Sago Mini Forest Flyer
© 2013 Sago Mini
Looking for an excellent first app? Children use their finger to steer a bird around a forest, where they discover 32 different animated routines. You start by touching the birdhouse, which rings a bell. The routines are responsive and offer an element of surprise. There are balloons to pop, singing frogs, a dancing stump, a set of musical mushrooms and a nest full of babies. To make something happen, you fly near them, or land on a specially marked branch. The graphics are uncluttered and easy to control and the only sounds are the ambient forest sounds, with an occasional giggle from the bird. There's no formal educational content, but that's not the point. It's best to think of this app as a busy box that promotes exploration, feelings of control, and discovery. This "mini" app was by Sago Sago, the studio formally known as zinc Roe that was acquired by Toca Boca. It is the second release under the new brand -- the first was Sago Mini Sound Box.
$1.99, iPad
Teaches: spatial relations, language, causality
CTR Rating: 90%