Category Archives: educational apps for kids

0

ABC Wildlife

|

ABC Wildlife for the iPhone/iPad is FREE again today! The educational app is geared towards 3 – 5 year olds to teach them about 80+ animals. The app opens to a grid arranged in ABC order. Kids can tap on a letter to bring up animals that begin with that letter or they can tap on a specific animal. As an animal’s photo appears, a child’s voice says the initial letter then reads the name of the animal (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 about that animal or an interactive scene. The child can scroll to the left for additional pictures & videos about each animal. There is also an exclamation point to tap on each page that gives an interesting fact about the animal pictured.

This app needs an internet connection to work because the 100+ videos are actually links to You Tube videos. 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 and the facts make it interesting for adults too!

Highly recommended!

ABC Wildlife - Peapod Labs LLC

0

Cookie Next Door – Rainy Days AND Rainy ‘Go Round (the sequel)

|

cookie

Rainy 'Go Round

WOW – here are TWO educational apps that you don’t want to miss!!

FREE again – Cookie Next Door-Rainy Days. This educational app was a choice in the “New & Noteworthy” section of the app store in early February. Kids become storytellers in this animated adventure. Their speech, songs, and rhymes bring Cookie and his friends alive. The app includes a Creative Comic Book, a Voice Over Studio, and an Animated Stage Projector. Creative Comic Book utilizes storyboards to guide kids through the storytelling experience. In the Voice Over Studio, kids can change the pitch of the characters’ voices. As kids tell the story their speech, singing, etc. is transformed into the voices of the characters. Once the story is complete, the Animated Stage turns it into a play with dancing props! This app is very creative, very fun and it’s great for developing oral language skills. I am looking forward to more adventures of Cookie and friends!!

Cookie Next Door – Rainy Go Round is here!! This educational app is also FREE for a limited time. The sequel to Rainy Days, Cookie’s first adventure, this app has the same features – the Creative Comic Book, Voice Over Studio, and Animated Sage projector. The tale continues…

Cookie Next Door ~ Rainy Days - Sabodu LLC Rainy Days          Cookie Next Door ~ Rainy 'Go Round - Sabodu LLC   Rainy ‘Go Round (the sequel)

0

The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare

|

The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare

FREE on July 5 & 6 – The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare, an updated version of the classic fable for 4 – 8 year olds. This fun rendition of the Tortoise and the Hare is set in modern times and told in rhyme. This educational  app has two modes – Read to Me and Read by Myself. The Read to Me mode is professionally narrated. In either mode, kids will enjoy Christina Forshay’s colorful illustrations which fill the pages of this groovy tale. The story also features animations, sound effects, and background music – very nicely put together!

This book would be great to use in a classroom. You could compare and contrast this modern version to the classic tale. The story is also rich with rhyming words. You could use the book full group and identify rhyming twins (look-alike & sound-alike) and rhyming cousins (sound-alike only). Rich in vocabulary, it also makes a great choice for story time! Download it today. 🙂

The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare - BelugaBloo

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

0

Stumpy’s Alphabet Dinner

|

Stumpy

FREE for a limited time – Stumpy’s Alphabet Dinner, an educational app that teaches toddlers/preschoolers the upper case letters of the alphabet. Kids feed Stumpy, a pink hungry monster. In easy mode, kids feed him the letter that matches the one on his belly. In hard mode, kids have to listen for the letter that Stumpy would like to eat. Simple & cute!

Stumpy's Alphabet Dinner - Roo Roo

0

Caspar Babypants Music Time

|

Music Time

Happy Independence Day! To celebrate, Caspar Babypants Music Time is FREE today! Chris Ballew, lead singer of Presidents of the United States, is now playing music for kids. His 6 Caspar Babypants albums include both original and classic songs. The app comes with 12 songs (2 from each album) and the ability to add any Caspar Babypants albums that you already own. You can also purchase more songs on iTunes. Kids can sing along with and/or accompany the songs using a xylophone, guitar, or percussion instruments. The xylophone and guitar are “smart instruments” – the notes change with the song being played. There is also sing/play mode that displays the lyrics and the chords for that kids (young & old) who already play an instrument. This mode has a turtle button to slow things down for kids who are trying to learn. There are so many things to love about this educational app – colorful artwork, upbeat songs, fun ways to interact! Super cute fun for the little ones in your life.

Music teachers, take note (no pun intended) – this app would be great to use in class. Project it onto a large screen for the class to see, pass out the percussion instruments, and jam/sing along!
Caspar Babypants Music Time! - Catnap Apps LLC
0

Smiley Sight Words

|

Smiley Sight Words

FREE for a limited time – Smiley Sight Words. This educational app teaches kids 1,600 common sight words compiled from high frequency lists such as Dolch, Fry, Pinnell-Fountas, UK, and others. Why learn sight words? Over half of the words we read each day are sight words! For early readers, this percentage is much greater. Many of these words do not follow the rules of phonics and/or cannot be represented by pictures. In order to read fluently, students must learn these words “by sight”.

