“Weird But True” iOS App Educates in a Fun Way

Who doesn’t like National Geographic? They have been enriching our lives for over a hundred years with photos and quality content from around the globe. And they have brought this content to children of all ages as well. My daughters got copies of National Geographic Kids at school and have saved them in piles on their desks and bookcases. And every article or TV show that they produce is filled with facts. I must admit, many of those facts I have lost simply because it’s hard not to go into fact-overload.

But now, there is a new iPhone and iPad app that makes facts really fun, especially for children. The new “Weird But True” iOS application has taken the oddest and strangest facts and compiled them into a fun little application. So, fun, that I actually found myself playing with it without my kids even being around. There is already a book by the same name “Weird But True” that contains 300 “outrageous” facts which you can buy, but the application takes it to a whole new level by adding interactivity. You can make a fact a favorite, you can email it to someone and you can even rate it on the “weird-o-meter”. You can later check the leaderboard to see what odd fact has gotten the highest votes.

As of this writing, here are some of the facts that are winning:

• Slugs have 3,000 teeth and 4 noses
• A lock of Elvis Presley’s hair sold for $115, 120
• Some car can run on used French-fry oil
• Hot dogs can last more than 20 years in landfills
• The eastern spotted skunk does a handstand before it sprays

A word of warning, once you let your kids use this application, they are going to start telling you a bunch of randomly odd facts just out of the blue.

Let’s quickly walk through the application. To view a new fact, just shake your device or flip the screen:

Clicking on the top “dialog box” button pops up an odd graphic and an even stranger person saying “That’s weird!”

You can “favorite” a fact by clicking on the heart, which then starts bouncing around the screen.

The best feature is the ability to rate or rank the fact on a “weirdness” scale. This is then used to calculate the leaderboard.

Here is a way to quickly find fact alphabetically.

And lastly, the “Weird-O-Meter” that is the leaderboard of the weirdest facts!

My kids and I definitely like this app! There are over 300 facts and I wouldn’t be surprised if more are added regularly either via an update or directly by the application.

The application is created by National Geographic Ventures (NVG) which is a wholly owned, taxable subsidiary of the National Geographic Society.

The “Weird but True” application as of this writing at launch is priced at $1.99 and is available on iTunes now (affiliate iTunes link below).

I feel the app is reasonably priced and will definitely provide you and your kids some things to discuss, all in a learning environment. However, I do hope that the facts are regularly updated, otherwise, the app will get stale pretty quickly. I went through about 50 facts in just a few minutes. If there are only 300 (as stated in the application description), this app will only be good for a few plays. However, if the content is regularly updated, this app will be a winner! It runs on  iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads and has plenty of interactivity, sound effects and graphics. Teens probably won’t like it but pre-teens and their parents definitely will. Discussing the facts is a great parent-child activity for just about anywhere you are.

Disclosure Text : I have a material connection because I received a gift or sample of a product for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was/am not expected to return this item or gift after my review period. More information can be found in my About page as well as here.

HTD says: “Weird but True” is a fun app, filled with odd facts that will entertain parents and kids alike.