Category Archives: FREE apps (for a limited time)

0

Bug Games HD

|

bug games

Singing crickets! Bug Games HD is FREE for a limited time. This super cute educational app for preschoolers has 4 sections: Cricket Concert, Bee Word Builder, Ant Tunnel Builder, and Spider Dot-to-Dot. In the Cricket Concert section, kids can select a song to hear the crickets sing together or they can tap on each cricket to play the song on their own. In Bee Word Builder, kids hear the phonic pronunciation of individual letters as they use them to put words together. Ant Tunnel Builder requires kids to rotate puzzle pieces so that the ants can march through a completed tunnel. Spider Dot-to-Dot has kids connecting dots in numerical order. Kids collect sticker rewards along the way. This app has a nice combination of learning games for preschoolers – cute, fun, & engaging! Who knew playing with bugs could be so much fun 🙂

Bug Games HD - by Busy Bee Studios - Busy Bee Studios

0

ABC House

|

FREE again – ABC House for the iPhone/iPad introduces your toddler (3 – 5) to 60+ everyday things through sight, sound, and touch. This educational 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 where kids may iron a shirt, clean with a duster, open drawers, etc. The child can scroll to the left for additional pictures and videos about each object.

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 review of ABC Wildlife by the same developers 🙂

Recommended!

ABC House - everyday objects with pictures, sounds and videos for kids - Peapod Labs LLC

0

Toca Hair Salon 2

|

Toca Hair 2

5,905 reviews can’t be wrong so you don’t want to miss this one. Toca Hair Salon 2, a creative educational app, is on sale for only $.99. This app is the sequel to the original – Toca Hair Salon. In this app, kids go back into the salon to groom NEW characters in this app. Using the tools in the salon, they cut hair, comb it, curl it, straighten it, make it grow, shave it, color it, etc. Great sound effects are also included in this fantastically fun app. Kids or parents can take a photo of the finished creation and save it to the camera roll. If parents wish, creations may be posted on the Toca Boca Facebook page. The developers have also built-in options to turn off sounds, pictures, and news. What a great springboard for creative writing – give a character a whole new look and write a story to go with it. Use this app to inspire creative writing on Wacky Hair Day!!

Toca Hair Salon 2 - Toca Boca AB

0

Lullaby Piano Book

|

lullaby

FREE for a limited time – Lullaby Piano Book, an educational app for your budding pianist! The app’s keyboard has 13 sounds. There is a learn mode and a play mode. In the learn mode, kids are guided (note by note) through the songs. In the play mode, the notes are provided but kids are on their own. I wish the app also included an autoplay so kids could hear the song before attempting to play it. The app features cute cartoon characters and 6 songs that kids love – Hickory Dickory Dock, Mary Had A Little Lamb, It’s Raining, It’s Pouring, Eensy Weensy Spider, Three Blind Mice, and  Do Re Mi. This educational app is designed for both iPhone and iPad. 

Lullaby Piano Book - BelugaBloo

0

Montessori Numberland HD

|

Numberland

Montessori Numberland HD – FREE today. This educational app helps young children (ages 3 – 5) learn the numbers from 0 – 9. The app consists of 10 interactive scenes which are meant to be explored. For instance – the number 7 is a beach scene with 7 umbrellas, 7 palm trees, 7 shells, 7 balls, 7 crabs. As they explore, kids learn the name of the number, how to write the number, and how to count to that number. The app uses number rods to help kids understand the concept of quantity. There is also an opportunity for kids to practice writing and counting numbers on their own. And… kids can create artwork, practice numbers, etc. in the “draw” section of the app then take a photo to share! Ready to learn the numbers in a different language? The app can be switched to English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, or Spanish. Featured in Apple’s “New & Noteworthy”, this educational app does a nice job of helping young kids learn and understand numbers.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/montessori-numberland-hd/id388154228?mt=8&uo=4

0

Avokiddo Emotions – Playful learning for kids

|

Emotions

FREE for a limited time – Avokiddo Emotions – Playful learning for kid. This educational app for kids of all ages explores emotions in a playful way. The app features a zany zebra, a shy sheep, and a jolly giraffe. KIds dress them up, feed them, share toys with them, etc. using 100+ unique props – hats, glasses, clothing, toys, musical instruments, food & drinks. Educational benefits include: learning to read body language, developing empathy for the characters’ feelings, building spoken/written language to go with the emotions & physical reactions, exploring cause and effect relationships, making predictions, and more. Certain accessories trigger themed backgrounds and accompanying silliness that is sure to bring smiles! Kids can save their creations to the camera roll to share in a variety of ways. Older kids can use their creations for creative writing. This app is FABULOUS – fun for toddlers and beyond. Highly recommended!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avokiddo-emotions-playful/id661758013?mt=8&uo=4

0

Play Lab

|

Paly LabPlay Lab is another educational app from the developers of Play 123, the #2 FREE educational app in the U.S. Kids 2+ learn about shapes, colors, and numbers in a playful way. The app includes 6 interactive games with the option to purchase 12 additional games. Kids will enjoy making a robot with shapes, blasting walls by tapping numbers, turning a wheel to create colored bubbles, and more! The language of the app can be set to English, Japanese, Korean, or simplified Chinese. Just go into your iPad’s settings > apps > Play Lab. The app is simple but appealing & engaging. It is definitely worth downloading – your little one will be delighted!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/play-lab/id520743222?mt=8&uo=4

0

MakeChange – Money counting math game for iPad

|

Make Change

MakeChange – Money counting math game for iPad was FREE yesterday but is now back up to $1.99. This educational app provides great practice for kids learning to count money – U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, or Euros. KIds are given an amount and they must count out money to reach that amount. They can use bills & coins or coins only. Coins can be flipped with a tap so that both sides can be learned. There is an option to have the amount tallied to guide kids who are just learning. The level of difficulty can also be set – from ‘Up to 10 cents” to “Up to 5 dollars.” There are 9 background choices. The piggy bank one is my favorite – really cute. 🙂 This educational app teaches counting money not making change (as the name implies). Regardless, it gives kids lots of much-needed practice!

Common Core Standard:

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

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/makechange-money-counting/id368509937?mt=8&uo=4

0

Too Noisy

|

Too Noisy is a FREE noise meter for iPhone/iPad. It measures the level of noise in a room and graphically displays whether it is at an acceptable level or not. If the level is acceptable, a smiling face is displayed. If the noise level increases beyond a level of acceptability, the graphic changes to indicate that the noise level is NOT acceptable. In the settings, a teacher/adult can adjust the sensitivity of the meter to go with the activity. A testing situation could be set at a 99% sensitivity level and group work could be set at a much lower sensitivity level. The meter worked when I tried it but, I was not in a large room with a group of kids. I would think that the FREE version is worth a try to see if it works for your situation. There is also a PRO version available for $.99. By using an Apple Digital AV adapter or a VGA adapter, Too Noisy can be projected on a TV or monitor so kids can learn what noise level is acceptable – cool idea! Another great FREE educational app!

Too Noisy - Walsall Academy

0

Art ABC

|

art abc

FREE again, Art ABC for the iPhone/iPad. Like all alphabet books, this educational app teaches kids the names & sounds of each letter. What makes it unique is that it also incorporates famous works of art. Each letter of the alphabet is presented on a fine art background. There is also a hidden object (with the featured letter) in the background. Kids explore the page by tapping to reveal each object – each in a different way! The app also contains a list of all the famous art included in the app – titles, artists, nationality, medium used, year, and location of the painting. This educational app could also be used with older students in art class. Nicely done!!

ART ABC - hwa pyung song