iSee123 – A  Counting Adventure is a nicely animated interactive app that would be a good choice to introduce number recognition. Text, narration, numbers, and animation are incorporated together to help kids learn their numbers and count from 1 to 10. The music and ocean sounds make the animated scenes peaceful and relaxing to watch. 

I am really impressed by the unique aquatic animals chosen, making it stand  apart from the usual barnyard-themed  applications.  My son (aged 2 1/2) has known his numbers for a long time but is still engaged.  He quickly found the section of this app where he could just watch the animations and went through all 10 of them again, sitting quietly.  

Although great for number recognition as well as being beautiful and creative, many of the animations don’t alone lend themselves well to counting.  Before the animation begins, I would like to be able to touch and to count each animal as the narrator counts for me, and then the animation should start.  Having said this, I still recommend this app because of the peaceful sounds and intriguing animal choices. 

Animals, By Age Range, By App Feature, Counting, Math, Preschool, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

“Animals’ World” is an interactive book app which introduces you to the sights, sounds, and other facts about animals.  Learn where these animals live by looking at a 3D globe,  or see how large they are in comparison to an average male adult. Tap on the animals to hear the noises they make.  You have the option of enlarging in order to see more detail as well. There are over 60 animals in Animals’ World, and I find the sheer number to choose from  impressive. 

My son enjoyed scrolling through the animals, tapping them to hear their noises.  I showed him the other choices too, and he enjoyed making them bigger, but the other features did not grab his attention.  My husband, however, did enjoy the globe and scale.

I think kids of all ages will like this app, but they need to be older than my son (2 1/2) to fully enjoy it. I wish there was narration to explain more about what’s going on in the globe and scale areas to engage younger children. It’s probably best for grade school and up. 

Animals, By Age Range, By App Feature, Preschool, Primary School, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

“Sound Shaker” is a really exciting sound game from Tickle Tap Apps. There are six different sounds to choose from including the flute, drum, and farm animal sounds.  I really enjoyed giving my 2 1/2 year old  son the phone and watch his face as he explored this app. He soon discovered on his own that you can make balls bounce around the page, making sounds when they knock into each other. He was delighted when he realized you could tap longer to make the ball grow bigger, the sound and color changing as well. If you keep tapping the same ball, it cracks open and becomes a chick that flies away. The look on his face the first time this happened was priceless.  I like the cause-and-effect this game teaches and how every time we play with this game, it is different. This app, as well as other Tickle Tap Apps are worth checking out.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Music, Preschool, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers

The storybook application “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” is based on the original book by Theodor Geisel – most commonly known as Dr. Seuss. As with many of Seuss’ early books, there isn’t much “story” to this story, yet the clever, poetic lyrics and fantastical creatures aptly capture the imagination and wonderment of readers of all ages. For early readers, “One Fish…” keeps their attention through clever rhyme and offers lessons through word association and word comprehension. Further, the design of this colorful ebook application reinforces these lessons by highlighting words as they are narrated. Also, when objects are touched, they are identified by both spoken and written word. I appreciate how this application has a lot of movement with panning across each page for a more detailed look at different illustrations. The original artwork and text by Seuss work well in the iPhone/Touch format, and even better on the iPad. I was thrilled to learn it’s a two-in-one deal, since the one application works for both the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad.

Animals, By Age Range, By App Feature, Counting, Creativity, Just For Fun, Language, Phonics, Preschool, Primary School, Reading, Reviews, Sounds, Stories, Toddlers

“Animal Hide & Seek Adventure HD” is an application that bridges the gap between simple peekaboo and more advanced seek-and-find games. If your little one enjoys playing hide and seek games, this app might be a fun one to try. The premise is straightforward – find the animals that are hiding within each scene. When each creature is found, you’re rewarded by each animal’s playful tricks. The app offers a lot of variety with three adventures/themes that include the jungle, ocean, and circus. Within each adventure, there are four scenes, and there are a total of 15 animals represented. I found the music both intriguing and enjoyable; the intro music has an upbeat, honky-tonk rhythm and beat, and each scene has music that offers a jazzy, suspenseful mood. The graphics are crisp and vivid – just what you’d expect from an iPad application – and the illustrations are colorful and artfully-executed. My son loves to shout out the name or sound of each animal as he finds them. This app is a winner for toddlers and young kids.

Animals, By Age Range, By App Feature, Just For Fun, Preschool, Reviews, Sounds, 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

My son and I eagerly await each new Kidztory animated storybook application by Stepworks and we have them all. We’ve been hooked ever since we discovered their first ebook release which is an adaptation of the story of the “Little Red Hen”. Most of the Stepworks stories have followed a similar formula – the same style of illustration, narration, animated features, and soundtrack. We’ve been happy with all releases but we were delighted to discover that their latest publication “Face Time with Mage Nuttimugs” offers something new. It has a fresh story full of rhythm and rhyme, new animated features, funky music and sound effects, and you can personalize the story with a photo of your choice. Once you select a photo and scale it, it’s inserted throughout the story and appears warped differently each time. It’s a jolly-good time, and the goofy photos are complemented by the offbeat sounds and music. My son likes to imitate the sounds when he touches the animated characters and he’s intrigued by many of the new words he hears; I can see the wheels turning in his head as he engages the book. He also thinks it’s the silliest book of all and he can’t stop giggling as we scroll through the pages. Many thanks, Stepworks. I’m happy to say… you’ve nailed it…. again.

By Age Range, By App Feature, Creativity, Just For Fun, Phonics, Preschool, Primary School, Reading, Reviews, Sounds, 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

If you’re searching for a seek-and-find game for the toddler set, look no further. The application “Where’s Gumbo?” takes players on an adventure to find a lost dog named Gumbo and along the way offers learning opportunities and chances for discovery. To illustrate, the narrator asks the player “Is he (Gumbo) behind the tractor? Nooooo! That’s a horse! Neigh!” This application – designed for toddlers – combines the suspense of the peekaboo game with the satisfaction of object and animal identification, to create a fun and educational game. The app is easy to understand and navigate, the pictures are clean and colorful with animated features that catch the eye and add interest, and the child narrators speak to the player in adorable and delightful voices. The newest version of “Where’s Gumbo?” offers the option to personalize the experience by adding a picture of your own pet… so now, instead of Gumbo, my little guy can search for our beloved dog Scraps. Now that’s a rockin’ good toddler time!

Animals, By App Feature, Preschool, Reviews, Sounds, Toddlers