Backyard Birds

Technologies

Elixir OpenAI Gemini ElevenLabs JavaScript EC2 Cloudfront

Backyard Birds is an educational app created for the Yoto Player, a screen-free audio platform for kids. Backyard Birds brings the magic of birdwatching to children and families through personalized audio cards. The app uses AI (using OpenAI & Gemini) to write and narrate (using ElevanLabs) stories featuring birds recently sighted nearby, complete with authentic bird calls, interesting facts, and vibrant icons.

Backyard Birds was voted a Community Choice Winner in the Yoto 2025 Developer Challenge. Alongside Backyard Birds, I created another project, Fez the Cat, that delighted kids and parents alike with daily stories and letter-guessing games that test listening comprehension and spelling skills.