Well, we released our first beta (I should really call it an alpha) to our huge posse of testers last week (OK, 7) and the forms are starting to trickle in. So far we’re getting really good feedback, and the major requests are already on our todo lists. But we’re starting to run out of time, and there’s still a ton of things to do. Who would have thought it was so tough to get an app released on the app store? Honestly, the construction and creation of the app itself has been the least stressful part of this (for me, at least.)

FlatPack was born from a few things: my interest in kids toys (despite a lack of any sort of manual or design skills), a feeling that the games available on the iPad and iPhone weren’t really that interesting (to me anyway), and I wasn’t that thrilled with my kids playing with them either. Oh yeah, and possibly a way to support the family. Well, a man can dream…

One thing that’s interested me is the question of what academic (and other) research says on this question of open ended play versus the kinds of childrens’ apps I see out there. Some of them are designed for kids, others not, but one way or another kids seem to end up playing with them, so I wondered what the effects were.