An Amazing Day At The Zoo isn’t exactly amazing, but it’s not bad. The app’s use of video footage of real animals is a nice surprise, versus the usual still or animated pictures so many other apps offer. The information, however, is basic and likely will only interest very young children. Older kids will already know most of the facts (i.e. pandas are from China, baby kangaroos are called joeys, crocodiles have strong tails). The narration might also appeal to young viewers, but it could quickly grate on adult ears. Most disappointing, though, is the app’s lack of interaction. Aside from flipping pages, there’s nothing for users to do but sit and watch — which puts this behind the curve in the educational app space.

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The developers may not know how to put together a succinct app name, but when it comes to fun ways to educate children, the team knows what it’s doing. First Words is a good head start for children who know their ABCs and are curious about what to do with them, showing them how to spell more than 80 animal names and rewarding them with cute animations. The matching puzzle is aimed at slightly older players. As with other entries in the series, parents can adjust the difficulty of any part of the app to give it longevity. The promotional links at the app’s start-up page are oppressive, though, and are out of place in something that is so targeted to a young audience.

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