ericcarleonthefarm.2When kids are young, one of the early learning standards in their education is animal sounds (not to mention—they’re just tons of fun to learn and play with!). Publications International Ltd. and The World of Eric Carle launched the new Eric Carle’s On the Farm app for iPhone and iPad. The app features 25 animal sounds and animations, narrated rhymes about farm animals, five fun sing-along farm songs, Lift-a-flaps, coloring screens, stickers, puzzles, and mazes. The app also includes Read to Me and Read by Myself modes to help kids improve literacy skills.

My absolute favorite thing about the On the Farm app is how beautiful it is. When I was a kid, some of my favorite books were written and illustrated by Eric Carle, so I know that parents and kids will both appreciate the fun illustrations based on Carle’s artwork. (He’s best known for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, in case you are unfamiliar.) Each image on the screen is as great as his illustrations in the books I used to have as a kid, which can be nostalgic for parents. The bright colors and fun animal characters will draw in kids’ attention. The app is in fact based on the best-selling Play-a-Sound Book Eric Carle: Around the Farm, also published by Publications International Ltd.

EricCarleonthefarm.1Each page of the story reads the words aloud (if you’re on Read to Me mode) and then provides an activity for the child to complete, such as putting together a puzzle of a dog or lifting flaps to find more hidden characters. By touching each animal, a voice states the name of the animal, followed by the animal sound, so kids can begin to associate the two. Some pages contain songs for kids to learn, including “The Farmer in the Dell” and “Oh, How Lovely Is the Evening.” In Read by Myself mode, touching the animal still provides the name and sound, but kids can read and sing on their own!

The Eric Carle: On the Farm app is recommended for kids ages 4 and up, and is available in the Apple App Store. We tested this app on an Apple iPad Air.

About the author

Ali Mierzejewski

Ali Mierzejewski

Ali Mierzejewski is the editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider. With more than a decade of industry experience, Ali is a trusted source for parents, gift-givers, manufacturers, retailers, and more on the latest trends and hottest products. Whether you’re shopping for the best toys for kids — or looking for the latest in geek culture and entertainment for yourself — Ali’s expertise has you covered. When she’s not building LEGO sets or unwinding with a puzzle, Ali is obsessing over the latest season of The Bachelor, scrolling through Gritty’s Twitter, or rewatching The West Wing (for the 100th time). She is also a self-proclaimed expert on the history and lore of the entire Bachelor franchise. Ali has been featured on TODAY, The Wendy Williams Show, Yahoo Finance, Fox & Friends, HLN, The Weather Channel, ABC World News Now, and more. You can follow her on Instagram @hashtagtrendy.

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