The BBC is to launch a children’s iPlayer app which will be available for kids on Apple and Android devices.

The new service, with the working title "iPlay," will be an on-demand partner to CBBC and CBeebies.

There were over 500 million downloads of children’s content on iPlayer from January to June 2015, the BBC revealed, while 75% of children have access to a tablet.

The new app will give children a personalised menu of their favourite programmes including Blue Peter and Bing.  

The director of BBC Children’s, Alice Webb, said: "It will be their very own BBC iPlayer app making it easy and fun for children to find their favourite CBBC and CBeebies shows and discover new BBC programmes in a safe environment that’s designed just for them."

The BBC has consulted industry experts, academics and children about how to adapt kids television for the digital age. "iPlay" is part of their Big Digital Plan to create fun and interactive content for children.

Overtime Webb said that they would commission new content and interactive formats to go onto "iPlay."

The new app will compete with Netflix's children's offering which is advert free and has a section dedicated to children's shows on their on demand service.

The app is expected to launch next year.