children will enjoy turning the page as a very satisfying flip sound is heard, as well have the ability for a variety of animals to singularly pop onto the screen saying “That’s Weird,” when a button is tapped from the menu bar to the right of the screen. One can also mark a fact as a favorite, and it is fun that the information is saved within this app with the tap of a heart icon, making the heart bounce around the screen like a ball in a pinball machine – a nice interactive touch. One can also email friends facts if one wishes, and there is a Weird-o-Meter included as well which allows readers to give feedback to National Geographic about how weird one thinks specific facts are. This information is then compiled in the “Top Weird-O-Meter Facts,” letting app users see what others think is the oddest information.

I really enjoy this app. I have always been a fan of this type of information, as I have very fond memories of shows like “In Search Of” and later “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” as a child, and I am happy that this app brings this strange but true information so conveniently to devices.

I also enjoy the facts that National Geographic has chosen to share here, as there is a very nice balance between weird and child-friendly. This app may be an acquired taste of sorts, but I have not found any facts that I think would be inappropriate or too scary for children, except for maybe the most timid of children who are obviously not a good fit for this application.

There are a lot of memorable facts used here, most of which adults will enjoy as much as children will, like how koalas and humans have similar fingerprints, how male ostriches can roar like lions, or that there are 29 different shades of red from Crayola. I enjoy how pithy the text is per page, allowing one to scroll a good number of these pages in a short amount of time – a great distraction for young and old alike. Younger kids will really enjoy having these fun facts read to them as well as interacting with this app.

I also think app would be especially nice for reluctant readers as well, because each of these sentences is short but packs a punch in terms of interest and oddness that will have kids turning each page eager to see what is next, as did I, feeling mildly addicted to this app and spending longer than necessary in reading these facts for review purposes.

It is also nice that one can easily Google for more information about any of these topics, oftentimes with the further details of these stories adding to the strangeness. An example is “Mike the Chicken,” who survived 18 months without a head, something I promptly googled to get the complete story. Used this way, this would be a great resource for teaching grade schoolers how to search online in order to research subjects of interest – a vital skill to learn for today’s students.

It is nice that a “Fact Finder” is included within this app, being a glossary of sorts for organizing the information offered here from A to Z, but I think it would also be nice if in the future, one could search by subject as well. This may make this app less random in general, but this may be a good thing for my son who is sometimes animal-obsessed and other times more interested in fun food facts.

I do hope that in the future this app can be updated. Currently, there are over 300 facts included, making this content-rich and a lot of fun, but I can see heavy users of this app desiring more content in the future. All-in-all, a great choice of educational app for kids of varied ages as well as adults.

Animals, Art, By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, Geography, Just For Fun, Language, Nature, Preschool, Primary School, Reading, Reviews, Science, Shapes, Sounds, Toddlers

Children’s ABC is a simple and sweet universal app aimed at teaching alphabet awareness to young children with the use of animation, interactive hot spots and sound effects. Like many app of this style, Children’s ABC’s includes one letter per page from A to Z, allowing the player to tap on the letter, word in question, or object used to demonstrate the letter at hand. A menu is also included to ease in finding a specific section if one chooses.

What makes this app stand apart from others like it is the use of hand-painted illustrations that one may expect to see in a classic children’s book from decades past, appealing to parents who appreciate traditional books but who still want to embrace interactive media as well.

These illustrations are lovely, and I appreciate the use of sound effects used here, especially when included among pages dedicated to animals such as an elephant, lion and whale, my personal favorite. I also enjoy how nicely paced the interactions are, intended for the viewer to sit back and enjoy as the moment plays out – a little longer than in other interactive moments similar to other apps, such as the development of a rainbow, watching a bird lose a feather, or a needle being threaded in order to stitch cloth. These choices are thoughtful and not overly stimulating, but a few sounds do jump out at the viewer, still appropriate for all but possibly the most timid of babies or toddlers. It is also a nice touch that these letters and words are narrated by both a man and a woman, but note that this app focuses on letter recognition and not phonic sounds – something that may be a nice inclusion for a later update.

I recommend this app for those looking for a lovely app that includes hot spots while maintaining the grace of an old-fashioned picture-and-words book for children.

Animals, Art, By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, Just For Fun, Language, Preschool, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

Loopy Tunes is a very interesting universal musical application, allowing players to layer different instrumental sounds and the like together to create unique musical pieces.

It is nice how both individual sounds that play once when tapped are included, as well as many looping sounds and bits of music that play continuously until silenced with a touch.

