“Mother Goose Reader” is a lovely, content-rich children’s app for the iPad that introduces 20 classic Mother Goose Rhymes to children. Each rhyme is illustrated nicely, and there are a lot of hidden sounds to tap on and games to play, including shape, letter and size sorting, puzzles, memory games and drum pad. The rhymes can both be sung or spoken, and you have the option of doing your own recordings. The text is highlighted as the rhyme is sung/read, making it easy to follow along.

I really enjoy this app because I want my son (2 1/2) to be exposed to these classics. This app does a nice job in reciting the full versions of these rhymes, not just the first verse. My son really enjoys tapping all over the pages looking for the sounds and music. He also loves the hidden games and sometimes asks me to find them for him as soon as he opens up this application, the index of hidden games makes this easy, a nice touch!

I occasionally have mild problems flipping between pages, either doing so accidentally or not knowing where to tap. Grey triangles are sometimes present in the top corners of the screen to aid in page turning, I wish they were always on the screen to be seen.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Matching, Preschool, Puzzle, Reading, Reviews, Shapes, Stories, Toddlers

“Mr. Hat and the Magic Cube” is a new interactive game for children involving kids being transported to a magical world after playing with a mysterious cube. They can’t go home until they help Mr. Hat find the cube’s stolen pieces.

This app combines both animation and games that help teach spelling and vocabulary, counting, matching, dexterity, and puzzles, getting more difficult each time you play. Being plot-heavy for a kids app, “Mr. Hat and the Magic Cube” contains 3D animated video clips rivaling those of serious adult games.

I do think, however, that it takes too long to be able to go home for a children’s game, and I found it to be tiring and a bit frustrating, even for an adult. I like that the app saves your progress, but when you solve the game, I really wish it would start over from the beginning.

Putting these issues aside, I really enjoy the magical world the developers have created. Part Willy Wonka, part Dr. Seuss, this world is trippy and maybe even a little creepy for some parents. I find this refreshing compared to the other soft and fuzzy learning apps we play. I am curious to see what happens in the next “Mr. Hat” application.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Counting, Language, Matching, Math, Phonics, Preschool, Puzzle, Reviews, Spelling

“Pre-K Safari” is an amazing education app, teaching letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. Each activity has a safari theme and is great for kids who love animals. The music has an African beat, the sound quality is high, and I find it relaxing to listen to. Each game is narrated by a friendly hyena who gives praise for the correct answer and lets the player know when the answer is wrong but is always kind and encouraging. You can also track your child’s progress with an achievement screen.

I don’t think I ever taught my son how to use this app. All the activities are very intuitive, and he picked it up very quickly on his own. My son knew all his letters, numbers, shapes, and colors by just over 2 years, and I give this app and ones like it credit for helping him learn these things without any struggle whatsoever. As an adult, I find this app enjoyable as well. The colors game is taught by touching different colored butterflies, and I find their flying around quite lovely. There is also a free lite version to try, but this app is worth much more than $.99.

Animals, By Age Range, By App Feature, Counting, Language, Matching, Preschool, Reviews, Shapes, Toddlers

The wait is FINALLY over and our friends Madera the Monkey and Figaro the Frog have returned… this time to Save The Day! (Duh-da-da daaaa!) “Madera & Figaro Save The Day” is the story of two silly friends who join forces to help their community after a large storm has hit their fair city. Their mission is to help restore the city in time for the big party. An impressive follow-up to publisher Lyn & Line’s first application entitled “The Rescue of Ginger”, this app is supersized with more story, more interactive features, and many more learning opportunities. It’s the most interactive storybook app I’ve experienced yet and provides a perfect symmetry of educational game play and story. It’s a rich source of learning opportunities for young kids including elements that teach sizes, shapes, letters, numbers, colors, and matching. It’s packed full of original interactive features and games, too. Designers have crafted the app so that the sequence of questions are randomized, thereby capturing and keeping the attention of young ones who play this application over and over again. It has vivid HD illustrations that are designed to work on both the iPad and iPhone. What a treat!

Animals, By Age Range, By App Feature, Counting, Language, Matching, Phonics, Preschool, Puzzle, Reading, Reviews, Shapes, Sounds, Spelling, Toddlers

“123 Color” follows the “color-by-numbers” concept used in early childhood education and introduces letters, numbers, and colors to Preschoolers . The main menu has four categories from which to choose. When you touch the book at the top of the page, coloring pages will appear, then you choose the page and begin coloring. At the bottom of the coloring page are the color choices to match up with a number or letter. Touch a color, then match the number or letter in the picture and the color will appear. When the picture is colored correctly, musical notes will float across the screen and play a little jingle. If musical notes are not heard or seen, the colors or matches are incorrect. “123 Color” allows children to keep trying until all numbers or letters match correctly. It’s offered in a number of languages, including English, Spanish, French, and German, and a combo of English-Spanish. The app is well-done, bright, and colorful. The coloring pages are fantastic, and there are many choices within the app. I do hope the publisher decides to add new pages with every update. “123 Color” is also available for the HD iPad

By Age Range, Counting, Creativity, Matching, Phonics, Preschool, Primary School, Puzzle, Reading, Reviews, Toddlers

“Animal Memory” is an educational animal match game that is loads of fun. Within the game there are four choices of animals to choose from including farm, jungle, marine, and insect categories. Each game is timed and the object is to improve your time with each successive game. There are four levels; easy, with two matching pairs, medium, with four matching pairs, hard, with eight matching pairs, and expert, with twelve matching pairs. The graphics are of storybook quality, bright, and colorful, and the musical soundtrack has a pleasant, child-friendly quality. “Animal Memory” is a fantastic game to improve short and long term memory skills. Your kids will love the fact that they can chose an animal category. The perfect age group for this app is from toddler to age 8. Two thumbs up for this game!

