Technically Philly: Digipuppets Offer a Fun Way of Learning on Tablets

As the age of smartphone and tablet users continues to get younger, app developers are scrambling to produce age-appropriate content. Although there are many players in the youth educational app world, none seem to integrate the actual user experience like Digipuppets.

Digipuppets are pretty much exactly what you would think – various characters that slip onto a child’s finger while still allowing them to use the touchscreen of an iPad or other tablets. Not only can the puppets allow the user to use any feature on the touchscreen but the characters are also integrated in their own games and books.

Co-founders Daniel Clay and Brendan Green wanted children to not only be more interactive with tablets in general but be able to learn while using them.

“We implemented the books and games so that kids can use the puppets to have fun while learning,” said Green. “They can go through the book and follow the characters on their journey while answering questions like math along the way and children seem to responds very well to this type of learning.”

The characters, consisting of Honey Bunny, Zip the Zebra, Marty the Moose, Kristy Kitty, Lucky Puppy, Barry Bear and Princess Patty are all elements that will be connected through the books, games and puppets themselves.

Clay and Green established that they want to have a specific book for each character and eventually create an entire digital world for the characters, called Digipuppet Playground. Here, the children can use their puppets to interact with other puppet users around the world by chatting and playing games together.

In its final stage of prototyping, Digipuppets are beginning production this month and should be ready for sales by January or February.

The co-founders believe there are limitless possibilities as to where the Digipuppets can go, but they want education to be the forefront of the product because of how positive it can be.

“We tested Honey Bunny and the book, Honey Bunny Learns to Share, on this little girl and she loved it,” said Clay. “We found out that later that night she asked her father for carrots during dinner and promised to share them because that’s what Honey Bunny does. It really made me come full circle to see the real educational benefits we can provide kids, and that makes it all worth it.”