Sometimes, a children’s app will appear seemingly from nowhere and sweep us off our feet with its charm. The latest example is Shu’s Garden.

Released for iPhone, iPad and Android by Canadian developer Crafted Reveries, its heroine is called Shu: “A bouncy alien who nourishes the soil wherever she rolls”.

That’s the game in a nutshell: your kids have to roll Shu around her planet and every so often shrink down then bounce up in the air. Why? To collect plant blossoms then shake them off to plant them in new places.

The idea is to get children interested in gardening in the real world. “Little ones will enjoy exploring and playing on this mysterious planet while learning to care for their own garden,” explains the App Store listing.

“Children will see how plants need nutrition to grow and stay healthy, how mature plants produce seeds and how planting those seeds in new locations grows new plants.”

That said, this is all about exploration rather than a game with specific goals: it’s about rolling around (and bouncing!) trying out the 30 plants and flowers that are available to plant, as well as uncovering a few surprises around the planet.

The controls are simple enough: kids tilt the device to roll left and right, and tap the screen to shrink Shu before releasing to send her jumping in the air. Seeds are collected automatically, then shaken off by – yep – shaking the device.

We love the idea, and the look and feel (and sounds) of the game. We think your children will too.

Shu’s Garden costs £1.99 for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, and £1.62 for Android from the Google Play store.