Parents' Guide to Virry. Feed the Lion, bathe the Rhino

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad Free to try Education
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Common Sense Media Review

Christy Matte By Christy Matte , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Live webcams and quizzes help kids learn about wildlife.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's It About?

VIRRY. FEED THE LION, BATHE THE RHINO combines live wildlife feeds with interactive learning videos to teach kids about how different animals play, eat, and engage with each other. Kids can learn about a wide range of animals, but the activities center on flamingos, orangutans, lions, meerkats, giraffes, and rhinoceroses. Kids can "help" feed the animals, give them toys, and otherwise engage. The videos also ask multiple-choice questions to teach kids more about what animals eat and why, how much they eat, how big they grow, and so on. Correct answers are rewarded with points, which help kids gain levels in the "Animal Friends Club." There are no tangible rewards, but kids might like to work their way from beginner to scientist. Kids can also take pictures of animals from the feeds to keep in a virtual diary. They can add their own notes about each scene, making it a useful activity for kids who might have a related school project. Later, they can share on enabled social media networks.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Kids who are curious about wildlife will love watching the live feeds of animals going about their daily lives. Virry. Feed the Lion, bathe the Rhino has some wonderfully close-up cameras on wildlife, giving kids a clear and intimate view you can't always get at a zoo. It's a really unique approach to educating kids about animals, and it gives kids access they might not otherwise have. On the downside, app navigation isn't as friendly as it could be, and there are some icons and areas that kids may not know what to do with. There's also very little that can be done without a subscription, so the idea that it's a free app is misleading, but the overall cost isn't terribly high. Despite these drawbacks, it's worth trying for a month or so, especially if you have kids who are crazy about animals.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how much kids learned. Do you think Virry. Feed the Lion, bathe the Rhino is a good app for learning? Why, or why not? What did you learn?

  • How do you like this app as compared to other apps you could play? If you had or have limited screen time, would you pick this app over other apps on your device? Why, or why not?

App Details

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