Happy Wednesday! I thought I would pop in today and share with you a few of our favorite educational apps for Logan. If you’ve been around here for any length of time, then you know that there is a love of the iPad and apps in our house, especially from the little guy.
While I try to limit Logan’s tablet time, some days are hard. That’s just life, right? So, over time we have developed a collection of educational apps that he loves. I like knowing that during his screen time he is learning something. Plus, it lessens the mom guilt just a bit. So here are our top five kid-approved educational apps for young children.
Endless Learning Academy
This is a fantastic app and probably one of the most well-rounded apps I have come across. It teaches everything from reading to phonetics, to spanish, numbers, and even music. They do a great job of keeping it funny and entertaining. There is a monster theme throughout, and it is not scary monsters but funny ones. I cannot tell you the number of times Logan has been playing this, and he is rolling on the floor laughing.
One of the big things that Logan has learned from this app is an extensive vocabulary. One day he busted out the word “gargantuan, ” and I just sat there stunned for a minute. I asked him he if knew what that word meant and he goes, “Yeah, that something is big!” Then I asked him where he learned it and he told me it was from this game. That is not the first time he has floored me with big words that a four-year-old shouldn’t know or understand.
In short, this app is fantastic! To use and utilize this app, you do have pay for it. There is a free version offered that will give you the opportunity to try it out and see how it works, but it is very limited. There are two payment options. The first one is to pay $6.99 per month. This option is what we do and just cancel it when Logan stops playing for a while but then add it back when he goes back to it or right before we travel. The other payment option is to pay $109.99 for unlimited access. We opted out of this because that seems a bit much for us.
Tiny Hands Apps
This is a series of about eight different apps that teach about sorting, colors, numbers, and puzzles. I stumbled upon these when Logan was about two years old, and he loved them! My favorite thing about them was that they were progressive. Each app has different levels that get harder as your child moves through it.
These were the first educational apps we put on Logan’s iPad. We started with the free version of each of them, and that kept him happy for quite a while. Then he started getting bored and wanted to play the other levels. Eventually, we purchased most of the apps. They run between $2.99 to $3.99 per app and are geared towards children ages 5 and under.
Quick Math Jr
Logan loves numbers, and this game is one that he will go back to time after time. The great thing about this game is that it’s progressive. That means, as your child plays the game, depending on how well they do, the game will get harder or easier. It adjusts for their learning level and helps to push them along as well.
Quick Math Jr teaches basic number skills like number order, adding, and counting in intervals (i.e. 2’s, 5’s). The theme is little monsters, and the fun part about this app is that as your child plays a few games you get pieces of the monster (like eyes, nose, hair, etc.) so that they can create a monster. Logan loves this part!
There is a free version of this app, and honestly, that is all we have ever used. However, if you would like a few more options, there are paid versions. You can pay $9.99 to unlock all the different levels. Alternatively, you can pay $4.99 for each level. Eventually, we may end up paying for this, but right now the free version is plenty and Logan has not gotten bored with it yet!
Read with Fonics
As a parent, teaching my child to read has been a daunting task. I was not sure where to start or what to do at first. Then this app came to my attention, and I was so excited to try it out! Read with Fonics teaches children the phonetic sounds for letters in a fun and creative way.
The best thing about this app is that Logan has learned the sounds of different letters and it has stuck! It is a great resource to help reinforce reading skills. It is also an excellent jumping off point if your child is eager to learn to read. You can learn more about the details and what we loved about this app here.
Read with Fonics can be downloaded and played for free but what is available will be limited. There are a few choices if you opt to pay for it. You can unlock the entire game for a one-time fee of $7.99 or for between $2.99 to $3.99 you can unlock each stage as you need/want them!
Kidloland
Once again, another great app that has a lot packed into it! This app has so much to offer, and it can keep Logan entertained for a while. Kidloland teaches everything from letters to numbers, to shapes, and colors. There are also many songs to help teach and reinforce everything. You can learn more about the details and what we loved about it here.
One of the great things I have noticed is that it is updated with new items all the time. This keeps everything fresh and exciting for little ones. I know that Logan has his favorite games and songs, but he gets excited when he sees new ones added as well.
Kidloland is perfect for all children under 5, especially kids on the younger end. You can try this app for free, but it will be limited. There is a free 7-day trial, so you can test it out before you commit to anything. Otherwise, it is $4.99 a month. I will say that this is a fantastic app, and I thought for sure that Logan would be starting to phase out of it since he is four, but he still surprises me by sitting down and playing it every so often.
There you have it, five of our favorite educational apps that are kid and parent approved. These are the ones that Logan uses the most and loves. I hope if you try any of these, that your little one loves them just as much. They are also perfect for those long car rides! What are some of your favorite educational apps for your kiddos?
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