In Sago Mini Friends (2014; iOS and Android), you choose to play as one of five brightly colored animal characters: an orange cat, a brown dog, a blue rabbit, a red bird, and a purple...guinea pig? You then float downward and land gently in a neighborhood of four pastel houses — occupied, of course, by the four other animals, who excitedly peek out their windows. Ring a doorbell, any doorbell (these cycle through a variety of standard doorbell noises and some silly ones such as a foghorn) to visit a friend for a brief activity.



Some of these activities are household chores (doing dishes, watering a plant), some re-create familiar parts of any toddler's day (naptime, bathtime, snacktime), and others are just plain fun (playing dress-up, blowing bubbles, blowing up balloons to let them zoom buzzing around the room). All of them — even the chores — are made enjoyable through the characters' reactions. While you rinse dishes, for instance, the characters look raptly at the sprayer as though it's magic. Splashing a little water on the animals there or in the plant-watering activity makes them giggle. In fact, there's a whole lot of giggling here, plus oohs, aahs, high-fives, and happy-dancing — these are some preschool party animals.

Returning to the same home accesses (a limited number of) different activities. And at any time you can climb onto a balloon-powered swing to be floated back up to the menu screen to select another character. Playing as a different changes the types of activities offered, or their details: a cheese-and-crackers snack instead of cupcakes. None of the characters or activities are particularly gendered; in the dress-up activity, for example, you're given a helicopter hat, jeweled necklace, hair bow, fake mustache, tie, etc.



No reading is required: a subtle pulse clues you in to some interactive items; others you discover on your own. Cheerful music plays throughout, and a parents' section gives some tips for getting the most out of the app (there are secret shortcuts to the bubbles and balloons activities!).

Like the other Sago Mini apps we've reviewed, this app provides engaging, exploratory fun for preschoolers. Preschoolers will want to make a few repeat visits to this friendly neighborhood for more playdates.

Available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (requires iOS 5.1.1 or later) and Android devices (requires Android 4.0.3 and up); free. Recommended for preschoolers.