Category Archives: apps for kids

0

ABC Farm

|

ABC farm

FREE again for a limited time – ABC Farm. This educational app introduces your toddler (3 – 5) to over 50 farm words through sight, sound, and touch. The app opens to a grid arranged in ABC order. Kids can tap on a letter to find objects that begin with that letter or they can tap on a specific object to learn about it. As an object’s photo appears, a child’s voice says the initial letter then reads the name of the object (which appears in writing at the bottom of the screen). A little cartoon person drops down on the left hand side of the screen with a link to a video clip or an interactive scene. The child can scroll to the left for additional pictures and videos about each object. The app also contains “Read To Me” Fun Facts about each farm word featured. The app can be used in English only, Spanish only, or in dual language mode – great for ESL students.

This app needs an internet connection to work because the 100+ videos are actually links from You Tube. They are chosen by Peapod Labs and checked to be interesting and safe for kids. Kids cannot link from this app into other You Tube content. This app is nicely done  – great for building vocabulary and beginning to read/spell words.

Also check out my reviews of ABC Wildlife, ABC House, ABC Music, and ABC Aquarium by the same developers. :)

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abc-farm/id615898597?mt=8&uo=4

0

Monki Animal Builder

|

animal builder

FREE today – Monki Animal Builder, a creative & fun app for kids. Kids use their imaginations to build unique animals. They start cracking open one of 6 eggs. Inside each egg is a different character – each having its own personality. There’s Hairy Ball who is grumpy, Pear who loves to be ticked, Slug who is dreamy, and 3 other interesting animals. Then kids add body parts (over 30 to choose from) and accessories (15 in all) such as a pirate hat, sunglasses, a sombrero. Animations bring everything to life. Kids can save their animals to play with later or share them with kids around the world. They can also save a picture to their device. Saved pictures can be printed and use for creative writing – descriptions, stories, compare/contrast, etc. Whether kids use this app to create, play, save, share, and/or write, it’s sure to bring smiles!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/monki-animal-builder/id836529548?mt=8&uo=4

0

Grandma’s Garden

|

grandmas gardenFREE for a limited time – Grandma’s Garden, an adorable educational app for preschoolers. Kids join dancing grandma in her garden which has just been updated for Easter/Spring. The app features 8 educational games – all thematically linked. Kids will love helping grandma around the garden and they will be learning important math & reading skills as they help. The app also features short videos of real-life gardening. The following concepts are integrated into the games: initial letters, colors, numeral recognition, group recognition, counting, vocabulary, shapes, matching, and more!

I love this app – it seamlessly integrates important educational content into fun thematic games. And, little ones will learn about gardening. I especially like the when Grandma asks for a kiss on the cheek – so cute! Highly recommended.

Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grandmas-garden/id492583468?mt=8&uo=4

0

Rocket Speller Plus

|

rocket plus

Rocket Speller Plus is FREE for a limited time. This spelling/phonics app for the iPad/iPhone is an extended version of the FREE app, Rocket Speller. This educational app reinforces letter names & letter sounds through a fun, 450+ word game. Kids join Zip the alien on an adventure to build a new rocket. As the child successfully progresses through the levels he/she helps Zip choose the rocket pieces that he needs. Once Zip has collected everything, the rocket can be launched from the space pad. The game has 5 levels that become increasingly difficult as spelling skills improve. Level 1 allows you to match & place the letters in any order with audible & visual hints.
 In level 2, letters must be matched/placed in the correct order with audible & visual hints. In Level 3 kids spell simple words (3 – 4 letters) with audible hints adaptive assistance. In level 4 they spell more complex words (5 – 6 letter) with adaptive assistance only. Level 5 has the most difficult words (7-10 letter) with adaptive assistance only. Adaptive assistance senses when the student is struggling and provides help. The app promotes letter recognition, left to right order, awareness of how letters combine to make words, and vocabulary.  Cute, fun, and educational – what’s not to love?

