Gube is a collection of over 500 pre-screened YouTube videos, each with no ads, and tagged by age. There’s no shortage of science, episodes of existing children’s programing like Sesame Street, and silly animals. Note that you’ll need a live Internet connection. The preferences let you filter the videos by age group (infant, toddler, pre-school, and grade school). Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Twenty animated routines engage children in counting, from 1 to 20. The art is by Dutch illustrator Caroline Ellerbeck , who also published two Little Golden Books. Options let you switch between 16 languages (Arabic; Chinese; Dutch; French; German; Greek; Italian; Japanese; Lithuanian; Polish; Portuguese; Slovakian; Spanish; Swedish; Swiss German; and English). There is also a free lite version that lets you count to five. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Here’s another solid Duck Duck Moose app. The idea is to present younger children with a narrated question, such as “who is upside down?” They then try to find the correct answer, from eight possible choices. There’s a nice variety of questions and the names of different animals are used (e.g., alligator, cat, chicken, cow, dog, elephant, giraffe, hippo, lion, monkey, mouse, panda, penguin, pig, seal, skunk, walrus, and zebra, as well as an imaginary “squirgle”). Children are also introduced to emotions such as smiling, surprised, crying, angry, and sad; actions such winking, waving, yawning, eating, wagging his tail, and sleeping; positions of backwards and upside down; activities of listening or having a party; sounds such as meow and woof; and attire including wearing a hat, sunglasses, or bowtie. As children play, they can listen to jazz versions of nursery tales. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
The app starts with 10 clearly marked icons, each leading to a set of five or so games. Each has a nature or animal theme. Activities include puzzles, matching, coloring, concentration, hide-and-seek, dot-to-dot, and spot the differences. It is easy to get out of any activity instantly, and there’s plenty to discover. Features include the ability to adjust the sounds. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This app turns your iPad into a limited construction scene, with eight vehicles that start up with a touch, and move forward or backwards with a swipe. Each comes with a specific challenge. For example, with road grader, you have to find some giant tennis balls and push them into a tube. Vehicles include a dump truck, rock handler, hauling tractor, grader, crawler-mounted excavator, telescopic handler, loader, and truck crane. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Designed to expose very young children to Spanish and English, this app lets you build basic Spanish vocabulary as you interact with Lucy (who speaks English) and Carlos (who speaks Spanish). Your goal is to drag and match picture blocks with their spoken English or Spanish counterpart. The starter app is free to download and features Animals. Two additional books, Colors and Numbers, are available as in-app purchases for $1.99 each. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Slip your iPhone or iPod Touch inside this plush holder, and download a free app called Beary Happi. The result? You can turn your iPod Touch or iPhone into a teddy bear. There are ten modes hidden behind the parent options: HappiTaps, Toddler, Nighty Night, Story Time, Sing Along, Peek-a-Boo!, Feeding Time, Rattle & Fun, Sleep and Expressions. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
In the nine-screen presentation, children help Bizzy Bear on the farm, picking apples (dragging and dropping from the tree to a basket), gathering eggs, feeding the pigs and rounding up the lambs into their pen. As in “The Three Little Pigs”, the narration by children is professionally done. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Mix-and-match different heads, bodies and legs of animals, in order to make a match. To change a part, you swipe. As more characters are created, more surprises are revealed: kids can poke animals to hear them roar, chirp or tweet; balls bounce; and a lion helps keep count of his steaks. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This toy delivers a close to endless supply of letter-related skits, stories and-or songs, delivered on a very low-tech black and white LCD screen. It is possible to personalize the content with your child’s name, including customized emails from family and a music playlist. Note, however, that this requires plugging the device into an Internet-connected Mac or Windows computer. This also syncs the device with the Leapfrog’s online Learning Path. Included content includes one story, one email and three songs, and holds up to five stories, ten songs and three emails at a time. Requires 3 AA batteries which are included. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
The contents of this app are based on 26 hand-engraved alphabet prints made by the famous German lithographer Joseph Martin Kronheim (1810-1896). There are three modes: Song, Spinner and Shuffle. The Song mode sings the classic alphabet song with period sound effects and animations. Spinner lets children spin the rattling wheel and test themselves on letters as they come up in random order. In Shuffle, children must reorder the jumbled alphabet by dragging and dropping each letter tile. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This is a peaceful story set to the theme of the night, stars (that twinkle) and owls. There are three modes: Read to me, Read myself, and Auto play. You can touch the screen to launch animated events, such as making the owl’s wings flap, or making the owl blink. There is also a counting game where you touch stars (up to 20) to hear them labeled. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
