Category Archives: FREE apps (for a limited time)

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My Monster Mayhem

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My Monster Mayhem is an interactive e-book for the iPhone/iPad. I downloaded it on a FREE day but it normally sells for $4.99. It is the story of a little girl and all of the monsters in her house (imagination) that prevent her from doing what her mother asks her to do – turn off lights, not waste dental floss, etc. What her mother doesn’t seem to understand is that she is really a hero! Cute story with animation and interactivity found on almost every page – kids pop bubbles from the bathtub, play tug of war with the Broncus Dentus, etc. Kids also collect hidden monsters on almost every page to unlock puzzles at the end of the story. The reality of the monsters is left open for discussion/interpretation which might not be understood by younger kids. I think this book would be great for kids that are a bit older!

Recommended!

My Monster Mayhem - Digital Leaf

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Kids Shop

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FREE for this weekend only! Kids Shop is another money app for the iPad from the developers of Coin Math – see my previous review. Kids Shop takes off where Coin Math left off by including bills (ones, fives, tens, & twenties) when asking kids to pay for items or make change. 5 levels of shopping and 5 levels of making change make this app suitable for multiple ages. There are hints and voiced instructions for younger learners. Coins can be tapped & turned so that kids can see both the fronts & backs. Kids can also tap and drag coins into groups for easier counting. The only thing that could make this app better is if it kept track a child’s/children’s progress. This app is well done and provides a lot of great practice. Download it today!

Common Core Standard:

  • 2.MD.8 – Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately.

Highly recommended!

Kids Shop - Recession Apps LLC

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Coin Math

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FREE this weekend only – Coin Math for the iPhone/iPad is the best coin app that I have reviewed to date. It teaches kids to recognize, count, add, and make change with U.S. coins. Kids learn to recognize pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars & dollar coins – both front and back. They match the front of coins to their backs. They also match coins to their values. After learning the value of the coins, kids practice counting combinations of coins – two levels. Once kids have learned to count the coins, they learn how to pay for items – 3 levels. Finally, kids learn how to make change –  3 levels. This app is well thought out and teaches about coins in a logical & sequential way. It can be used by kids in grades K – 3 because it has so many levels. The only thing that could make this app better is if it kept track a child’s/children’s progress. Teachers and parents, take note – if you have kids that need to learn/practice using coins, download this app today!

Common Core Standard:

  • 2.MD.8 – Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately.

Highly recommended!

Coin Math - Recession Apps LLC

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Marble Math Junior

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FREE for one day, November 2, 2012  – Marble Math Junior for the iPhone/iPad. Kids solve a variety of math problems as they roll marbles through a series of mazes. There are three levels. Level 1 covers addition to 10, equivalent numbers, sequencing of ordinal and cardinal numbers, and shape recognition. Level 2 covers adding coins to $1.00, addition/subtraction to 20, time to the hour, and comparing/sequencing numbers to 100. Level 3 covers money to $2.00, telling time by 15 min. intervals, fractions (1/2, 1/3, 1/4), multiples (2,3,5,10), addition to 100, and sequencing to 1000. Currency can be customized 5 ways: Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Euro, British pound, & U.S. dollar. Not only does the game supports multiple players but it also allows you to customize specific skills for each player to practice – what a great option! Another great thing about this app  – when a player answers incorrectly, he/she can choose of 3 options: try again, show me, or next problem. Kids earn marbles as they answer correctly and high scores are recorded. Worth downloading!

Common Core Standards met:

  • K.OA.2  – Add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
  • K.CC.2 – Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.
  • 1.OA.6 – Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10.
  • 1.MD.3 – Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks.
  • 2.MD.8 – Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately.
  • 2.OA.1 -Use addition and subtraction within 100

Recommended!

