We’ve got a lot of great news, including just released – Balloonimals HD for the iPad, Elmo’s Monster Maker, Count TV and Balloonimals win big in Babble.com’s “Top 50 iPhone Apps For Kids,” and a VERY FUNNY video (at least we think so) that show’s how we initially prototyped Elmo’s Monster Maker…you’ve come a loooong way baby!
Whew, that’s a lot, so let’s get started!
iPad Enhanced Balloonimals HD – JUST RELEASED!!! – New Interactions! Exclusive Content!
Add Balloonimals to the list of lovable characters that are now available in High-Definition!
If you have ever watched the local news in HD and seen the imperfections on the broadcaster’s skin, don’t worry, Balloonimals in HD have perfect, glossy and blemish-free skin. But don’t take our word for it, download Balloonimals HD now for your iPad and see just how beautiful the colorful Balloonimal characters are in High-Definition.
Balloonimals HD has incredibly smooth animations, new interactions that are unique to the iPad (such as auto-rotation), and more, only available in HD on the iPad.
Elmo, The Count, and Balloonimals Winners Of Babble’s Top 50 Favorite iPhone Apps For Kids!
Congratulations… to us! Elmo’s Monster Maker (#3), Count TV (#9), and Balloonimals (#47) made the Babble Top 50 Favorite iPhone Apps For Kids. Hundreds of iPhone apps were reviewed to find the best 50 for kids.
IDEO is incredibly honored to hold THREE (“1, 2, 3, ha, ha, ha!” as The Count would say) spots in this exclusive list.
Thanks goes out to everyone at Babble.com who took the time to play with all of those apps (what a fun job!) and recognized IDEO’s commitment to creating fun, entertaining and educational experiences for kids to enjoy with their parents.
“Elmo’s Monster Maker” The Early Years – See How IDEO Prototypes New App Concepts…And Has Some Fun In The Process
Being an App Inventor and a Toy Inventor is haaaaaard work. But we still manage to have some fun in the process.
Watch this never before released video to see an actual presentation that eventually evolved into the beloved Elmo’s Monster Maker app that you’ve all come to know and enjoy.
Well, that’s it for now. Thanks for being the best app fans ever!
P.S. We’ve noticed a lot of our Fans forwarding these articles to your friends who have been signing up to become Fans of our apps too. Thanks for sharing the love!
P.P.S. So, a little bird told me that a new Balloonimals app might be in the works that more resembles a game than the current incarnations. Shhh! Don’t tell anyone!
If you or your little ones are a Ballooni-maniac and would like to see a Balloonimals game, Join our Balloonimals Discussion on Facebook and comment on your favorite mobile app game or what kind of Balloonimals game you would like to see, and your wish may just come true. Don’t be shy, JOIN THE CONVERSATION, and you just might get a FREE Balloonimals HD promo code for your iPad (if we really like your post)!
We’d like to thank the Academy… I mean Parents’ Choice for recognizing our efforts in the area of awesome and fun entertainment for kids on a mobile electronic device. Elmo’s Monster Maker and Grover’s Number Special were both awarded Parents’ Choice Silver awards! You can see all of the winners on the Mobile Apps Award page on the Parents’ Choice website.
That’s right, what “Fans” of our iPhone apps for kids have known all along has finally been recognized by an official, credible publication; Parents’ Choice.
Parents’ Choice Foundation strives to provide parents with reliable unbiased information about tools to help their children learn, to explore new challenges, to discuss ideas and to pursue dreams through their print and online publications.
A very special thanks to Parents’ Choice for recognizing all of our hard work of passion. We love making products and experiences that enrich the lives of kids around the world.
If you would like to stay up to date with our latest creations, releases and inspirations, make sure to join our IDEO Toy Lab Mailing List, and our Balloonimals Page On Facebook to learn about FREE iTunes promo code promotions.
Thanks again to the Parents’ Choice Foundation, Sesame Street Workshop, the IDEO family, and especially to all of our fans around the world who make all of our work possible!
