Right around age 2 is when I started letting Toby, Eleanor and Callista have more freedom with my iPad. Before then there were too many arguments and tug-of-war incidents, too much confusion over what the home button did and generally not enough patience – both with apps and each other.
Now, we’ve established a decent concept of sharing and taking turns, and they’re really enjoying their play time with the shiny, happy technology.
Toca Boca is our favorite developer. My favorite of our Toca games is Toca Monsters, in which you prepare food to feed your hideous monster friend. ETC’s favorite Toca apps are the hair salon apps – they love shampooing and washing the characters’ hair and adding accessories.
My two favorite educational apps I’ve downloaded are Make It Pop, which teaches shapes, counting, letters, colors and size descriptions (tiny, medium, big, etc.). You pop popcorn, balloons, bubbles and make fireworks explode. The other is Endless ABC, which has you match letters while teaching each sound. Older children learn to spell, read and define words you won’t find on your average spelling list – belch, rainstorm and lick were three we did tonight.
The PBS app is nice with its oodles of favorite-show episodes, and you readers are familiar with the Yo Gabba Gabba obsession in my house. Peekaboo Barn was the first app they ever learned and loved, and they still love playing it.
Do you like using technology with children? What apps do you recommend?
My two love the cookie/cupcake/cake maker apps. You drag each ingredient into the bowl, stir it, put it in the oven, frost/decorate, etc.
When the hubs and I upgraded our iPhones, we kept our old 3’s and filled them with free apps for the kids to play when we were out and about. They have Innotabs that they play on at home but they are big and bulky for when we are at restaurants, so they get a kick out of putting their “phones” in their pockets to play with while we eat out.
The baking apps sound awesome. Thank you!
My 2 year old loves Tozzle, a puzzle game, and Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, which teaches colors and shapes and stuff.
Ooh, we’re working on shapes. We’ve been stuck on triangle on circle for a while, so maybe a new shapes app will help. Thank you!
My daughter loves KidsDoodle – basically its just a doodle pad but there are different “paint” options. Keeps her busy. She also likes Kids Connect the Dots and Kids Shape Puzzle both by IntelliJoy.
I am going to try the Make it Pop one, thanks!
I need to find a doodle app for them. I’ll check this one out. Thank you!
We like Duck Duck Moose apps. My 3 yo fav is Trucks. You get to wash a car, fix a flat tire, pick up the trash… Its great!
I don’t know if it is an app or just videos, but the Baby Einstein stuff is awesome with my god-daughter. Love!!
I saw your Disney pictures on your twitter feed. We were there 3/4-7. When did you go?
Toddler Teasers is a great app, one of the few I actually paid to upgrade, my two year old has loved it for a few months now. Toddlers Seek & Find Picture Book is fun but it only comes with one free scene, there are three different apps though Little Town, My Animals and Animal Circus so you get three scenes but have to pay for more. Color Drops is fun, Magic Fingers is cool even for me, Kaleidoioscope is neat. Sprout has a cool sand art app but DS isn’t too impressed by that one. Hope this helps someone!