Chris Crowell is a veteran kindergarten teacher and contributing editor to Children’s Technology Review, a web-based archive of articles and reviews on apps, technology toys and video games. Download a free issue of CTR here.
Top 5 Kids Apps
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1. Math Doodles
Price: $2.99
Age: 5+
Overall rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
Why we like it: Four hand-drawn activities introduce children to powerful underlying mathematical relationships, including unconventional counting systems, such as Braille and binary. The puzzles let you set your own challenge level with the option of a timer.Need to know: The author, Daren Carstens, is an artist and a math enthusiast on a mission to help children discover the magic in numerical relationships.
Ease of use: 9/10
Educational: 10/10
Entertaining: 9/10 -
2. Motion Math: Hungry Guppy
Price: $2.99
Age: 2+
Overall rating: 4.4 out of 5 starsWhy we like it: This is one of those apps you wish you had back when you were a first grader. By combing bubbles, you build a numeral that your fish will eat. The main menu offers four challenge levels, or you can resume from the last-played level. The music is a little repetitive, but you can turn it off.
Need to know: This is the fifth app from the Stanford University-inspired app studio Motion Math; and the second that deals with a hungry fish. You get the entire program for $2.99. Unlike the previous app, the one has no ads.
Ease of use: 8/10
Educational: 10/10
Entertaining: 7/10 -
3. PlaySquare: WordWorld’s Happy Birthday Dog!
Price: Free
Age: 3-6
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 starsWhy we like it: Billing itself as “touchable television,” this app mixes interactive play with TV-quality video, from the PBS show Word World. The result is a solid language experience, with a chance to play with letters and words.
Need to know: The designers include former Nickelodeon TV producers, who have smoothly integrated some great multi-touch features. Sometimes the letters that make up the character’s bodies read from right-to-left instead of left-to-right (from a reading pedagogy view, a minor glitch), but overall, this app succeeded in delivering a playful, child-controlled experience.
Ease of use: 9/10
Educational: 8/10
Entertaining: 9/10 -
4. Punky Dunk and the Gold Fish
Price: $2.99
Age: 3-6
Overall rating: 3.9 out of 5 starsWhy we like it: Somebody made a 100-year-old children’s book into an app, that’s why! The illustrations look old, complete with a shoelace-style binding design. However, the app boasts modern features, such as text with hot spots and read-aloud narration. Plus, you can toggle between Spanish and English.
Need to know: It’s too bad there isn’t more to do and more content to explore. In addition, the page-turning is rough between the first and second pages, which lowered our rating.
Ease of use: 8/10
Educational: 7/10
Entertaining: 8/10 -
5. Wee A B See
Price: $2.99
Age: 2+
Overall rating: 3.6 out of 5 starsWhy we like it: This animal-themed, 26-screen alphabet book looks good and is based on a solid idea: find hidden letters. But some letters are less-than-accurately represented.
Need to know: Some of the interactive hot spots are clever, but touch-responsiveness isn’t always top-notch — tracing letters can be difficult and glitchy. However, you have the ability to toggle the music on/off (which we love).
Ease of use: 7/10
Educational: 7/10
Entertaining: 8/10
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