Marble Math Junior - Artgig Studio

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ABC Games – Montessori Phonics-enabled Alphabet

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ABC Games – Montessori Phonics-enabled Alphabet for the iPhone/iPad is FREE for a limited time. It is designed to teach 2 – 5 year olds the letters of the alphabet and their sounds. Kids may explore the alphabet in any order that they wish. There are over 100 animations which correspond to the letters of the alphabet. The 3 words for each letter are pronounced and spelled. The illustrations are animated cartoons. Pages for each letter are uncluttered – simply presented but engaging. The app also has a parent section that shows how often your child has visited each letter. Nicely done!

Common Core Standards met:

  • K.RF.1 – Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. Recognize and name all upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

Recommended!

Interactive ABC HD - Pre-reading for Kids - Kids Academy Company

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Off to Bed

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FREE for a limited time for the iPad – Off to Bed, an interactive e-book for bedtime. The developers of this app describe it as an interactive lullaby dedicated to all the children and parents of the world. And that it is! The music and narrator’s voice are soothing. Each page is beautifully illustrated with the perfect amount of interactivity – enough to make it interesting but not distracting to the story. The story counts down from 5 as a little boy gets ready for bed and enters the world of dreams. Perfect for toddlers, it is very calming and sweet – with giggling clouds, goodnight kisses from cute little creatures, bleating sheep, etc. The Spanish version of this book (¡A la cama!) was featured by Apple in ‘Rewind 2011’ as one of the 5 best apps in the Books Category in Spanish App Store. A lovely bedtime story – download it today!

Highly recommended!

Off to bed! for iPad - DADA Company

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Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Railway

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FREE for the iPad for a limited time, Hero of the Railway is an interactive e-book featuring Thomas and friends. Read, watch, listen and play games with Thomas, Hiro, and other engines in this adventure. This app is so well done – great narration, vibrant & detailed illustrations, wonderful animations. I love all of the attention to detail. For example – as the story progresses, a cute little train on the bottom of the page chugs along. After reading the story there are clips to watch, pictures to paint, jigsaw puzzles, and a matching game. This app is a must for all fans of Thomas and Friends!!

Highly recommended!

Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Railway - HiT Entertainment

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Cars 2 by Disney

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FREE for a limited time – the full version of the Cars 2 game app for iPhone/iPad. Check it out of you have a child who loves the Cars movies! I normally don’t include game apps on my blog but I know too many kids that LOVE the movies and might enjoy the game 🙂

Cars 2 - Disney

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The Great Cookie Thief…A Sesame Street App Starring Cookie Monster

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FREE today for the cookie monsters in your life 🙂 This e-book for the iPhone/iPad normally sells for $2.99. There’s a cookie thief in town and your child becomes an official deputy to help identify him. Words are highlighted as the story is read so that beginning readers can read along. The story is presented in a movie-like format with the text appearing in talk bubbles. Kids tap an arrow on the right to advance to the story to next page/scene (which I wish loaded a bit faster). There are also surprise animations when kids tap the characters. A really nice feature is the Parent Notes section which gives 22 tips on how to use the book with your child. At the end of the story your child can create his/her own wanted poster. Take a picture with your camera or use one from your photo album and let your child decorate it with paints and stickers. Creations can be printed or shared via email, which is a locked option thank you!  My daughter was obsessed with the cookie monster when she was little – she would have loved this app. Worth downloading!

Recommended!

The Great Cookie Thief... A Sesame Street App Starring Cookie Monster - Callaway Digital Arts Inc.

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Crazy Fun Lab: Brain Training for Kids

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This app for FREE for a limited time for iPad. Tickle, the monster, is a very hungry guy! Toddlers (3+) feed him sweets by matching candies, cakes, pastries, etc. Sometimes the objects are rotated, sometimes only 1/2 of the object is shown, sometimes only the object’s shape is shown. This app requires kids to recognize shapes, colors, and sizes which helps them develop the essential skill of visual perception. The game has 4 modes and it increases in difficulty as kids progress. They are to work as quickly as possible with the goal of making 100 correct matches before the timer runs out. My only concern with  this app is what Tickle is eating – all sweets. Other than that, it is a cute app – great graphics, catchy music, intuitive, and easy to play!

Crazy Fun Lab : Brain Training for kids - by Play Toddlers (Free version for iPad) - Play Toddlers