App of the week

Curious George at the Zoo 4 cert, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, iOS ****

Apps that will not only keep your children entertained but will also help them learn are one of the great hits of the iPad. This Curious George app will not only give your kids a bit of education, but it was also designed and developed in Ireland. The basic premise is that Curious George is giving a bit of a hand out at the zoo. You start off with the basics – parrots, hippos, elephants, lions – and go through tasks, such as feeding them, cleaning them and generally getting them into a fit state for the zoo. There are different zoo worlds planned; at present, Sunny Safari is available, but there is the promise of the Deep Freeze, Old MacDonald’s Farm, and the Outback to come. There are educational videos about each animal too, so children can learn as they go. And there’s a mini game to be tackled too, hosing down the correct animals on a conveyor belt according to the description given. Players are rewarded with stickers for all their hard work, which they can go back and look at any time. It’s a fun, colourful way to trick children into learning, while probably giving you some much needed time off too.