After a Christmas telly splurge on Pixar and Disney flicks, we’re ready for some new animated children’s movies in 2014. The Nut Job is the first angling for kids’ attention. And yes, there’s an app for that.

Developed by Cupcake Digital, it follows the plot of the film, which involves a squirrel called Surly going on “an adventure of a lifetime when his independent nature gets him kicked out of the park and into the big city”.

In app form, that means a digital storybook based on the film, but also four mini-games to play with its characters: Whack-a-Rat, Squirrel Bounce, Acorn Scramble and Gone Nuts.

They involve, respectively: whacking rats (you may have guessed this), stopping nuts from falling into the gutter, chucking them into pipes, and matching them up. There are also digital colouring features, and the ability to watch the film’s trailer.

We haven’t seen the film yet – it’s out later this month – so it’s too early to tell whether it’ll be a.) good and b.) popular, which will have a big impact on the likely success of the app. Still, the fact that it’s been released before the film gives kids a chance to get to know the characters first.

The Nut Job costs £0.69 for iPhone and iPad on Apple’s App Store, and £0.60 for Android on the Google Play store.

Buy Apps Playground’s 100 Best iPad Apps of 2013 e-book – £1.99 from Apple’s iBooks Store