Here’s your chance to name our latest Balloonimals, a duck and a pair of snail twins. That’s right, a very luck “Balloonimaniac” will have their proposed names chosen as the official names for our latest Balloonimals. This fun promotion coincides with the release of an updated Balloonimals app for the iPhone/iPod Touch, as well as the announcement of an HD version of Balloonimals for the iPad to be released soon.
The update for the iPhone/iPod Touch includes a new duck Balloonimal in addition to the snails from our last update, higher quality animations, motion blur and other bug fixes. Furthermore, Balloonimals will be released for the iPad in the next few weeks and will include High-Definition animations, which are only available on the iPad. How cool is that!
If you haven’t seen our popular Balloonimals Page on Facebook where you can name the new Balloonimals, then you are missing a lot. It has been getting plenty of attention since we added colorful images with the names of all Balloonimals, linked it to IDEOToyLab’s Twitter account and added interesting discussion topics, like what you would like to see in a Balloonimals game.
So what are you waiting for? Being a Balloonimaniac is not a spectator sport, it’s about participating in the Balloonimals community, joining the discussion and sharing your love of Balloonimals with your friends, family and little ones.
If you don’t propose a better name for the duck and snail twins, we are just going to call them Eugene, Gertrude and Garth, and no one would want that (unless those are your names, oops!). So head on over to the Balloonimals Page on Facebook, “Like” our page and suggest some better names by clicking on the “Discussions” tab.
Balloonimals App Update Announced, Will Include NEW Balloonimal!
We are extremely proud parents and want to share our joy with the world. We are releasing an update to our wildly popular Balloonimals app for the iPhone/iPod Touch which will include a brand new, never before seen Balloonimal! Now, we are not going to reveal here what that animal is, but we are going to give you a chance to get a FREE download code and see for yourself.
FREE Download Code Drawing
To celebrate the birth of a NEW Balloonimal animal in the latest version release of our wildly popular Balloonimals app for the iPhone/iPod Touch, we are offering a chance to get 1 of 25 FREE download codes for this app from the iTunes app store.
We here at IDEO feel incredibly special to be one of the few select developers to get their iPhone apps for kids hand picked by Apple and featured on their television commercials. We are excited to share this great news with you and to provide links to the actual commercials so you can enjoy them too!
Apple Features “Elmo’s Monster Maker” On Latest US TV Commercial (0:30)
Currently, Elmo’s Monster Maker is being highlighted on Apple’s “Family-Man” titled commercial.
This TV commercial demonstrates the iPhone’s value to the entire family as Elmo’s Monster Maker (EMM) is featured as a great way to keep the kids entertained on long (or short) road trips.
Featured along side Elmo’s Monster Maker app is Jamie Oliver’s cooking app (whoever that is ;P) and Viper’s remote car access app. So I guess you could say that we are in good company.
This isn’t the first time that IDEO’s apps have been featured by Apple. You may recall (or just look at the older blog posts) that Balloonimals was featured in Apple retail displays on the display where the icons fly past you like a comet storm.
We would like to say thanks to Apple for recognizing all of our hard work. But what gives us the greatest satisfaction is the miles of smiles that we see when someone picks up and really connects with our creations. Play is not just fun, it’s our job, so we are glad that so many of you are getting exposed to IDEO’s iPhone apps for kids, and telling your families about them.
P.S. If you or your little ones are a Ballooni-maniac and would like to see a Balloonimals II sequel, become a Fan of our Facebook Balloonimals Fan Page and leave us a comment on our Page to tell us what made you such a big Balloonimals fan.
IDEO in partnership with Fisher-Price, are bringing three classic toys to life in a whole new way on the iPhone/iPod Touch. See ‘n Say, Little People and Chatter Telephone are new apps available now at the Apple iTunes Store.
Fisher-Price: See ‘n Say ($1.99) – This classic childhood toy has found a great new home on the iPhone. Use your finger to spin the pointer and then watch videos, which contain interesting facts about your favorite farmyard animals, including fun sound effects.