This Mickey Mouse follows last year’s larger, heavier, gyrating Dance Star Mickey. This time Mickey comes pre-dressed in rock star gear that includes sunglasses and a permanently attached guitar. Other than being able to press his foot to change songs, or his nose to start a tutorial, there are no interactive features. When placed on a flat surface, he kick-steps and can do a “mouska-split: at the end of his act, where he “plays the guitar” with his nose. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Powered by six AA batteries, Let’s Rock Elmo comes with three small plastic instruments, two of which are playable (the drums and tambourine). Elmo’s hands and feet have pressure switches that trigger songs related to the instrument he holds. Other Let’s Rock instruments (sold separately) include a guitar and keyboard. Let’s Rock Elmo can sing six songs and requires six AA batteries (included). Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
VINCI Tab is a custom-made tablet for young children (ages 1 to 4) that comes bundled with a set of custom-made apps. It is easy to hold, thanks to a set of distinctive red handles, and wireless Internet features have been de-activated. The device itself is custom-made, based roughly on the specs of a Samsung Galaxy Tab; powered by an A9 processor running Android. It was designed by Dan Yang, a fiber-optic entrepreneur/parent. Standard features include a 3 megapixel camera (to be used for documenting your child’s growth), volume control, lithium polymer batteries that promise “up to 9 hours” and charge when plugged into your Macintosh or Windows computer via USB port. As of the launch date (August 2011), VINCI’s software library is limited, consisting of two exploration games, three ebooks and about ten songs and videos. These include Baby HaHa’s Explorations in which a child can earn stickers by exploring in seven areas: a baby’s room, a music room, zoo, farm, park, kitchen and aquarium. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Turn your iPad screen into a musical busy box. There are two types of keyboards — one with eight large, colored keys. As a child explores, there are four roller balls that serve as controls to change the pitch or color of the keys. The colors and instrument sounds are spoken (e.g., xylophone, piano, drum set, and saxophone) and a Rainbow Ball changes the colors of the keys. A follow the bouncing ball (in this case floating little stars) mode leads children through simple nursery rhymes. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Peekabook: Find Hidden Fun UFO Characters consists of 10 scenes (Deep Forest, Blue Lake, Country Road and so on). Each scene has aliens tucked behind trees, rocks or other background items. To find the aliens you tap around the screen. After all the characters are found, you get a round of applause, and a new level. Created by PopApp, Bright Colors and Visualizes.com.ua. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Sometimes an app is good because of what it doesn’t do, instead of what it does. Consisting of nothing more than three rows of five brightly colored musical squares, this app turns your iPad screen into a colorful music exploration. The red squares (the top row) make drum sounds, yellow squares (the middle row) play whole-tone piano notes, and blue squares (the bottom) play whole-tone guitar notes. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Shape Builder turns your iPod Touch or iPhone into a self-correcting set of 146 jigsaw puzzles.Now available in both English or Spanish and also for Android devices, the app makes it easy to drag-and-drop pieces into place to make common objects, like musical instruments, dishes, animals, and vehicles. Narration is provided by speech therapist Jill Dews. Content includes 30 Musical instruments with sound effects, 17 Fruits & Vegetables, 37 Animals with sounds, 26 Letters that are sounded out, 20 Numbers and others. Made by Darren Murtha and Chris Lott. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Turn your iPad screen into a musical busy box. There are two types of keyboards — one with eight large, colored keys. As a child explores, there are four roller balls that serve as controls to change the pitch or color of the keys. The colors and instrument sounds are spoken (e.g., xylophone, piano, drum set, and saxophone) and a Rainbow Ball changes the colors of the keys. A follow the bouncing ball (in this case floating little stars) mode leads children through simple nursery rhymes. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Back in the 1940′s, children’s book author Dorothy Kunhardt started putting “real” elements on the pages of her children’s books, like sand paper for a scratchy beard, a mirror, or soft bunny fur for the bunny. Her daughter Edith (for whom the first books were made) went on to expand the concept. The iPad version of “Pat the Bunny” brings the concept to the glass screen. Notable features include page “preview” icons that have replaced the traditional swipe, to turn pages. There are two modes of play: Read and Paint. The Paint mode lets you reveal the hidden colors with large swipes — a nice technique that makes you feel powerful. Read lets you explore interactive elements on each page, including short descriptive lines of text. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
