my picks for best kid apps...

Lately I have been pretty impressed with the apps I have found for the boys.  We have an old ipad that we have deemed the kids ipad.  We had purchased a leap pad and returned it shortly disappointed.  Ethan's curriculum at his day school has impressed me with the things they start tackling at such an early age...touch point match, sight words, patterns.   My favorite thing about the ipad is they think it's cool to play with and don't realize the learning that is taking place.  However, I do limit screen time {combined tv and ipad} they are allowed each day.  Here are my favorite apps {actual app names} from the App Store:

Sight Words {free}

This app lets you customize the specific sight words your preschooler/school aged kiddo is working on.  You can create "sets" of flashcards that say the word as you touch the word or wait to hear the word once you touch it.  

Counting Lite {free}

This app is great for ages 18 months and up.  It simply places things on the screen such as giraffes as the kid touches each giraffe it counts them and the number that is spoken pops up.  Bennett loves this one!  They can choose easy (fewer items) or hard (10 or more items).

Letter Quiz {free and $}

This one is definitely worth spending a couple dollars on!  It has four different games:  tracing letters, matching upper to lower case letters, flashcards, and picking out a letters from 6 choices.  Both my 4 year old and almost 2 year play with this one frequently.

Shapes {free}

This app verbally states a shape and the kid touches the shape mentioned.  

Little Critter Digital Books {search for these, $15 for collection}

We are huge fans of Mercer Mayer's Little Critter Collection.  These are the perfect first digital book to download!  Each book has three options:  auto play, read it myself, and read to me (kids turn page).  These are great for all ages...Bennett enjoys them and Ethan.  Digital books on your ipad are great for traveling light too!

Dr. Seuss Digital Books {$5 each-$15 bundles}

These are much longer than the Little Critter books, but have the same three options.  They are great.

Goodnight Safari {free or buy $2}

This in an interactive book where you can read alone, have it read to you, or play games.  

The Boynton Collection {$10}

Sandra Boynton Books {Moo Baa La La La, Blue Hat Green Hat, Barnyard Dance, and the Going to Bed Book} are the perfect first digital books for baby and toddler.  They are interactive and yet again a space saver when traveling.  Two options of read it myself or auto play.  

Endless Reader {free or $3 for entire selection}

This app has precious graphics for teaching first words.  A simple word such as "go"  appear on the screen, then scatter.  You have to drag the G to the g  and the o back on the go.  Then a sentence appears and you hear word in a sentence.  

Endless Alphabet {free or $3}

This is the same maker as Endless Reader but focuses just on words, but has longer words such as "hilarioius."  This one too has modern graphics that teach words and word meaning.  Worth the $3!  Bennett is amazing at matching the letters to create words.  I think this app is perfect at building a broader vocabulary.  

Well those are my picks!  Sorry I couldn't figure out how to have a link to the app store for each app, but if you enter the title in bold in the search box...you'll stumble across them.