App for iOS & Android: McDonald's - Animals of Africa 3D (McDonald's Germany LLC with book by Dorling Kindersley)

2019 | Kindergarten and Preschool | Nominees

Here’s what media educators have to say: Bring animals to life! That’s the promise of this app, which comes with a slim book published by Dorling Kindersley and is supported by the Stiftung Lesen. The book introduces animals that live in Africa. While the text in the book needs to be read aloud to children, what makes the app special is that it uses augmented reality to bring the animals to life in a particularly realistic way. After opening the app, children hold the tablet over the corresponding page. Then, for example, the rhinoceros comes to life, can walk around the room, snort, and run fast. This is fun for children; it helps them develop a better connection to the animals and learn lots of interesting facts about animals in Africa. This app effectively combines and fosters children’s curiosity, knowledge, fun, and interest in digital media.

The original edition of the book "Animals for Smart Kids" is still available in stores. ISBN 978-3-8310-3079-8. The McDonald's app is still available in the app stores for a limited time.