BBC has launched CBeebies Playtime, an companion app for its childrens channel, on iOS and Android.

The app features a set of four games starring characters from CBeebies programmes like Octonauts and Something Special, tied together by a single achievement-style reward system to mark the childs progress.

For parents, theres a dedicated ‘Grown-ups’ area, which fills them in on the educational aspects of each game and enables them to record audio messages which can be discovered while playing. The app also features a parental lock to stop children from leaving the in-app environment – neatly in line with the rules Apple will be enforcing in its designated Kids apps when iOS 7 launches.

“Technology is firmly embedded in children’s lives and has opened up opportunities to inform, educate and entertain them in new ways,” said Joe Godwin, director of BBC Children’s. “The CBeebies Playtime app is a great example of this, allowing our youngest audiences to learn through play and get even closer to the characters and shows they love, safely, whenever and wherever they want.”