This potty training app, based on the book of the same name by Alona Frankel, is available in both boy and girl versions. Each page has touch and hear labeling. So when you touch the diaper, you hear the word, and see the word highlighted in the story. In the story, Joshua and Prudence learn about different body parts and functions and what the potty is used for. There are two music modes so young children can sing-along to The Potty Song. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Created in Berlin by Heidi Wittlinger, this app starts with a peaceful outside view of a farmhouse during the summertime. As you hear the crickets gently chirping, you can touch seven areas of the scene, where you find an animal that is still awake. Hidden in each scene (but easy to find) is a light switch. Once touched, the scene darkens, and the animals gently settle into their sleeping mode. The sheep snuggles into some straw, the chicks snuggle with their mother, and the dog settles in his doghouse. Once “in bed” the animal can be touched but it stays asleep. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Best described as an “eBoardBook” for babies and toddlers, this is an interactive adaptation of Sandra Boynton’s book for toddlers. Text features include the ability to touch each word to hear it read individually with highlighting, or touch a paragraph marker to hear the entire paragraph, read in context with word highlighting. Pages turn gradually with a swipe. Options include the ability to adjust the background music. You can touch the sun or the moon to toggle between night and day, and each animal makes a sound, or sings in harmony with others. For example, children can fill the page with quacking ducks (each touch equals another duck), or help three pigs sing. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
The content of this app comes from the Ladybird Baby Touch Books (www.ladybird.com). There are four themed areas (Farm, Sea, Animals and Vehicles). There are no preferences, so you can’t adjust the music or get back to the main menu. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Now you can turn your iPhone into a … pretend phone, for your toddler. It also runs just fine on an iPod Touch or iPad. It to help a child memorize important phone numbers such as yours or Grandma’s. A child can also press an “animals” icon to convert each number key into an animal that makes a sound when touched. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
X = Xylophone in this musically themed ebook. Like most children’s eBooks there are three modes: read to me, read it myself and autoplay. A “parents corner” contains company contact information. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Six sorting and memory games are presented by way of animated jellybean characters in this first of a planned series of apps for younger children. In the game, you help the wiggly Jellytoon characters win stickers by completing six minigames including: Flo’s Tidy-up Challenge – shape and color sorting; Inky’s Path Challenge – fine motor skills; Max’s Balloon Challenge – shape recognition; Noodle’s Fruit Challenge – logic; Pip’s Hiding Challenge – observation skills; and Rex’s ice Cream Challenge – counting from 1 to 10. Content includes 30 sticker rewards. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Drill and practice gets a new face, voice and brain, with this updated edition of one of the first robotic learning toys. Powered by three AA batteries (included) the 9 inch tall robot is controlled by inserting one of 30 two sided cards into his belly, covering every letter of the alphabet and numeral up to nine. The cards are color coded on the bottom so Alphie can keep things straight using an optical reader. There are eight possible button combinations so children can make matches (e.g., 2D shapes with 3D shapes; sets with numerals, and so on). The LED screen and light-up mouth gives Alphie a wide range of expressions. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Duck Duck Moose’s fourth app contains two nursery rhymes woven into one app: Baa Baa Black Sheep and Row Your Boat. There are three ways your child can navigate from scene to scene: manually, by swiping or touching; using an arrow button; or selecting autoplay in the preferences to automatically change the scenes. As children explore, they can hunt for four hidden outlines in the pictures. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating, and see why this received our Editor’s Choice Award.
Baby Einstein content comes to your mobile device for the first time in this mixture of short video, and do-it-yourself fact screens in which you can record your own voice and follow links to online purchases. The videos consist of six three minute video segments taken from existing content (Baby Neptune and Baby Beethoven). Each follows the tried-and-true formula of mixing classical music with close ups of interesting objects. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Modeled after the classic See ‘n Say spinner toy, the See ‘n Say app mixes cartoon-like farm animals with clear video of real animals. After you start the App, children see six of the 12 animals (a different selection each time) and can either touch a spinner in the center of the screen to randomly select an animal, or manually turn or “steer” the spinner to an animal they want to see. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.
Recently, the head of public relations from the Baby Einstein Company (owned by Disney) asked if I would take a call from Susan McLain, the General Manager of the Baby Einstein Division. They wanted to find out what I thought about what they called kids and screen time, given the famous rebate issue. The line from the email was: “Given the fact that I’m a children’s technology reviewer and an advocate for screens, was I a friend or a foe to the Baby Einstein concept?”
That’s what led to this post. I certainly don’t like being characterized as an advocate of anything other than developmentally appropriate experiences for children, be they on a screen or off. Regarding Baby Einstein, was I a friend or a foe?
Concentration anyone? This iPhone/iPod touch app delivers a simple game of concentration. Each card shows a picture of an animal, and an associated sound. The object is to try to make a match by touching any two squares. When the squares flip over, the animal displayed makes its sound, and the pictures stay on the screen, a fact that clutters the game. If the animals don’t match, they are flipped back over and you must try again. Subscribers, please log into our database using your password to read the full review along with our rating.