Ipad Apps for kids

[????]

...any suggestions?

[hazelnunhead]

Toca Boca games are lovely - favourites are the hairdressing one, tea party and doctor.

Montessori apps for letters and counting

Maths bingo

If you do a google for best apps for children I think the Guardian has a list of the top 50, which includes some interactive books.

[ratty]

how old? my 4 yr old son loves a make me a super hero one.

[Pamela78]

My 2 year old loves SoundTouch, Bubbles (by Hog Bay), Magic Piano and FunKey Rhymes. Lots of nice books too.

[jac428]

There are soany to choose from. Toca bocca doctor & train are a favorite, Blue hat/green hat book app, wheels on the bus, old McDonald, I hear ewe, doodle buddy and yes we also let them play angry birds, cut the rope and talking Tom. The last three are designed for older children/adults and downloaded for me but our kids love them too and if the apps are there, chances are you children will find them.

[gebbjane]

My two year old loves the peppa pig and in the night garden apps. Also toddler puzzle shapes, talking tom and wheels on the bus.

[melbourne groover]

I love the Seuss ones, the stories are great and there is a brilliant one called Seuss band that is great for a variety of ages (I quite enjoy it too!).

The Postman Pat has also gone down a treat.

[Damon Baird]

Spot the doodle is good. Basic reading and the doodles are different (gets them to think a little).

Addictive as an adult though!

I also like "Slice It". Good for esitmating area size.

[Fuschia]

World Of goo

Mog

Kids zoodle mode

[melbourne groover]

Kids zoodle is good on the iPhone but has loads of games on android that I can't see on the iPhone, am I missing something?

[Fuschia]

We just watch videos and do drawing

Depends on age of registered child?

[Kes]

my daughter (nearly 3) loves numberleys and morris lessmores flying books her older cousins (5-8) also really liked them

[jollybaby]

Very timely thread - am about to do the Eurostar to Avignon solo with our 21 month old. Any suggestions for the younger toddler?

T

[Knomester]

jollybaby - I am in awe of your solo travelling! We have just been on holiday and a friend recommended the Itsy Bitsy Spider app (which our 22 month old toddler calls 'jump hat'). We kept it as the last resort in our armoury of things to amuse him whilst travelling and he really enjoyed playing it.

[bumpy]

Tickle Finger in the Jungle

Puff The Magic Dragon

The Singing Alphabet

Baby Games - my first shapes

Eric Carle's - My very first App

Kids Love Puzzles

[montassa]

The best one is surely LunchBox - Monkey Preschool Lunchbox.. my daughter has played it non stop for over a year

[MrsLL2b]

Peekaboo is good for prob 12months plus.

The nighty night interactive book is great.

Baby piano also a hit here.

There are quite alot of rubbishy ones that are free but would at least pass a few minutes on a long trip.

[parkview]

I have been reading a lot about brain development recently, and I won't let my children anywhere near an Ipad or PC.

If you are interested, have a look here for example: http://drupal6.allianceforchildhood.org/fools_gold

[buggie]

Bugglet (& I) like the counting bear app - you can set it so that the numbers are randomised & each slide has different objects to count so you can also talk about what their counting as well as how many. Bugglet played this on holiday through our whole meal (she'd eaten already) but typically we interact with her while playing. Not had chance to fully read what Parkview linked to, but surely like TV, moderation & interacting with them while playing/making it a starting point for discussion and play.

Plus, if you need a few mins to have a shower/cook/make an urgent call uninterrupted then the 5mins spent playing it alone is the lesser evil to being a stressed/distracted Mum.

[Sanne Panne]

I read the article, it's very subjective and cliche in my opinion... if you have any common sense it will obviously never get to extremes like those summarised at the end of the core chapter (copied below). It's just an additional toy, a small component of education and play. Especially the argument of children not being allowed to be children anymore (due to the "IT revolution") is so weird... as little as one generation ago children had a lot LESS time to be children. Now they can play for 12 years, climb in trees, read books, go to playgroups, learn football and karate and ballet, be given teddy bear shaped pizza with hidden vegetables and oh, play computer games. It mentions that childhood is the core of human evolution, well we survived for thousands of years and we've never had as much room to be children as now. We are highly adaptable animals. Anyway. It's ok to let your child play Monkey Lunchbox. As long as she also jumps in puddles and plays with other kids. Of course!

This is the summary of the "computers are hazardous" chapter in the article:

WARNING: Computers May Be Hazardous to A Child?s Health

Emphasizing computers in childhood may expose children to the risk of a broad range of

developmental setbacks. Potential hazards include the following:

Physical Hazards

? Musculoskeletal injuries

? Visual strain and myopia

? Obesity and other complications of a sedentary lifestyle

? Possible side effects from toxic emissions and electromagnetic radiation

Emotional and Social Hazards

? Social isolation

? Weakened bonds with teachers

? Lack of self-discipline and self-motivation

? Emotional detachment from community

? Commercial exploitation

Intellectual Hazards

? Lack of creativity

? Stunted imaginations

? Impoverished language and literacy skills

? Poor concentration, attention deficits

? Too little patience for the hard work of learning

? Plagiarism

? Distraction from meaning

Moral Hazards

? Exposure to online violence, pornography, bigotry, and other inappropriate material

? Emphasis on information devoid of ethical and moral context

? Lack of purpose and irresponsibility in seeking and applying knowledge

Yes, all true if you spend 3 hours a day playing games. Letting a toddler play with an iPad now is not going to make him more or less of an addict when he's 8, really. If anything, less, but that's my highly subjective and academically unqualified opinion... :)

[montassa]

Thanks ParkView for your comments - but everything in moderation is the key...

In todays world, technology cannot be ignored- and starving your children of this interaction will only make them hunger for it more and normally behind your back...

Schools are also encouraging all types of media and social interaction and they will eventually have to move on from slate boards to ipads one day

[parkview]

Don't get me wrong - I love computers! But children don't need to know how to use them before they are at least 6 years old. The brain of a young child develops through sensorial exploration, and touching a screen is a very limited sensorial exploration. Of course children won't be damaged by playing the odd game on an Ipad, but I just think it's not necessary and don't ever think your child will miss out if they don't play it. Jumping in puddles and playing in mud is so much more important. Also high quality nurseries do not have computers and they can argue their case and Ofsted accepts it without a problem.

Sorry if it sounded too harsh, but I just get frustrated with all these conmputer games when it comes to young children.

[????]

Thanks everyone some graet pointers.

Parkview you are welcome to your opinion, and that's all it is (no science) but a bit too ramming it down other people's throats methinks. My kids will continue to play computer games (a bit), watch TV (a bit) and jump in muddy puddles (a bit)...I suspect that they'll turn out alright.

Personally I get frustrated with people telling me how to bring up my children based on how they want to bring up theirs.

[Kath Berry]

Hello!

I am so thrilled to share this with you. It's a link to an educational iPad/iPhone app for kids aged between 2 - 4 years old. Featuring all Australian animals, it is totally unique, colourful and fun.

It is the result of several years hard work by my dear friend Danielle Hickie who has personally designed all of the animals and scenery, as well as developed the technical coding behind the app. So celever- especially with a baby!

If keeping your kids quiet for some time interests you, please download it from the app. store (it's FREE!), review and share with friends.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/clever-possums/id540930089?mt=8

Enjoy!!!

KWB

[mumra]

Ministry of letters singing alphabet is wonderful. Love the Nosy Crow versions of Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs as well.