Interview with Marina Litinsky, one of the founders of AppyPup (a division of Quasar Alliance Inc.)
What was the inspiration behind your first App, Goodnight ABC?
I've been working in elementary schools for many years, and I have a toddler of my own (he is now our official beta tester). There are two important things that I learned in my professional career and in my time as a parent. We all wish that our kids will learn and become an academic success. Our kids, on the other hand, never miss a chance to play and have fun. Do those two things have to be in conflict with each other? The answer is absolutely not. On the contrary, learning can and should be fun. Therefore we set out to create an App that is a great learning tool, but that to children feels more like a game than a lesson. With Goodnight ABC children don`t have to spend hours memorizing their ABCs, numbers or colors. They simply play with beautifully crafted fun characters and learn naturally.
How is a children`s App different from an educational App aimed at adults?
What works for adults and what works for kids may be two entirely different things. Adults are more goal driven, and certainly have a longer attention span. Most adults are experts at receiving information from print, video or audio. Children are more spontaneous, love to manipulate things, be a part of the action, and can`t sit patiently for hours on end trying to memorize facts and figures. With a child, especially a young one, everything is a game. We did our best to make an App that's as much entertaining as it is educational. I think we accomplished just that. With Goodnight ABC everything is interactive and fun to play with. Kids can stay in the underwater hotel, mine for precious stones, take a ride in a hot air balloon, hatch a dinosaur egg, become a doctor, or go on a shopping spree all the while learning the alphabet, letter sounds, vocabulary, numbers, colors and much more.
What is one thing about Goodnight ABC that you personally like the most?
It`s hard to play favorites, since we worked very hard to ensure that every small detail is visually pleasing, can be manipulated, and catches children`s attention. I think overall the most important thing about the App is it high level of interactivity. Also all the characters are beautifully drawn, and the environment where each of them lives gives children so many possibilities to try different things, learn and create. You can make your own ice cream, see how a magnet works, have fun on our virtual playground, create thunder and rain. The possibilities are endless! Of course one of my other favorite features is the ability to create nightfall and say goodnight to all the animals, which also makes this App a great bedtime activity.
What are AppyPup`s plans for the future?
We have a lot of new Apps in the works. Our newest one is scheduled for launch in December, and it will be a delight for both kids and their parents. Without revealing too much, let me just say that it will have beautiful classical music, animated intro, a storybook, and will be packed with interactive games and activities. It's enchanting and visually beautiful (the art is truly spectacular), and just in time for the holiday season. Stay tuned!
