WILDRZ!!

Are you a tech fan? Do you have kids that love being active, playing in the dirt, and enjoy learning? Do your kids love animals? Well then you’re in luck! I’ve recently come to know an amazing person who has created an iPad App geared to kids ages 7-12. The app is called WILDRZ (www.wildrz.com). Below is a description about the app and about the creator. 

WILDRZ: Turtle Trouble iPad app for kids ages 7-12

Taking a step forward in multimedia storytelling, "WILDRZ: Turtle Trouble" is a Graphic Novel+ app in development for the iPad.  Aimed at children ages 7 to 12, "WILDRZ: Turtle Trouble" (www.wildrz.com) weaves comics of three fictional siblings with a real-life biologist to protect a turtle breeding ground that also happens to be a suburban soccer field.

Combining 60 pages of comics, 10 mini-games, 20 minutes of video featuring a turtle biologist, access to the biologist's blog, and additional content, WILDRZ (pronounced "Wild-ers") brings children into the action, including 230 speech balloons in the comics that readers can record using their own voices.

WILDRZ takes advantage of multimedia technology available on the iPad -- telling a fun, rich, interactive and compelling story about real-life animals in jeopardy and the three fictional siblings who help save those animals. My team and I are developing an app that kids will enjoy playing and parents will feel good purchasing because the WILDRZ Graphic Novel+ app lets kids experience the adventure of saving wildlife from the safety of their iPads.

I am a former producer for Hasbro Interactive's Tonka line of computer and console game software, an app developer and award-winning photographer, using Kickstarter (www.wildrz.com), a funding platform for artists, designers, and filmmakers, to raise the $100,000 needed to finish development of the WILDRZ app.

Additionally, by supporting WILDRZ on Kickstarter at various levels, backers can purchase great holiday gifts like:

• The "WILDRZ: Turtle Trouble" app.
• WILDRZ "skinz": a vinyl wrap that goes on the front and back of your iPad, sporting the "Turtle Trouble" cover artwork.
• "Adopt a Momma Turtle," in which backers donate a specialized Radio unit that biologist Mark Grgurovic will use to improve his ability to track and find the female turtles' nests and improve the survival rate of baby turtles. Backers can name the turtle, receive a photo and get periodic updates on her from the field.
• Get transported into the WILDRZ universe with your likeliness or that of a loved one drawn as a character into the WILDRZ story line.
• An eco-adventure weekend for four to help biologist Mark Grgurovic on the very turtle study that inspired the WILDRZ app.

The Kickstarter initiative ends Dec. 25th.

Ok so why am I helping promote this? Other than the fact that Paul is a great guy and I would love to see this project take off, I see a lot of this as being EXTREMELY Disney-esque. Walt Disney was all about education through entertainment, and using the most modern technology to do it. At EPCOT’s Innoventions all of the exhibits and games are very technological and promote learning through fun! The WILDRZ app would fit nicely in EPCOT don’t you agree? 

As it stands now, WILDRZ still needs to reach that goal of $100,000.00 in order for it to continue to be developed. I would love to see this App really take off, not only because of all the work Paul has put into it, but also because there are so many mindless things on TV and on the internet. This is something I’m sure kids would love (Heck I love it!) and they would learn something too. I think it would make a wonderful holiday gift! Thinking down the road it would give your kiddo something to do on the plane ride to Disney ;)

If you’d like to help the WILDRZ hit that goal and continue to make more episodes please tweet, facebook, or word of mouth it, to anyone you think might be interested in it. Paul has many more episodes lined up that I’m sure the children in your life would love!