This app opens to the lovely view of what is reminiscent of a vintage radio or television face, which includes a top and bottom row of sections that one can tap. The top row involves eight areas that play individual sounds with the touch of a finger. Note the left bottom of the screen where five small yellow knob-like button selections are offered. As one explores here, the top row of individual sounds will change from a series of milk jugs, piano notes, and different instrument options as well as a group of abstract sounds, all of which make a single sound when tapped.

The bottom row consists of five areas to choose from each with sounds that are looped and will play until silenced, with the lower right knob-like red buttons controlling these selections. Sections that include a very pretty series of sounds illustrated with dancing girls, a ballerina, flower, butterfly, and ladybugs, A really fun space motif with aliens, spaceships, planet choice, and an astronaut is included in another section, as is a series of dancing ballerinas, farm, and dinosaur themes. Experiment with each of these areas, turning on and off any or all of these looping sounds to create musical pieces of varied complexity.

Adults will enjoy this app as much as kids will, experimenting with the looping sections that sometimes include simple samples of musical instruments like bass, piano, or percussion found in some creative motifs, as well as other sounds that together create very interesting music. Layer as many or as few of these sounds together, adding or reducing these choice at will, noting how these layers change the music made. With a tap, comb the individual sound choices from the top row as well.

I especially like that some of the looping selections are not music, but singing voice samples that, mixed together, create beautiful music as well.

Not only does this app offer many sounds to choose from, it is lovely to watch all of these selections, as each one is animated with simple, beautifully hand-drawn moving illustrations that are all elegant in their simplicity, including many dancing characters from these series, all of which start or stop their animations when their corresponding sounds are tapped on or off.

The top, single selections often offer instruments choices such as xylophone, castanets or hands clapping, each looking wonderful as they play, creating some very nice moments introducing kids to many instruments that come to life with a tap. Also included as well are some abstract images to go with other interesting sounds, such as images of sunbursts or shooting stars to illustrate beautiful sounds that are difficult to describe with words.

Bottom-looped sounds are equally represented with animations, including spinning ballerinas and many other creatures that dance such as aliens, farm animals, and dinosaurs as well as other interesting animated choices.

Kids of all ages will enjoy exploring this app with all it has to offer. I have struggled somewhat to explain this app in word, and I hope that this review does the app justice as it is very creative and fun to get lost in. I do wish one could record her tracks, however – just a thought for a future update. It is also worth noting that this app was designed for and looks best on the iPad, as the details of this app look a little small on the iPhone but are still enjoyable, and I am glad that the developers chose to make this universal, especially for owners of both devices.

Do also check out this developer – Trustee for the Tokeru Trust’s other apps, especially “A Fine Musician,” an interactive storybook for both iPad and iPhone that I have enjoyed very much, also reviewed here at Giggle Apps.

Art, By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, Just For Fun, Music, Preschool, Primary School, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

Musical Me! is the new creative and fun educational app from the developers at Duck Duck Moose, aimed at stimulating the interest of music in young children. Both iPad as well as iPhone versions are available.

It is great fun how this app stars Mozzarella the Mouse, taking place around the Eiffel Tower, much like Duck Duck Moose’s previous app Word Wagon.

Here, visit five activities, nicely varied and beautiful to look at, which include the fundamentals of music in such activities as a Memory section in which a Simon-styled mini-game helps train the memory as the player tries to play back notes heard. Rhythm is taught by tapping birds as they appear left of the screen, as these spacing of these birds teaching about long and short notes. Dance is introduced by the tapping of friendly monsters to make them dance to the beat of music being played, a favorite section of my son’s. My son also really enjoys the instruments section a great deal as he can make his own music nicely accompanied by a selection of upbeat kids songs, with instruments such as drum, cymbals, triangle, egg shaker, or a duck that squeaks just for fun – a nice touch. Another interesting section is included where the player can change the notes used in favorite traditional songs, creating one’s own music on a staff. Do tap the other animals one may find amongst these sections to find many surprises that are all utterly Duck Duck Moose.

I enjoy how this app makes use of vertical space as Moz leads the player to different locations with the tap of a finger, from the base of the Eiffel Tower, up into the sky, with the Tower seen in the backdrop as one taps the birds flying by in the rhythm section and up higher into the upper atmosphere to play the memory game, with a nice use of planets that play notes one must memorize and play back. From the sky, Moz takes the players down into the ocean, teaching about notes on a staff underwater, complete with fun water sounds and fish to tap at for fun, and then back to land again to play various instruments.

