About Us

We are most inspired by our bilingual children who are learning to speak Chinese. Our kids have mainly English speaking friends and classmates; therefore, we speak to them in Chinese as much as we can and try to encourage them to do the same. After countless searches for quality Chinese books, music, movies and games, we asked, “Why isn't there an iPhone app that features both Mandarin and Cantonese?” We jumped at the opportunity and immediately got started on creating our first app. The rest is history! We hope you enjoy this app as much as we had fun developing it. Heidy & Lisa

Heidy has a background in web design and e-marketing. She has extensive website development and management experience. She earned a B.A from Surrey Institute of Art and Design and a diploma in Art and Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Heidy was born and raised in the U.K. She has lived in Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, USA and Netherlands. She currently lives Belgium with her husband and three kids.

Lisa earned a Masters in Education from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Tufts University. As a former elementary school teacher, she is highly interested in understanding how children acquire languages, what motivates kids to learn and how children learn to read and write. She is married to Henry, with 2 girls ages 6 and 3. She grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong and has lived in Brookline, MA for the last seventeen years.



Chinese For Munchkins

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Chinese for Munchkins work on an iPod Touch? 

Yes! Chinese for Munchkins has been designed and tested for use on both the iPhone and the iPod Touch.

Will Chinese for Munchkins work on an iPad? 

Yes!

What are the OS requirements for Chinese for Munchkins? 

3.0 or above.

How many times can I download a copy to my iPhone?You can download the app up to five times with the same password. If you have more than one iPhone in your household you can download Chinese for Munchkins again on your other phone without paying again as long as you use the same iTunes account. 
Contact us with technical issues, suggestions or questions.

How can I keep up with Chinese for Munchkins' news?

You can become a Facebook fan!

Chinese For Munchkins

Email: contact@chineseformunchkins.com Website Copyright Chineseformunchkins.com Illustrations © Ganna D. 

Reviews

Reviews

Wow! Read what others have said about this cool app. 

WIRED/Geek Dad "What I like about Chinese for Munchkins is that it looks like a kids’ book — the illustrations are wonderful — and the interface is simple enough that my three-year-old had no trouble with it." Full article: (7/14/2010)

Asianmommy.com"This app is cute and enjoyable for kids.  They love to count and to learn the names of different animals.  It's a great introduction to Chinese for little ones.  The illustrations are adorable, and it's fun when the animals spin around."  Full article:  (6/10/10)

Cool Mom Picks  "Chinese for Munchkins is an adorable app to teach words for animals and numbers to kids, or frankly anyone who wants to learn a little bit about a language that over a billion people in the world speak." Full article (5/25/10)

The iPhone Mom
"My favorite part of this app was the counting game. I really liked catching those flying pigs. I enjoyed the way this app tied games in with the information presented on the flashcards. I think children (and probably most adults too!) learn best when they are having fun." 
Full article (5/26/10)

Hong Kong Yummy Mummy
"Those who are keen to have bilingual kiddos will be pleased to hear about a new iPhone app - Chinese For Munchkins."
Full article (5/25/10)

User Reviews:
Stanley Ting (Hong Kong)"Great app! My son, Brendon (2 yrs old), plays Chineseformunchkins everyday on the iPad before his play date.  He doesn't have a long attention span but this app keeps him happy for longer than I'd expected!" (5/121/10)

Rita Hopper (Washington, D.C.)"My boys, who are 7 years old and 10 years old, have been waiting for so long for an app like this to come out.  They speak Cantonese so now they can learn Mandarin.  My husband finds this app handy for him to brush up on his Chinese.  Thanks!" (5/18/10)

Wai Cheng (Boston)"This app demonstrates clearly how a young child can learn and play at the same time." (5/17/10)

Joelle (Boston)"I always wanted to introduce my children to native Chinese language and am thrilled that this app provides a fun and convenient way to do so. My children have so much fun repeating words and watching the characters spin around!"(5/16/10)

Ella (Hong Kong)"Finally found an iPhone app teaching kid cantonese. Amazing! It's really great & user friendly!! I love the counting game too!" (5/15/10)

AngelaNYC (New York)"Like Lisa and Heidy, I'm trying to teach my iPhone obsessed 3 year old some Mandarin basics. Chinese for Munchkins is a great way to do just that, and she's already hooked. We can't ignore the fact that our kids are going to grow up tech savvy, so why not take advantage of that? Xie xie, Lisa and Heidy!" (5/14/10)

Send Us Your Review

Chinese For Munchkins - IPhone and IPad App

Learning Mandarin and Cantonese Just Got Easier

Purchase on Itunes

This is the first Mandarin, Cantonese and English app with two games for children!

Chinese for Munchkins takes children on a journey, teaching them how to say animals and numbers in Mandarin and Cantonese - the two most common Chinese dialects in the world (there is an English option too).

Whether they want to roar with the “lau fu” (tiger), munch on bamboo with a “hung mao” (panda) or count “yak, yee, saam” (1-2-3), kids will be drawn to the flashcard pictures, sounds and animations. The interactive Memory Match and Counting Pig games will also help children reinforce what they’ve just learned while keeping them engaged and entertained. Whether your kids have had previous exposure to Chinese, or if they’re brand new to the sounds and tones, Chinese for Munchkins will help stimulate their curiosity and learning. Click here to purchase. Chinese for Munchkins iPhone App 

(iPhone, iPod touch and iPad compatible)

Click here to purchase.


Learn:

•How to count from 1-20 in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese
•How to say the names of 20 animals in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese and associate them with their corresponding animal sounds
•How to combine the numbers and animals to form simple sentences

 Features:

•Three versions of flashcards and games - English, Mandarin and Cantonese
•Bright, colorful and animated illustrations to keep kids engaged and entertained •Memory game to practice animals and numbers
•Bonus game: Counting Jumping Frogs
•Native Cantonese and English speaker

 Developed by Heidy Yu Spurrell and Lisa Ting, two moms who are raising bilingual children, Chinese for Munchkins is an engaging and educational app for kids ages 2+.


 We hope that you and your kids have fun with Chinese for Munchkins! Please let us know what you think and send us your requests and suggestions!


 Become a Chinese for Munchkins Facebook Fan to keep up with our news.



 Check out Ellie playing the app.