KidsMag Issue 03 is the third app in a series of interactive, educational apps for iPad, reminiscent of the children’s magazine Highlights.

KidsMag Issue 03 has a lot to offer toddlers, preschoolers and older kids as well. Consisting of 32 pages and over 50 activities, this app provides a nice amount of content that will keep children occupied for a long time.

My four year old son really enjoys this app, as such topics like pirates, the sea and trains are included – subjects that he has much interest in.

Structured like a magazine, one can tap on a cover story that is of interest as well as digitally flip through these pages. An interactive table of contents also allows one to view all the sections at once and then select a page with the tap of a finger.

Nice narration is included, allowing non-readers to enjoy the puzzles, stories, matching sections, pattern completing as well as other activities.

Do note the question mark also found top left of the screen available to explain how to interact with these areas.

I appreciate how many of these games include multiple pages one can gain access to with the shake of the iPad, greatly increasing the content beyond that found in a printed magazine which does not contain extensions of the same activity – be it a hidden object puzzle or sticker scene with a collection of different backgrounds to choose from.

Fans of the other apps in the series will be happy to see that the characters of Teo and Bianca are back. Here they visit the beach with their family. Parents will enjoy how this story is first told within a series of illustrations akin to a simple storyboard with no text or words, allowing children to use their imagination to tell their own story based on what they see. Children can also tap on an image to hear and see this story with included text and narration. Interactive elements such as helping Teo and Bianca pack their bags or tapping areas of a page dedicated to sea life are also included.

Letters and their sounds are also taught, as children are presented with objects found in the sea and are asked to find the item that corresponds to a letter in question – a section my son really enjoyed.

The topic of trains is nicely explored. Children will find a lot to tap on as they learn all about what one would expect to find at a train station and the differences between modern and old-fashioned trains. A highly interactive train dashboard is included, allowing children to tap, press or turn buttons, switches, levers and dials as they look out onto train tracks from the point-of-view of the conductor.

Numbers and shapes are also re-enforced with fun activities, and it is nice to see basic Spanish words introduced, both as nouns found in places like a farm, but also tackling adjectives in a matching game that teaches not only Spanish words, but opposites as well. This app also includes a glossary of Spanish words used in this issue of this magazine.

It is also a nice touch that links to sites about subjects like trains or pirates are also available in case kids want to learn more about these topics. Do shake the iPad to see a full list.

Kids Mag apps contain an abundance of interesting information that can really engage children for quite some time. My son loves these apps, and it is nice to see the same high quality from the first app to the third. I hope KidsMag apps continue to be developed in the future as they are wonderful choices for one’s iPad library.

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