Fisher-Price: Chatter Telephone ($.99) – Your toddler will love playing with an updated version of this classic childhood toy. Dial the phone, play musical instruments or call people working in different jobs, such as a fireman, teacher or airplane pilot. Just about any interaction will play a sound or vibrate your device. Great for teaching tactile response.
Fisher-Price: Little People Farm ($1.99) – Interact with the Little People on a farm. This app includes several mini-games, an interactive background and many things to discover.
Your toddler will have hours of fun and enjoyment with any of these three apps, which are available now from iTunes.Have fun!
The biggest thing next to Big Bird has just made it to the iPhone, and by that we mean Elmo!
We are VERY excited about our latest release, “Elmo’s Monster Maker” for iPhone and iPod Touch.
In “Elmo’s Monster Maker,” Elmo wants you to make a monster friend! It’s easy! Choose a monster body and touch its face to give it eyes, nose and a hat-there are lots and lots and lots to choose from. When you’re done, Elmo will dance and play with your monster!
Features:
• Original Sesame Street video.
• Over 10,000 unique monster combinations to explore
• Elmo’s photos of your monster go to your iPhone/iPod’s photo album
Elmo would like to personally show you how to play in a video at :
Insider news: Three more Sesame Street apps in the works. Each hosted by the signature Sesame Street characters Bert, Rosita, and The Count (Ahh, ha, ha!). Sign-up with your email at http://ideotoylab.com and become a “Fan” of IDEO Toy Lab’s apps and you’ll be the first to hear when they are released!
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into an Apple retail outlet, those lovable Balloonimals have been sighted in the oversized iPhone on display in the front window of Apple retail stores across the country.
Balloonimals Featured At Apple Retail Store
That’s right, our very own Rex the Dinosaur can be seen in the flurry of apps that appear to be traveling at the speed of light.
However, unlike the rest of the apps passing by like road stripes zipping by your car window, the Balloonimals app is one of about twenty apps that are featured via a pause in full screen view. I guess that must mean that those creative geniuses at Apple are as fond of Balloonimals as we are.
Oh, how our Balloonimals have grown and gone on to create a magical, fun and ambitious life of their own.
So stop by your local Apple retail outlet and try and catch a glimpse of Rex before he disappears. Who knows where Balloonimals will show up next, so grab your camera, telephoto lens and safari hat, or you can just catch your own Balloonimals at the iTunes store!
And the correct homework answer is… Etch A Sketch! I recently gave a simple homework assignment to the students in a class I’m teaching at Stanford’s d.School called “From Play to Innovation.” I asked each student to tell me their favorite toy from childhood and then compiled the responses through screen shots of the actual toys, all found on eBay (who says you can’t buy back some great childhood memories?!). I then presented the answers back to class.
Most adults equate play with silliness and kids, and not themselves. My class reinforces how important play is in innovation. It reminds us of what it’s like to morph into a state of flow and lose track of time when one is truly enjoying the moment. If you’ve ever taken part in a really creative brainstorm, you know what this feels like – ideas rapidly flowing, laughter all around. You can sense the energy in the room! Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play and my co-teacher for the class says, “the opposite of play is not work; it’s boredom or in severe cases, depression.”
The toy homework exercise reminds us that, as kids, we played because it was enjoyable. The reward was getting to play again. This doesn’t have to go away as we get older. This spirit and attitude of play is something we can continue to want for ourselves and others, even in our work environments. How can you incorporate play into your day? Can you recall your favorite toy?
Here is a loose translation for those of you who don’t speak Japanese.
The video is called something like “How to Play Balloonimals, as Taught by my 2-year-old Daughter”
Step 1: Blow
Step 2: Shake
Step 3: Healthy play (during which she says “Beautiful” and “Horsey,” and “Look, Dad!”)
Step 4: Blow up & repeat
Advice 1: If you don’t understand what to do, find the “help” screen
Advice 2: Play with a REAL balloon
