The Latest: FREE Apps and Such

   Ok, I said I had some more things to share so here I am not waiting too long to share! YAY! We had the iPads uncharged and put away for a few weeks. Because, sometimes techno-guilt strikes and we need a break. Well, we pulled them back out. After 1000 updates I went searching for some new games. I hate spending money on games I haven't played around with firsthand so I tend to scour the free lists and do some googling first. Here are the new additions to our iPads for the kids:

Agnitus - Games for Learning

Agnitus - Both girls have gotten into this one. My three year old is flying through all the little games and she finds all the characters to be very amusing. She has no problem navigating and there are plenty of different things to do within this one app so it keeps her little brain busy. Downside: although it is initially free, any additional mini-games cost extra. However, once you see what is available you may not mind spending a few extra bucks on it. There is a really cool curriculum-style system to it and you can even see report cards of the kiddo's progress through each learning component. Go here to see more about what this one is all about. Oh, and P.S. It's also compatible with multiple languages.
Available on:
ipad

ABC Music by Peapod Labs

ABC Music - This is a nice little dictionary style app from Peapod Labs. Instead of sticking with the typical alphabet learning games or a general touch music game they've combined the two into what is essentially an interactive musical encyclopedia. It is chock full of music and simple tasks. Huge plus: words are in English or in Spanish. We aren't a bilingual family but I like to expose my kids to different languages and cultures. I know there are plenty of bilingual families out there that could really get some use out of this feature though. The navigation can seem a little sporadic or random until you get used to it. Every letter links to a pop-up with links to new pages for instruments starting with that letter. If you click the A in "Guitar" it may seem to suddenly take you over to Accordion. This doesn't take long to figure out or get accustomed too. It's a nice introduction to music for younger kids and perhaps a good vocabulary tool for older ones. Go try this one ASAP because it's only free for a limited time!  
Bonus: Go here, scroll down, and download their free printable coloring book.
Available on:
ipad
ipod touch
iphone

Sago Mini Sound Box by Sago Sago

Sound Box - When you search for this one in the app store type in Sago Mini Sound Box. There are tons of apps with variations of the "sound box" name so it's not easy to find that way. This is a very, very simple concept. Sago actually has (what looks to be) three super neat games for young toddlers. Both my kids (3 and almost 2) liked this but it would appeal to the smallest of tablet-wielding littles. My younger definitely liked it more than my older one. Some kids may get bored of it quickly. For whatever reason this game was free. The other two by Sago Sago are currently $1.99 and $0.99. No idea what the reason is for the pricing variation but it is why I only have the Sound Box app.  Anyway, this game is colorful and reactive. It has a very clean layout. It responds to the slightest touch by adding colorful shapes to the screen or manipulating them about. There is a set of 9 different noises to make and it's super easy to go back and forth between the different noises. No doubt though, some of these sounds have the potential to get annoying so fair warning there.
Available on:
ipad
ipod touch
iphone


And finally . . .

PlaySquare by PlaySquare, LLC

PlaySquare - This is another free for a limited time app. It looks like this one may be one heck of a spendy one in the future too. The gist is that all the kid media masterminds (Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, and LeapFrog) have come together with MIT to create what is alleged to be the first "touchable television". Impressive. Read more about that here. Right now this is free and starts out with one VERY interactive episode of Word World (you may or may not be familiar with it but it's what is shown in the image above). Later on new episodes will possibly cost you 1-2 bucks a pop. It's really up to each person individually to decide whether it's worth it. My 3 year old is a fan of Word World (say it five times fast!!) anyway so she was all about this. She dove right into figuring out the word games. I think it has a lot of potential but I'm not sure we'll be doling out all that much on it later since I can manage time to incorporate the proposed lessons for the kids in other ways and let her just enjoy the show(s) on regular TV (errr netflix/DVDs) when it comes down to it. I won't lie though my first thought was "this would be awesome for trips!" add a couple new game-video-episode things on the way there and on the way back. Easy.
Available on:
ipad



I'll post about my findings for us adult people soon! Enjoy!

iKids: Whether or not the littles should be knee-deep in technology

Some people really despise technology in the hands of littles. Hi, I'm one of them. Well, I was . . . before. I'm all about mud pies, wooden blocks, playing in the rain, kick ball, pretending -- the good stuff.

I just can't discount the value of technology. In a progressive sense, my children and all the little humans of their generation are going to be so deep into tech-everything that they may invent a mud pie simulator. I can see it now: "that earthy, fresh mud smell, a spray of immune-strengthening serum, but no mess! includes a free eraser app for you iSuperPhone to clean up the virtual mess".

Really though, don't knock it til you try it. (What a stupid saying, though. Here don't knock drugs before you try 'em. Taste some arsenic. Speed 20 miles over the limit without a seat belt on. Eat triple the amount of recommended trans fat. THEN you can have an opinion). OK, well, at least just go the "not for me" route rather than the "wrongly wrong wrongness" route.

Kids are flexible sponges the size of your average planet waiting to soak up every tid bit of information. Whether they are smashing their hands into earthworm infested brown mud while they attempt to make pies on a concrete-step pretend kitchen or staring bug eyed as they seamlessly manipulate some learning app while they learn ABCs: it's GOOD for them.

It's all about balance.

I want to put in a quick note here too: Think more along the lines of uber upgrades from 90's PC games like Reader Rabbit, Mavis Bacon, Sim City, and Oregon Trail (heck, these need to be made into apps in my very humble opinion), less the touch-screen version of xbox lego star wars or nintendo wii super mario or NFLumpteenthousand for whatever-have-you.

To back up my egregious claims here is a list of my favorite apps for the kiddos:

• Intro To Geography by Montessorium, LLC. 

This one in particular deviates from the jillions of ABC/123 games and gets into an area that tend to be neglected with younger kids: geography. It starts out in a puzzle-style game that gradually includes more countries. Even I learned from playing on this app.

• Elmo Loves ABCs by Sesame Street

Who doesn't love the fuzzy red muppet? Don't lie. Tons of mini-activities keep this app interesting. It is colorful and interactive. Bonus: you can track your child's activity within the app to see what they might be learning. However, if you find Elmo's voice obnoxious you may find yourself temporarily deleting it on occasion.

• Team Umizoomi Math: Zoom Into Numbers HD by Nickelodeon

Math. I hate math but this app will make anyone enjoy it. There is a gradual increase in difficulty as tasks are mastered through the game. It starts with a very simple game to identify numbers and try basic counting. Later on it gets into simple addition. Some people complain that it needs more games to keep it interesting but my kids haven't ever seemed bored of it. 

• PLAY123 by CJ Educations

This app is very cute and very touch-based. Kids draw shapes, manipulate colors, and touch numbers. It's all about these basics. This is probably better for the youngest tech geeks. My 1.5 year old and 3 year old both love it but my 3 year old has it completely figured out and isn't nearly as enamored as my younger girl.