The app is very simple to use. First enter the students’ names and pictures. In the settings you can enter up to 40 students –  perfect for a classroom teacher or an intervention specialist! Next you choose a list of words for each child to work on. There are 40 sets of Smiley Words (the 1000 most frequently used words), 18 sets of Dolch words, 10 sets of Fry words, 10 sets of UK words, 12 sets of AU color-coded words, plus 11 additional sets (upper case letters, lower case letters, number words, color words, etc.). There is also the option of making customized lists by mixing and matching words from other lists within the app. The app is ready to use! It displays one flashcard at a time. Tap the word to hear an American-English pronunciation. Then rate the ability to read the word with a thumbs up or a thumbs down. One concern here: I wish the thumbs down icon could be replaced for those kids that are super sensitive – maybe use a DK for don’t know. To be proficient, 3 thumbs up need to be collected for each word! The app generates a progress report at the end of the session which can be saved to photos. The progress report is stated positively – Thumbs up % Pretty slick! This app makes it easy for teachers to individualize and keep track of their students’ progress. 🙂  One minor concern – I wish the thumbs down icon could be “softened” for those kids that are super sensitive – maybe a DK for don’t know?

Smiley Sight Words™ - 24x7digital LLC

0

Reading Rainbow

|

Reading Rainbow is a library of over 200 books and videos for kids ages 3 – 9. This educational app is FREE to download but requires a subscription ($9.99 per month or $29.99 for 6 months) for full access. Once you subscribe, your children (up to 5 per family) will have unlimited access to the interactive books and video trips. This app is similar to the award-winning Reading Rainbow television series that was on PBS from 1983 – 2006. It even features the same host – Grammy winner, LeVar Burton. In less than a year, over 2.5 million books/video field trips have been viewed with this app!

After installing the app, kids fill out their profile (name, age, kinds of stories they like to read) and may choose one free book from one of the 6 themed island in the sky. The books are professionally read and feature “Read to Me” or “Read on My Own” options. They are lightly animated and include interactive activities that add to the story. A sticker rewards program motivates kids to read. There is also an individualized tracking system so parents can see books selected and minutes read for each child.

I must admit, I downloaded this app because of nostalgia. My kids grew up watching Reading Rainbow and we all loved it. I am happy to say that the appeal of Reading Rainbow today is the same as it was almost 30 years ago – Reading Rainbow provides kids with quality authentic literature. If I had a child/ grandchild (ages 3-9) or if I were still in the classroom, I would subscribe without hesitation. What a fabulous resource!

Highly Recommended!

Reading Rainbow - Reading Rainbow

0

Backyard at Twilight AND Rainy Days and Rainbows

|

Backyard at Twilight

Raiiny Days

FREE for a limited time – 2 Stella & Sam educational apps: Backyard at Twilight and Rainy Days and Rainbows. Stella and Sam apps are based on the television show and the bestselling picture book series by Marie-Louise Gay. The books have been translated into fifteen languages & have sold over one million copies. In Backyard at Twilight, kids play along with Stella, Sam, and their dog Fred as they spend the night camping out in the backyard. They look for bugs, learn about shapes from fireflies, and discover the constellations. In Rainy Days and Rainbows, kids paint with Fred, dig through leaves looking for treasures, and have a pine cone race across Puddle Lake. Beautifully done apps for preschoolers!

Other Stella and Sam Adventures that are available on iTunes for $2.99 each include:  Into the Snow We Go, Cocoons and Caterpillars, Go There Square. Or, you can purchase the Stella and Sam Story Pack which includes all 5 titles for $6.99. All Stella and Sam apps are supported in English and French. You can easily change from English to French/French to English in the app’s settings.

Backyard at Twilight: A Stella and Sam Adventure - zinc Roe   Backyard at Twilight           Rainy Days: A Stella and Sam Adventure - zinc Roe Rainy Days and Rainbows

0

Factor Samurai

|

Factor Samurai

Another educational app, FREE for a limited time – Factor Samurai is a fun game to practice multiplication/division while looking for prime factors. The goal of the game is to cut falling numbers down to their prime numbers. So if the number 14 is on the screen, it would be cut once to become 2 and 7. If the number 18 is on the screen, it would be cut twice – first to 3 and 6 and then the 6 would be cut to 2 and 3. The game has three levels – grasshopper, apprentice, and master. The speed of the falling numbers increases in each level. Once a player has cut 3 numbers that are already prime, the game is over. The score (showing how many numbers were cut down to their prime) is displayed! There is an option to play the game through the Game Center.

One concern I have is that the number 1 is included in the falling numbers and one is NOT a prime number. So… I contacted customer support with my concern and was pleasantly surprised to get a response within 10 minutes! The developer is planning on taking #1 out of the falling numbers with the next update. They anticipate the update to be live by the end of the month (July). Great news 🙂 because this is a fun game that helps kids with an important math standard!

Common Core Standards met:

  • 4.OA.4 Find all factor pairs for a whole number in the range 1–100. Recognize that a whole number is a multiple of each of its factors. Determine whether a given whole number in the range 1–100 is a multiple of a given one-digit number. Determine whether a given whole number in the range 1–100 is prime or composite.

Factor Samurai - Third Rail, LLC