Animals, By Age Range, Matching, Preschool, Primary School, Reviews, Toddlers

Ever since we started playing our first “Toddler Teaser” app (Transportation), my son’s vocabulary for things-that-go has burgeoned significantly. He can now recognize most modes of transportation and he’s even invented a few new words like “cuck” which identifies ambiguous car models like SUVs and Jeeps (I know… genius). Well, I thought it was high time we brought a few more nouns into the mix, and since we loved our first Toddler Teaser experience, we purchased the “Bugs” themed version. The formula of this application is like the Transportation version but it’s designed to help children to identify the names of various insects. Each page shows several different bugs and the player is asked to touch the correct option. The narrator encourages the player to keep selecting until the correct insect is identified. Instructions and narration are clear and easy to understand, the pictures are easy to identify, and there are 17 different critters for toddlers to learn. “Toddler Teasers Bugs” doesn’t have many bells and whistles, and it’s a very simple in design and concept, yet it fully embraces my son’s curiosity and helps him to learn about a topic of interest. I can’t wait to hear what new insect names he’ll coin!

Animals, By Age Range, By App Feature, Language, Matching, Preschool, Reading, Reviews, Toddlers

HOW GOOD IS YOUR MEMORY? This game will test just that! Train your brain while you play by watching the computer carefully as it creates sequences for you to repeat. If you make a mistake in the sequence, the game goes back to the beginning. There are four speed modes – normal, fast, faster, and fastest. There are also four sounds to choose from – original, piano, digital, and silent. The silent mode is good to train your brain on visual memorization, however if you combine the sound with the images, you benefit from both visual and audio memorization. “Memory Block” offers excellent early learning skills for new readers. The shape of the computer buttons are colorful and pleasing, and large enough for the littlest fingers. This is a keeper of a game because it has learning benefits for every age. It helps the young ones to develop future skills for reading, and helps the older ones to sharpen memory skills. Remember – our brain is a muscle, so keep working it while having fun!

By Age Range, Counting, Creativity, For Parents, High School +, Matching, Middle School, Preschool, Primary School, Puzzle, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

If you’re a fan of apps by Duck Duck Moose (like the acclaimed “Wheels on the Bus” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider’), then you’ll absolutely flip for the publisher’s newest app. “Fish School” is a toddler/preschooler-based application that’s packed full of age-appropriate lessons and games. Lesson topics include letters, numbers, shapes, and colors; there’s also a matching and “differences” game. Each activity features groups of brilliantly-colorful fish that school together in various patterns for their instruction. The musical accompaniment is delightful classical string instrumentation that offers a high-brow soundtrack to this magical app. I find there’s a plucky playfulness about “Fish School” that makes it equally enjoyable for kids and parents alike. My son enjoys watching the active and ever-changing “fishies”, participating in the “ABC” song, and counting. I’m impressed with how this app has struck a perfect balance of game play and learning opportunities. “Fish School” engages my son’s adventurous, spirited-side, all the while, keeping his attention and interest in learning fundamentals like counting and letters. Admittedly, I have selfish reasons for liking this app. Watching the vibrant fish in the cool, crystalline blue water is like a mini-vacation for this tired Mama. All I need is the sensation of powdery sand beneath my feet and a cold beverage in my hand, and I’ll have the perfect virtual beach escape. Ahhhhh….

By Age Range, By App Feature, Counting, Just For Fun, Language, Matching, Phonics, Preschool, Reviews, Shapes, Sounds, Spelling, Toddlers

“Toddler Teasers Transportation” is the perfect application for young ones who are fixated on things-that-GO. My son is enamored with this app since he’s in a phase where he enthusiastically squeals and points to every truck, car, plane, scooter, and motorcycle he sees. If it has wheels and makes a lot of noise, he’s a happy boy. This app is designed to help children to identify the names of these different vehicles; each page shows several modes of transportation, then the narrator prompts the player to touch the correct option. The correct answer is rewarded with cheering, while an incorrect choice is properly identified and the player is encouraged to try again. The narrator speaks clearly and slowly, the pictures are colorful and easy to identify, and there’s a wide variety of objects to identify. The player doesn’t need to pick the correct object to learn – incorrect selections are identified and the player is given endless turns to get the answer right. The only missing feature to this app is sound effects (i.e. an ambulance siren or a car revving its engine) which are oh-so satisfying sounds for kids. “Toddler Teasers Transportation” is very simple in concept, and is limited in its playing options, however, it fulfills a distinct niche. This app is ideal for kids just learning to speak and read, interested in things-that-go, and just learning to navigate the iPhone/Touch interface.

By App Feature, Matching, Preschool, Reading, Reviews, Science, Toddlers