Stuck on a long flight with a restless toddler?…There’s an app for that!
Waiting in a never-ending line and you forgot to stock the diaper bag with the essentials (you know, paper, crayons, stickers)?…There’s an app for that!
Running out of ideas for indoor fun during our endless winter?…There’s an app for that!
It seems that no matter how hard I resisted introducing digital media to my girls, they can sniff out the location of my iPad in much the same way that a bloodhound can pick up a scent. Seriously. So, recognizing that we live in a digital world (cue Madonna’s “Material Girl” beat), I have embraced the fact that a little screen time isn’t so bad and can in fact perhaps be a lifesaver when stuck on a plane for four hours with two toddlers educational. Here is a list of our favorite apps:
Drawing with Carl: No paper? No problem. No crayons? No problem. Carl to the rescue. This is easily my oldest daughter’s favorite app. It is a drawing app that allows you to “draw”, “paint”, “color”, “stamp” and lots more using a number of different tools. You can even add funny stickers or create silly faces. It automatically saves your artwork and, after entering a childproof security code, allows you to share pieces via email or on social media sites. I have found this app well worth the price (consider it a never-ending box of crayons).
Endless Alphabet: This app has been recommended on a number of parenting sites and is also a favorite in our house. Kids learn their letters and some great vocabulary words by sliding “talking” letters into their respective place in the word. Each word – think words like “Contraption” and “Clumsy”- is represented by a delightful and often humorous illustration to further your little one’s learning.
BeBop Blox: Another great app by Originator, the creators of Endless Alphabet, is BeBop Blox, an interactive building app. Little creatures sing and dance inside blocks that your little one uses to build one of twelve different objects such as an elephant, camel or boat … think tangrams for your iPad. This is a great app for teaching eye-hand coordination.
There’s a Monster at the End of this Book: For those familiar with the physical book of the same name, this is a fun, interactive version. The story is classic and tells the tale of Grover being afraid to get to the end of the book because he has heard there is a monster there … not realizing that he is that monster. In the app version, Grover “reads” the story to your child, who can follow along with the words as they are highlighted and who is prompted to turn pages or perform other tasks such as untying the ropes that Grover has tied in an attempt to prevent the reader from getting to the end of the book.
Tiggly Chef: The Tiggly suite of apps are a relatively recent addition to my iPad, and so far we have really only explored Tiggly Chef. All of the Tiggly apps are meant to be used with magnetic accessories – Tiggly Counts and Tiggly Shapes – but can be played without them as well using finger swipes. Given my oldest’s love of being in the kitchen, this app is right up her alley and has her creating silly concoctions of cucumber slices, peppermint candies, and strawberries. Oh, and it has the added bonus of teaching your little one counting and adding. The best part? All of the Tiggly apps are free.
What are some of your favorite toddler-friendly apps?
