FREE for a limited time – eggzoo an iPhone/iPad app for toddlers.Kids tap the screen to interact with 4 egg-shaped animals called eggmals. Kids learn the meaning of verbs as they touch, talk to, and sing with the eggmals. Verbs taught are smell, shake, sleep, catch, hit, chase, laugh, jump, spin, play, eat, and fly. The eggmals teach the verbs by acting them out. After three times, kids can record their voice saying the verb and the eggmal responds appropriately. Kids do not have to pronounce the verb exactly to trigger a response. There is also a song for each character that incorporates all three verbs taught by that character. The app is cute for very young kids but it only teaches 12 verbs so it is very short.

First Words is designed for toddlers but would also be appropriate for ESL learners or children with language difficulties. It teaches 90 basic words in 6 categories: animals, vehicles, nature, clothes, at home. The illustrations/animations are colorfully done by Coleen Madden, an illustrator of children’s books. It is simple to use – just pick the category, listen to the word, watch the animation, tap the blinking hand for more animated action, then tap the arrow to move to the next word. In an update it would be great if the app spelled the word – highlighting each letter as it goes. That feature would extend the use of this app to a broader group. I would also like to see the capital letter dropped from front of the word – unless the word is a proper noun. This app is visually appealing & age-appropriate – adorable for little ones!

This app is for the iPhone and iPad. I downloaded it earlier this evening for FREE but it is now listed for $2.99. Check out the lite version to see how it works or keep reading my blog to find out when it becomes FREE again (for a limited time).

Highly Recommended!

Download now for Halloween  – Buildo Museum is a spooky sticker book for kids. The goal of the Buildo series is to get  kids to thinking about creative story telling. Included in the app are 3 scenes inspired by ancient museums with 100 + stickers. Kids can scale, rotate and flip stickers to create a scene for their oral stories. This iPhone/iPad app is FREE for a limited time.

Also FREE for a limited time is Buildo History Sticker Book from the same series.