The sense of space this creates is very good and quite unique. The details of Moz’s change of clothing for the different modes are really fun details as well, ranging from a space suit to wet suit as well as a tux for when he conducts during the instruments section.

The rhythm, memory, and notes section contains three levels of difficulty, and it is impressive that different instruments can be used during these activities such as piano, guitar, or violin, as well as the use of solfège syllable, sung do-re-mi-fa-sol. It is also impressive the amount of popular traditional songs used in this app, both as instrumental as well as sung, and I have greatly enjoyed hearing the verses of these popular songs that I am not familiar with from such tunes as Yankee Doodle Dandie, Pop Goes the Weasel, or The Farmer in the Dell, finding this experience educational in and of itself.

This app has a lot to offer kids of many ages and skill sets. The youngest kids will have fun tapping fun, colorful monsters, making them dance and making music or noise from the instruments offered. Older children will have fun tapping on the birds as they move across the screen. My son, now 3.5 years, also has a lot of fun with the memory mode of this app, watching intently as I play this mini-game for him as he is not yet able to remember the sequencing of these notes, something he will enjoy when he is older, I am sure.

Possibly the most impressive part of this app is the notes section where one can play instrumental versions of many popular kids songs, changing the notes at will with a vertical slide of a finger, watching as these notes’ names, sound, and color transform, helping the child visualize the differences they experiences as these notes change. Everything is provided to allow a bright, musically inclined child to decode the basics in the complex task of reading music as they changes notes and listens to the music played back – be it a slightly altered rendition of an included song or a completely new piece of music, but I do wish the spacing of these notes could be moved horizontally on the staff as well to truly create something entirely different.

I have no musical training; keeping in mind parents such as myself, it would be a wonderful inclusion for a future update to include a parents section explaining how best to use this activity, as without prior music instruction themselves, adults may lack the vocabulary to fully articulate what is being explained in this section.

The sounds from each individual note played to the full songs used, both instrumental and sung, sound amazing and this app has a great deal to offer kids of many ages and abilities. You simply can’t go wrong with a Duck Duck Moose app, I look forward to their next app.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, Just For Fun, Matching, Music, Preschool, Primary School, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

HowDo Games is a very nice educational universal app that uses wonderful high definition photos and sound effects to explain the sequencing of various events, allowing adults to teach in further detail such things as the planting of tomatoes or how honey is made.

I can remember asking my dad, an engineer, science questions such where rainbow come from. His response typically was to pause and ask me if I wanted the short or the long answer. This app does a very nice job of explaining the short answer to many of these types of questions.

There are six sections including nature, man-made products, animals, journeys, fixes, and development, whether it be of baby steps or learning to play the piano.

The interface is very simple; there is a row of six icons at the bottom of the screen that one can tap on to be brought to the various themes. Each theme has a page of nine individual stories that can be chosen with a tap, and tapping will forward the player to the next image through the four to nine pictures used per story.

I really like how interesting and a little different these selections are, such as the nature section including where rice comes from – something many adults may not fully understand.

The man-made section stories are nice and unique as well, with choices ranging from molding chocolate to jewelry design and painting a picture. The animal section is especially well-done as the life cycles of a bird, turtle and butterfly are included, as well as many cute mammals – really showing how many different animals come to exist, my son really enjoying the frog metamorphosis.

I enjoy this app a great deal. The photos are excellent, as are the sounds used for each picture. One of the first apps we bought was a “white noise” application that was very relaxing and included some great images and sound effects that my son really enjoyed listening to and looking at. He was less than two years and could name “Amazon rainforest” or “rain on car roof” just by hearing the sounds – a game that he really enjoyed. This app reminds me of this early activity I played with my son. The sound effects used here are equally impressive, with the added educational benefit of these complete stories that do a lot to help explain some very interesting things as well as to foster a greater understanding of complex storytelling and the concept of beginning, middle, and end.

