Awesome Apps

As much as outdoor play and chasing around the house with Tonka trucks are a part of our everyday, we also need some quieter activities to bring some sanity. When those activities can also enhance learning it makes it all the better! R&R look forward to the privilege of using our iPad or old iPhones loaded with kid apps. And I look forward to the opportunity to get a few things done while they do!

We like the following applications “apps” for the iPad and iPhones. Hopefully there are similar ones for other devices out there:

In no particular order
1. Bugs and Buttons, $2.99 iTunes Store

This adorable app has a variety of 18 different games within that teach a child how to match, count, sort, and puzzle in a variety of ways. Sorting by putting the correct bugs in the jars; recycling paper, plastic, or metals; or colored buttons into their respective containers.  Guiding ants through mazes, counting butterflies in fields, gathering apples while avoiding bees, squishing bugs, tic-tac-toe with dragonflies and much more! It is a beautiful app coupled with beautiful music that even I don’t mind hearing over and over and over.

2. PBS Kids Video, free (Rory’s favorite)
Short episodes and blurbs from PBS kids shows such as Curious George, Word Girl, Cat in the Hat, Martha Speaks and more. Think mini-netflix without the worry they will watch something you don’t want them to. The videos are streamed and updated frequently. Who doesn’t love PBS kids programming? Need I say more?

…Ok, but I will… two others from PBS: Bert’s Bag, $2.99 for some shaking-fun counting and Count TV, $2.99 with throw-back Sesame Street videos hosted by Count Von Count that freeze for counting interaction. You will not be disappointed!

 

 

 

 

3. Rocket Math or Mathmateer, $.99 iTunes Store

Through addition, subtraction, division, or multiplication, your little pilots will soar their way to the moon by “buying” and building their rocket parts through the money they earned from answering math equations correctly. We like this because it is easy to navigate and a lot of fun to build rockets. My favorite part is that it isn’t a timed math game, so we can take as long as Ryder needs to figure out the equation (they even include a little notepad section if he needs it…right now his fingers and toes help immensely).

4. Rocket Speller, free
Not to be confused with Rocket Math, Rocket Speller is a friendly spelling game that even Rory gets a kick out of. Navigating along with an alien in his UFO, he is learning to identify things – “pelican” “kitten” “egg” etc. Audible letter sounds help users identify the letter order to build the words. Set to either the easy mode, where the user sees the letters to sort back into place, or the harder mode where no hints are given, they help the alien fuel his ship or even build a new one. Not timed, so user can take time building each word.

5. Where’s My Water, free and $.99 version iTunes Store
Not officially a learning game, this app still challenges Ryder to beat each level with slippery fun. Water is held up in a muddy sewer system while an alligator, Swampy, awaits in anticipation for his shower time to commence. Trying to unclog the water, collecting rubber duckies along the way, you will find fun challenges navigating the water to the gator. A fun and unique spin on mazes.

6. Cut the Rope, $.99 iTunes Store

Another puzzle game, this one is filled with fun angles and tight ropes being strategically cut left and right to deliver doughnuts and other yummy goodies to the little monster “Om Nom”. You will be learning physics without even realizing it!

 

 

7. Netflix, app is free but monthly subscription is $9 a month
Netflix has a variety of educational movies and shows that are continually being expanded. A kids section is filled with movies, educational programming, and just plan fun entertainment. From the likes of science filled Beakman’s World (one of my favorites) to the action packed Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends series from the early ’80s (currently Ryder’s favorite series on Netflix). The downside of this app however is that Netflix does not have a way to protect the user from going beyond the kids’ section. I would recommend they password protect navigating away from that section so kids do not accidentally select mature content.

We hope you enjoy an app or two from our list. What are some of your family’s favorites?

“Do you realize if it weren’t for Edison we’d be watching TV by candlelight?” – Al Boliska

 

Photo credit: Google Images