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THE BINGO SONG by Kid's Academy

THE BINGO SONG

developed by Kid's Academy

Pub Date: April 12th, 2013
Publisher: Kid's Academy

This utilitarian effort will appeal to fans of the song, but flawed recording features and minimal interactivity keep it from rising above the average mark.

This app isn’t going to win any awards for innovation or originality, but it’s still got some appeal. As might be expected, the song is front and center. A purple-clad blonde lass seamlessly performs the tune, inserting the claps in perfect syncopation (a good rhythm exercise for little hands and minds). The length of the “story” corresponds to the number of verses it takes to get to the part where the entire spelling of Bingo’s name-o is clapped. Scenery changes with each verse, and each screen offers a few token, underwhelming animations. Bingo, a charmingly cute sheepdog type, occasionally responds to taps by jumping or barking. The “extras” are where this app falls apart. The karaoke option offers excellent accompaniment and well-highlighted words, but the record feature is superconfusing. With no written or spoken instructions, it is up to readers to figure out when recording starts or how to re-record. The farm-animal trivia cards each pose three questions, with the option to read and answer each question or tap to hear each question and then record an answer. It’s unclear what benefit playback in this feature offers.

The main offering in this app is cute, and the audio provides a dimension that traditional books cannot. But it’s underwhelming, especially for the price. (iPad song app. 1-5)