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rocket-speller-plus/id583255132?mt=8&uo=4

0

Nighty Night

|

nighty night

Over 3 million downloads and counting… Nighty Night is FREE again for a limited time. This interactive bedtime app (for kids 1 – 4) has it all – cute animals, sleepy lullaby music, great narration, and fabulous artwork. The artwork is beautifully done by Heidi Wittlinger, an Oscar nominated artist. The story is perfect for your child’s bedtime ritual. Kids help to put 7 sleepy animals to bed by clicking off the lights around the farm thus setting the mood for their own bedtime. 🙂 Six additional animals can be added to the story with in-app purchases. The story can be switched from the winter version to the summer version and it can be changed to 12 different languages – English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. This educational app is really lovely and it has been successful internationally.  It won App of the Year 2011 in the “books category” in Germany & the U.S. It also reached #1 in iPad books in the US, Brazil, Spain, Denmark, Portugal, Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Australia Switzerland and Austria! Love this app!!

Nighty Night! HD – Bedtime stories – Story book for children - Shape Minds and Moving Images GmbH

0

Easter Apps

|

Links to a few FREE Easter apps that I have found – enjoy!!

Bogga Easter

FREE March 22 – 23 – Bogga Easter for kids 2+. Kids look for an egg hidden by the clever Easter bunny. When they find it, they can decorate it & take a picture of it. They can also tap the decorated egg with a magic wand to discover the treats inside. Simple to use for little ones!

Bogga Easter - Boggatap

egg head

FREE this week – Egg Head: Baby Touch and Hear, an adorable app for little ones. Kids tap over 20 different eggs to transform them into egg-headed animals: a busy bee, mooing cow, a floating octopus, a hoppy bunny (of course) and more! Parents can work with their kids to learn the names & sounds of each animal or let them discover on their own. Kids can have fun guessing what animal may appear. There is also a movie mode that permits the littlest iPad users to simply watch. Simple, colorful, and cute – a great app for little ones!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/egg-head-baby-touch-and-hear/id607127533?mt=8&uo=4

Bunnyfur

Bunnyfur’s Easter Eggs – an interactive book for toddlers. Kids help decorate eggs, find hidden eggs, etc. Short but cute!

Bunnyfur's Easter Eggs - Interactive Touch, Inc.

Jasper

Jasper in The Great Easter Egg Race is another adventure of Jasper & Smiley. Fluffy the bunny has hidden eggs all over the house for an Easter egg hunt. The first one to find 5 eggs wins!

Jasper in The Great Easter Egg Race StoryChimes... - Siena Entertainment, LLC

0

Imagination Box

|

FREE for a limited time – Imagination Box, a creative art app for kids. What child doesn’t love creating with play dough? Hours of creative play awaits your child and there is no mess to clean up! It’s perfect for a trip to the doctor, a ride in the car, etc. The app includes 62 pieces of play dough (in 9 colors) including uppercase letters, numbers, and shapes. There are 12 backgrounds available for your child’s creations. Or, you can use your own photos as a background. Make a hat for the family dog or a play dough mustache for grandpa – how fun! There are also 10 markers available in the app adding even more possibilities for creativity. The app could also be used as a take-along “design center” for play dough. Kids could design their creations on the iPad, then actually recreate it with the real stuff. So many possibilities… get it today! 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imagination-box-colors-shapes/id698092635?mt=8&uo=4

0

Caillou Check Up – Doctor’s Office

|

caillou

Kids learn about going to the doctor’s office with Caillou Check Up – Doctor’s Office, an adorable app for toddlers/preschoolers. This educational app has 11 mini-games that will teach your child about his/her next check-up. Four of the activities (check height & weight, tonsil check, follow the stick, & eye check) are included for FREE. The other 7 activities (thermometer, ear check, stethoscope, blood pressure, reflex check, medicine shot, & applying ointment) are available as in-app purchases. The app utilizes a variety of mechanics as kids tap and drag their way through the interactive mini-games. After completing each task, kids are rewarded with a colorful celebration. The app is sure to take the stress out of your child’s next visit to the doctor. No wonder it’s featured by Apple as one of the “Best New Apps & Games.”  🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/caillou-check-up-doctors-office/id772369925?mt=8&uo=4

