Twelve Days of Apps: Sago Mini... Everything (Day 5)

 (Creative Commons image: Jesper Hauge)

I went to look at my notes today and... well, this has GOT to be cheating, but I just wrote down "Sago Mini Everything." And no, Sago Mini fans this is not the name of a new Sago app you haven't heard of, I simply couldn't narrow it down to only one Sago Mini app. But I will list some of our favorites after the jump.

 (image: appaddict.net)

Developer: Sago Mini
Pricing: Some are paid, some are free
Platform: iOS (Apple) and Android (some are available at the Amazon app store)
Summary: Sago Mini is a partner of Toca Boca (probably my #1 gold standard app developing company) with a focus on apps for very early childhood. But here's the thing--even though their apps are designed for use by very young children and to appeal to that age group.... their apps appeal to older kids too (and also adults, ahem). They are simply very well-designed apps that focus on open-ended play and exploration and that translates into FUN.
My Favorites: Ooohhhhh..... this is hard. Here's the thing.  My son's favorites (the ones he plays over and over) are the explorer apps -- Forest Flyer, Space Explorer & Ocean Swimmer. He also still plays with Pet Cafe on a regular basis and has very much enjoyed Monsters.  My favorites are Sound Box (great for babies if you're going to use apps with babies because of the super simple interface and exciting on-screen and audio responses BUT also interesting enough to engage adults since you can conceivably play a full scale of notes if you poke the right parts of the screen), Music Box (also easy enough for babies to enjoy, but engaging for adults because you control the speed and rhythm of the well-known songs they feature so you can try a syncopated version of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Plus, compare what happens when you play with one finger vs. tapping all of your fingers on the screen.  I keep discovering new features in this app!), and Doodlecast (create a drawing and tell a story -- the app will record both processes and play them back for you when you're done!  We need to explore this one more as a family sometime...).  Their newest app, Road Trip looks fantastic and I can't wait to share this one with my son on our upcoming holiday travels!
If you like this, try: the Toca Boca apps.