Best Kids Apps

The Singing Alphabet

Jamie Pearson — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:12:22 +0000

The Singing Alphabet is a fresh and original app that defies easy categorization.

But if we had to try, we’d say it’s a phonics-based, music-mixing, jamtastic alphabet app.

With 26 friendly letters at your child’s fingertips, he can create an endless number of jazzy musical combinations. If he touches a letter, it sings its phonetic sound in a continuous loop. He can then add letters, make words, or press the “Shh!” button to clear selections.

Why we like it:

It’s so danceable! Also, there are so many varieties of sounds. The “s” sort of sounds like maracas. The “a” sounds like a muted trumpet. The “m” sounds like a Motown backup singer.

We could go on and on…oh, wait. We already have.

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Monkey Math School Sunshine

Jamie Pearson — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:22:55 +0000

Monkey Math School Sunshine (from the creators of the bestselling app Monkey Preschool Lunchbox) partners your child with a frisky monkey as they tackle fun, beach-themed math activities.

There’s simple addition, counting, tracing, and pattern recognition, plus plenty of clams, star fish, crabs, jellyfish and shells.

Why we like it:
Great graphics, varied activities, and a swinging calypso soundtrack? Check.

This fun app has rewards too. Every time your child successfully completes a few levels, she’ll be rewarded with a prize (sea creatures to add to her aquarium).

We also like the way the monkey hoots and flips at correct answers and says “Uh oh!” and shakes his head at wrong ones — it’s gentle, but effective.

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Rainbow Sentences

cpapa — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:16:10 +0000

Rainbow Sentences is an educational language app that teaches students how to form grammatically correct sentences with the help of color cues. Learning nouns, verbs, and prepositions can be intimidating for young writers, but this app makes it fun.

Students have to unscramble the color-coded sentence at the bottom of a picture by dragging the words to their matching color line at the top. After they build their sentence, they can record themselves reading it out loud.

Kids will like that many of the pictures and sentences are a bit kooky: “The shoes are sleeping in the bed.” Well, duh. Don’t shoes always do that?

Why we like it:

For years, teachers have been getting their hands dirty by using good, old-fashioned markers to color cue the “who, what, where and why” parts of a sentence. This app makes it all much easier.

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Win It! Franklin’s Bubble Blaster

Jamie Pearson — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:41:44 +0000

Franklin’s Bubble Blaster is a sweet game for fans of Franklin, that terrapin star of page and screen.

The premise is simple…Franklin’s Aunt’s bubble machine is out of control, so Franklin and your child have to pop them all (there are 25 different varieties, and they’re interactive) before they fill the shop. Pop enough bubbles and you’ll get up to five downloadable Franklin and Friends wallpapers.

Want to try it for free?

How to enter

It’s easy peasy. Just leave a comment below by Tuesday, May 8th, 2012. The next day, we’ll choose 3 people at random and gift this app to them via email.

Please note, only readers in the U.S. will be able to redeem the codes. Please don’t enter if you live elsewhere.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by Best Kids Apps on behalf of the developer. While we are paid to publish the Win It! series, all opinions are our own.

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Trucks

Jamie Pearson — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:10:18 +0000

Trucks is an educational app that allows toddlers and preschoolers to dabble in sequencing, sorting, and problem solving.

Your kids will never realize this, though. They’ll be too busy soaping and rinsing a car they’ve just driven through mud, changing flat tires, and dumping dirt from a dump truck. That is, when they’re not playing with the car and truck parade.

For a car-crazy kid? Nirvana.

Why we like it:
Open-ended, imaginative play. Tongue-in-cheek humor. Cute characters. Mellow music (that can be turned off when you’ve had enough). Intuitive, no reading required gameplay in continuous loops.

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Whale Trail

Jamie Pearson — Tue, 01 May 2012 22:43:35 +0000

Whale Trail is difficult enough and weird enough to appeal to teen audiences. Which is to say, my 12-year-old daughter has mastered it, but I haven’t.

Willow the Whale must leap into the sky to evade the Baron Von Barry. Your kids have to steer him through what is frankly a pretty psychedelic landscape, smashing clouds and collecting bubbles.

Also, your kids will inexplicably meet up with characters who look a lot like the Beatles in Sgt. Pepper. Of course.

Why we like it:
This app really stands out because it is unique, colorful, and positive. The whimsical soundtrack is great too. It’s mostly acoustic, but every once in awhile someone croons, “Whale Trail!” or “I can see my house from here!”.

Told you it was weird.

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Win it! 5th Grade Math

Jamie Pearson — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:58:47 +0000

5th Grade Math: Splash Math Worksheets App targets 5th grade learners. If you’ve got a kid that age under your roof, this is a beautiful thing. The problems and worksheets cover the entire curriculum with a space theme in a fun and interactive way.

There are bubbles to pop, shapes to drag and drop, and even a scratchpad. Whether you’re looking to reinforce what your student is learning this year or review what he learned last year, this is a great way to do it!

(Got younger kids? Check out their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade math apps too.)

Want to try it for free?

How to enter

It’s easy peasy. Just leave a comment below by Tuesday, May 1st, 2012. The next day, we’ll choose 3 people at random and gift this app to them via email.

Please note, only readers in the U.S. will be able to redeem the codes. Please don’t enter if you live elsewhere.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by Best Kids Apps on behalf of the developer. While we are paid to publish the Free App Friday series, all opinions are our own.

Penny Parlor

Jamie Pearson — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:56:17 +0000

Penny Parlor will transport your child to the flashing lights and ringing bells of an old time penny arcade.

The graphics and sound effects are excellent, and if the games are won by just as much luck as skill, so what? That seems pretty realistic to us.

Why we like it:
Kids can choose from four games, American Pro Football, Super Swing Baseball, The Amazing Golf Game, and Smack ‘n’ Whack Cricket. Unlike other sports apps, this one can be played in short bursts. You’ll never have the following conversation with your 4th grader:

YOU: Brush your teeth and get in bed.
YOUR KID: But it’s only the 4th inning!

But enough about me.

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