0

Get Ready for the Lunar Eclipse! – Moon Apps

|

A total lunar eclipse will occur on April 15, 2014. It will be visible in North America, South America, and Australia. Partial eclipse begins at 1:58 am EDT. Total eclipse will begin 3:07 am and last for 77 minutes! Parts of Asia, Africa and Europe will see a partial eclipse.

In honor of this lunar event, here are some “moon apps” to share with your kids. 🙂

Goodnight MoonGoodnight Moon is the digital, interactive version of an all-time favorite story. Written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd in 1947, Goodnight Moon has sold over 4 million copies and has become one of the most beloved bedtime books of all time. Kids help little bunny say goodnight to all the lovely things in the great green room. This educational app features animations and hidden interactions for kids to discover. The cost is $4.99.

Hello to the Moon! - Matchbook Digital LLC

Hello to the MoonHello to the Moon is FREE for a limited time. This gentle bedtime story shares how the moon can make us feel connected to others. Each page has a small animation – a twinkling star, a blinking eye, etc. for kids to discover. Another cute bedtime story!

Hello to the Moon! - Matchbook Digital LLC

moonFREE for the iPhone/iPad, Moon Secrets is a sweet, beautifully illustrated story about the moon told through the eyes of a child. All pages include animations that become interactive when tapped. The story can be enjoyed in three modes: autoplay, read to me, and read by myself. There are also three games at the end of the story – coloring, find the difference, and find hidden objects. This app does include a pop-up ad for PlayTales Gold Bookstore in the middle of the story. You can remove it for $.99. Another cute story for bedtime.

Moon Secrets - Interactive Children´s Book HD - Genera Kids

who stole the moonThis Lite FREE version of the app is really only a preview of this interactive story – specifically the first 6 pages. Who Stole the Moon? is the story of Bertie Brown who loves looking through his bedroom skylight to see the moon. He gets worried one night when he doesn’t see the moon and thinks that someone has stolen it. The full version continues the story from this point on. It also includes games and songs. The preview is beautifully done – great artwork, nice music. It seems like it would make a nice bedtime story – the cost is $4.99.

Download FREE version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/who-stole-moon-free-version/id482612887?mt=8&uo=4

Download full version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/who-stole-moon-interactive/id499296025?mt=8&uo=4

la luna La Luna is an educational app based on Pixar’s Oscar-nominated short film. This app was selected as “Innovative Kids App” in the U.S. for the App Store’s Best of 2013! It includes the full theatrical release of the short film.

La Luna is a beautifully told fable of a young boy coming to age. It features the original artwork of Enrico Casarosa, the film’s director. The app includes 3 ways to enjoy the interactive story – as a short film, an interactive video, or a storybook. Also included is a fascinating “Behind the Scenes” section which explores the process of creation from storyboard to screen. Kids will learn about storyboards, turntables, sound design, visual design, and progression reel. They will love getting a glimpse of the process that Pixar uses to create its movies. And, the story is absolutely magical!

Highly recommended – do not miss this extraordinary app!! The cost is $1.99.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/la-luna-the-story-project/id657554982?mt=8&uo=4

0

Ed Meets the Dentist

|

Ed

FREE again – Ed Meets the Dentist, created by Jeffrey D. Holt DDS (a board certified pediatric dentist). This educational app contains a 7+ minute cartoon about a young rabbit’s first trip to the dentist. It explains the procedures and tools that a child might encounter. The app also includes interactive tools for kids to try out on Ed’s teeth. Very nicely done – this app should help your child be less anxious about his/her visit.

Ed Meets The Dentist - Holt IP Holdings, LLC