Scholastic Inc. has made its debut in the mobile playground with the launch of new branded applications for the iPhone and iPod touch.

The company intends to brings its experience in developing entertainment for both families and children to the hottest new platform around: mobile. The branded applications from Scholastic come straight from the company's family of properties such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, I Spy, Goosebumps, The 39 Clues and WordGirl.

?Scholastic Media is always looking to deliver against the needs of children and families and these apps provide an engaging and accessible way for them to access the characters and brands they love,? said Daisy Kline, director of marketing and brand management at Scholastic Media, New York.

?Mobile provides a unique opportunity to reach families where they are ? in real time,? she said. ?As various mobile devices become ubiquitous in households for every member of the family it is imperative that Scholastic be there.?

Scholastic Media is a subsidiary of Scholastic Inc. that heads up the entertainment and media divisions, targeting children and families with educational and entertaining content.

Scholastic claims that these new mobile offerings will provide an opportunity for children of any age to interact with the brand names they know and love.

Based on the best-selling books and the television series from Scholastic, the Clifford?s Be Big With Words application is a word game for kids who love Clifford the Big Red Dog and are interested in building spelling, phonetic and vocabulary skills.

The Clifford the Big Red Dog TV series airs Monday through Friday on PBS Kids and online at http://www.pbskids.org.

The I Spy Riddle Race application combines the classic I Spy search game with the added feature of timed challenges.

Also based on the classic game I Spy, Scholastic launched its I Spy Spooky Mansion application, which takes players on an adventure through a scary mansion to find a hidden object.

?This initial suite of apps is intended for different age groups depending upon the brand and complexity of content,? Ms. Kline said. ?While children may not be the primary owner of the iPhone or iPod touch device, we do know that parents pass along their device to their kids for gaming and entertainment experiences. 

?In time, it is more and more likely that younger people will have access to these devices,? she said. ?In the meantime, parents can continue to rely on Scholastic for quality and trusted entertainment for their children.?

Other new branded applications from Scholastic include Goosebumps PhotoShock, The 39 Clues Madrigal Maze and WordGirl Word Hunt, each of which have both entertaining and educational qualities.

All of the Scholastic branded applications are available to download for either $1.99 or $3.99 from the Apple App Store for the iPhone or iPod touch.

?Scholastic?s commitment to quality content will always be the first priority,? Ms. Kline said.

?As the technology develops in terms of delivery ? mobile will continue to provide us with an ever-evolving ability to provide consumers unique, quality and valuable entertainment and gaming experiences and the ability to market more effectively on behalf of our brands,? she said.