For children aged 2 to 7

The calm of the playroom, wherever you are.

Tiinyme (say “tee-ni-mi”) is a calm play app for phones and tablets, made by two mums in Australia. Your child explores a paper dollhouse, the street outside and the little worlds beyond it, with Tiinyme the dog beside them. There’s nothing to read, nothing to win and no ads.

Where it started

A quiet afternoon, then a nine-hour flight

In the playroom

Vivian was on the playroom couch, watching her girls build a rocket and stars out of magnet tiles. They dressed up, then made her a pretend coffee. Nothing was flashing, nobody was rushing, and it was quiet. She wondered how to bring that feeling with them.

Nine hours up

Elisa had just flown home from the other side of the world with her son. Everything he loves, the building, the blocks, the modelling dough, stayed at home. None of it fits in a carry-on.

So they’re making the playroom you can take with you: calm, wordless, and made of paper.

What playing looks like

These are real moments from Tiinyme, recorded straight from the app. Every touch gets an answer, and one thing leads to another.

Make it rain

Tap a cloud and it rains on the street. Let the clouds go and a rainbow comes out over the house. In our first family test, the weather was the favourite.

Tap the sun

Day turns to sunset, then night, then dawn. The windows light up as it gets dark.

Bath time

Tiinyme comes in muddy from a puddle. Fill the tub, give her a scrub, and stand back when she shakes.

Throw the ball

She runs for it and brings it back to your child’s feet. Again and again, for as long as they like.

Time for a break

When it’s time to stop, a grown-up ends play gently. The lights go down room by room, everyone goes to bed, and the house is saved for next time.

Try it first: join the early testers

Six children in Tiinyme, each different: a boy dressed as a knight, a girl in a space suit with a jetpack, a child in glasses dressed as an explorer, a boy in a dinosaur suit, a girl dressed as a fairy and a child in a football kit with a hearing aid and a prosthetic leg, beside Tiinyme the dog.

Your child is in the story

Children make a character who looks like them: skin, hair, glasses, freckles, a hearing aid, a prosthetic arm or leg. Then they can be a knight, an astronaut, a dinosaur, a builder, a footballer or a fairy. Whoever they want to be that day.

For grown-ups

What we promise, and what we’ll keep true as Tiinyme grows.

No ads, nothing to buy
There are no adverts in Tiinyme and nothing to buy while your child plays.
No words, any language
Everything works by touch, so children who can’t read yet can play, and every family plays the same way, whatever you speak at home.
No scores, timers or streaks
Nothing to win, nothing to lose and nothing pulling them back tomorrow. They play only because it’s fun.
A gentle way to stop
Choose “Time for a break” and the house goes to sleep, with your child’s character tucked into bed.
Two can play at once
Brothers and sisters can play in the same house at the same time, each with their own finger.
Made for small hands
Big targets, slow presses still count, and one finger does everything.
Settings little fingers can’t reach
The grown-ups’ corner opens with a press and hold, then a sum to answer.

Made by Vivian and Elisa

Between us we have two daughters and a son. They love dressing up, pretend cooking and building, so that’s what we’re putting inside.

We made Tiinyme for the times the playroom can’t come with you: long flights, restaurant waits, the busy hour before dinner. Our kids aren’t every kid, so we test every room at home and we’d love your family to help shape it.

Vivian and Elisa

Questions parents ask

When can we play it?

We’re building Tiinyme now and testing it with families. Early testers will be the first to try it, and we’ll email you as soon as there’s a version ready.

What will it cost?

We haven’t set a price yet. Testing is free, and you’ll know the price before anything is ever charged.

Is Tiinyme screen time?

Yes, and we won’t pretend otherwise. The World Health Organization and Australia’s own guidelines suggest no screens for children under 2, and no more than an hour a day for children aged 2 to 5, with less being better. Tiinyme is made for short, calm sessions that fit inside those limits. There’s no autoplay, nothing endless, and nothing that asks your child to come back tomorrow.

What do you keep about my child?

Nothing. Children never type anything or make an account, and their play is saved on your own device. We keep the email you give us here, and any answers you choose to send us while testing. Our privacy policy says exactly what and why.

Which devices does it work on?

Tiinyme is made for phones and tablets, held sideways. We’ll confirm exactly which devices before testing starts.

Will it work on a plane?

That’s what we’re making it for. We’ll test every room with the phone in flight mode before we promise it, and we’ll tell early testers what we find.

Why are there no scores, stars or rewards?

A 2022 study found that most of the apps young children used most had design tricks to keep them there, like characters who plead when a child stops, countdown clocks and daily rewards. Tiinyme has none of that, and Tiinyme the dog never gets sad when your child stops. We left out rewards on purpose too: a classic 1973 study found that preschoolers promised a prize for drawing later chose to draw less. We’d like children to play because it’s fun.

How does play end?

Researchers who studied families with young children found that endings went better at natural stopping points and as part of a routine. So a grown-up chooses “Time for a break”, night falls, the lights go out room by room and Tiinyme curls up at the foot of the bed. We can’t promise it will prevent every meltdown, but it’s made to feel like the end of a story rather than the phone being taken away.

Is it educational?

It’s play, not lessons, and we’re wary of apps that promise a smarter child. Every touch gets an answer and one thing leads to another, with no instructions and no right answers, and plenty of room for pretend play.

Is it OK for my 1-year-old?

We’d say no, and so do the guidelines: no screen time for children under 2, video calls with family aside. A younger sibling can happily watch, but we’d keep the phone in the older child’s hands.