Image: National Wildlife Federation
My kids and I really enjoy hidden picture games. We also really like Ranger Rick magazine. Now there is an app that combines the two: The National Wildlife Foundation has come out with a new app where kids can hunt for objects that are quite well hidden while learning about the endangered rhinoceros and other animals.
Hooked into GameCenter, Raiders of the Lost Aardvark follows a storyline about hunting down a poacher who is trying to sell rhinoceros horns and locating a missing animal. It has eight different locations to search. Each one shows a different part of the world with different kinds of animals. Kids tap on objects that are hidden, or they can tap on the animals in the scene to learn more about them.
Image: National Wildlife Federation
The outlines of five objects at a time are given for players to find. As one is found, another one fills in, until they’re down to the last five objects. In some locations, other special items need to be found as well. Though some of the hidden objects are camouflaged a little too well, if kids get stuck, they can tap the light bulb for a clue. There is a timer set up, though, to keep kids from asking for too many clues too quickly. Once players find enough objects, they can tap the paw to move on to the next location.
Note: Only tap on the objects whose outlines are shown at the left! The app takes points away if players tap anywhere else in the screen than on the current objects to find, including other objects that aren’t yet shown on the left.
Ranger Rick‘s Raiders of the Lost Aardvark costs $1.99 in the iTunes store and is for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. I recommend it to any kid who loves search and find apps, and those who are interested in animals. Some of the images are very well hidden, and can be challenging for kids to find. But with the built-in hint system, they shouldn’t get frustrated.