Kids will really enjoy tapping each image to see the sequencing of these events and I think that kids by themselves would enjoy the sights and sounds that this app has to offer, but will get the most benefit working with an adult who can really explain what they are looking at, since things likes raindrop prisms or how bees store nectar to later create honey are not specifically mentioned. These explanations are left to the adult who will enjoy this app very much as well.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, Just For Fun, Preschool, Primary School, Reviews, Science, Social, Sounds, Special Needs, Toddlers

iBaby Buttons is a colorful and fun universal app that will be a huge hit with babies as well as older children. Tap to create a colorful button; tap again and the button flips over to reveal the other side which consists of one of many different photos young children will be familiar with, be it “bird” or “teddy bear.” Friendly narration or sound effects are used to further bring these lovely photos to life, as well as teach about these basic objects. Tap again to pop these buttons. A two-fingered swipe will change the background photo used. I appreciate how vivid these photos used are, including flower choices, tactile images such as wood grain, or a close-up image of a cactus, as well as the use of beans or pasta – images that kids will enjoy. It is fun that kids can fill the screen with buttons either to then pop all at once or to finish each button one by one – the choice is theirs. It is also nice that a variety of narraters are used, both adults as well as children.

Babies, toddlers, and older kids love to pop bubbles, and for this reason I think this will be a huge hit with young family members. I like the fact that this game play does not need to last a long time, something that can be important. We always use apps in places like doctors’ waiting rooms or waiting to be served in a restaurant. Many times with a longer story or a complex game, my son feels compelled to complete them. I am then left with a kid playing with my phone long after it is ideal as now I would rather be focused at the task at hand. I don’t see this as being so much of an issue with this app, a plus in my book for specific circumstances.

In a future update, one will be able to customize these buttons with personal photos and sound effects. I think this will be a great addition, and I think it will be as fun to create these personal buttons as much as it will be fun to pop them. This is a simple and sweet application which is surely a nice conversation starter between the young player and an older
child or adult who may be enjoying the fun. With lots to touch, talk about, and see, I am sure this app will be a family favorite, especially for the youngest app users.

Art, By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, Just For Fun, Language, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

Yes, the name of the app I’m reviewing today is the entire alphabet. From this point on, I’ll refer to it as abcdefg for the sake of my fingers.

I stumbled across this app thanks to the title, it initially seemed like a unique way to learn the alphabet and practice word sounds, but I soon found it was that plus a lot more and it turned into a favorite of mine and my daughters very quickly.

Upon opening abcdefg and hitting play, you’re presented with a simple and easy to access play field. The alphabet is split into 2 halves, one on each side, running lengthwise on your device. At the top 4 different words: “Gravity”, “Crickets”, “Vehicles” and “Birds”. At the bottom are 5 buttons, “Recycle”, “Arrow”, “Bomb”, “Camera” and “Info”. Honestly, this is all that you need to know to get started.

Simply take a letter from either side and drag it into the middle of the screen. When you let go, the letter will go off on its merry way. When my daughters first grabbed it, they dragged a few letters and nothing happened. Once the letters hit the edge of the screen, everything changed.

With gravity (the option selected by default), the letters simply move with your device. Each time the letters hit an edge, the “sound” of the letter is played.

Vehicles zip around the screen, making sounds as they move. Crickets skitter and make sounds when they group up together. Birds is the most diverse, with varied sound, tempo and pitch depending on where/how it’s placed.

As each letter moves, it leaves a unique trail behind it, making a visual representation of the soundscape you, I mean your kids, are creating and it’s easy to stop a single letter, group of letters, erase the whole picture or take a snapshot of the insanity using the buttons below.

People might dismiss abcdefg, but if you look closer at what the app actually provides, I think you’ll find that it’s an invaluable tool for kids. In the app, you’re a conductor of sound, and you learn concepts like pitch and tempo. You also get a quick into to physics, seeing how the different letters move and interact with each other, things you don’t often see in “kid” apps these days.

While abcdefg is no replacement for music lessons, it allows children to draw outside the lines of music and just perform these strange experimental mini-concerts with letters. Some of the things I’ve heard my daughters create simply blow my mind. They have to experiment in combining sounds together, finding ones that match in tone, pitch, whatever to create an appealing and melodic sound. They also end up with these crazy pictures of letters strewn everywhere. They get to interact with art in a way that I’ve never really seen, at least not in this medium.

I can honestly say that I think any kid would benefit from putting their hands on abcdefg, even if it’s just to increase familiarity with the alphabet and word sounds. Beyond that, it’s an introduction to physics and a way for kids to create experimental soundscapes, by simply placing letters on a screen, turning that into honest to goodness music.

For the price and for the features offered, abcdefg is much more than a simple novelty. It’s an app that I recommend for kids and adults of any age. It’s never too early (or too late!) to make crazy music and pictures. I look back in regret, wishing that I’d have had something even close to this as a kid, it might have gotten me that much more interested in creating and experimenting with music and sound.

Art, By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, For Parents, High School +, Just For Fun, Music, Preschool, Primary School, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers