(BROOKLYN, NY, FEBRUARY 2018): Tinybop, Inc., maker of award-winning educational apps loved by millions of kids around the world, has launched Coral Reef by Tinybop on the App Store. It is the tenth app in Tinybop’s STEM series for young scientists, The Explorer’s Library.
Coral Reef immerses kids in a fascinating underwater world. In the app, kids can start a shark feeding frenzy, play hide and seek with octopuses, help sea turtles clean up, save crabs from punching shrimp, and more.
As they play and explore, kids learn about how sea creatures live together in an ecosystem.
Tinybop’s CEO, Raul Gutierrez explains the app: I’ve never met a kid who isn’t fascinated by the ocean and the life beneath its surface. Our hope is that by revealing the hidden relationships among reef creatures, we can introduce kids to ideas about the interconnectedness of all life on our planet.
The app features original artwork, by illustrator Wenjia Tang, that encourages kids’ natural fascination and curiosity by reacting dynamically to their touch with animations and sounds. Like all apps in Tinybop’s Explorer’s Library, Coral Reef is designed to foster science literacy and lifelong learning about the world. Playful exploration and learning is rewarded.
For example, when one playtester attached sea stars to a decomposing shark and discovered that sea stars are detritivores, slowly eating the shark, she exclaimed, “Ew! Gross!”. As she continued to play, she asked aloud, “Do they eat dead whales?” Another child observed a shark eating other sh and noted, “You can’t eat something and then make it not come out!” Both of these kids were acting as scientists by playing, observing, asking questions, and making guesses about what they were observing (aka making hypotheses).
Parents and teachers are encouraged to join in on the fun and learning. To support kids’ inquiry, download The Coral Reef Handbook, a free, expert-reviewed companion to the app. The Coral Reef Handbook includes background information, discussion questions, and technology tips for grownups. It’s available at www.tinybop.com/handbooks in 8 languages.
Coral Reef by Tinybop is No. 10 in Tinybop’s Explorer’s Library, a series of STEM apps for young scientists. Tinybop’s Explorer’s Library lets kids explore a broad range of topics: anatomy in The Human Body and Mammals, botany in Plants, geography in Homes, physics in Simple Machines, geology in The Earth, meteorology in Weather, engineering in Skyscrapers, and astronomy in Space. Download the complete collection on the App Store and save 20% in the Tinybop Explorers bundle.
About Tinybop
Tinybop is a Brooklyn-based studio of designers, engineers, and artists building apps to delight, inspire, and educate. It was founded in 2012, by Raul Gutierrez, a father of two with 20+ years of experience in the arts and technology.
Tinybop’s award-winning apps currently include two growing series, The Explorer’s Library and Digital Toys. Digital Toys comprises six open-ended building apps that empower kids to create and play with whatever they can imagine. The Explorer’s Library consists of ten interactive sandbox apps for kids, and is designed to teach STEM fundamentals.
Tinybop recently launched Tinybop Schools to bring its STEM apps to classrooms. Learn more at schools.tinybop.com.
Tinybop’s apps have won a number of accolades: The Robot Factory won 2015 iPad App of the Year and The Human Body was named one of Parents Magazines’ Best Apps for Families. The Human Body, has also reached the #1 spot on the App Store’s education charts in 143 countries, and has been downloaded by more than eight million families worldwide. Homes and Simple Machines are Parent’s Choice Gold Award Winners, and The Everything Machine was named AASL’s Best App for Teaching and Learning.
Tinybop believes screen time can be family time and is committed to supporting kids, parents, and teachers learning together. Tinybop apps have kid-friendly designs and extras for grownups, including handbooks with tips and ideas to further learning. For more information, please visit www.tinybop.com/press.