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Although I don’t have any mini-me’s crawling around (whew), being an Uncle of a almost 4 year old and a 6 month old I can clearly see the challenge of teaching children…and making it fun. Fortunately there are numerous educational apps directed towards young children. 50 Friends, is an adorable addition to this genre that’s directed towards a little one just learning to spell.

50 Friends takes the easy to understand approach of teaching your child how to spell through what I can best describe as interactive flashcards. Each “flashcard” depicts 1 of the 50 really cute animals with empty bubbles underneath. These bubbles are where your child will drag colorful letters (that border the game) in order to spell the name of each animal. If the letter is placed in the correct spot, it’ll shake ‘yes’ and stay in place, if not the letter will shake ‘no’ and will be put back. This easy to understand approach makes it very clear and fun to spell.

A good handful of the 50 animals have tricky spelling compared to the “cows” and “dogs” out there (I.E. squirrel). Fortunately 50 Friends includes fantastic audio cues along with a Hint system that aids in the learning. By tapping on the animal a soft woman’s voice will sound out the name of the animal along with the correct spelling that appears for a brief moment. This feature can be turned on or off at any time and easily helps curb the child’s frustration.

The Bottom Line: 8.5/10

50 Friends is a very user friendly spelling app that combines an easy approach to spelling with bright colored letters and adorable  goofy illustrations to entertain and educate.