Category

Educational Apps

Apps that actually teach your kids something worthwhile.

Some help on 9/11 when your older kids ask "Why?"Best Apps

Some help on 9/11 when your older kids ask "Why?"

My heart is heavy this morning as I prepare to talk to my children about the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and what it means to so many of us. My younger two are easily satisfied with my very honest, but guarded, explanation, but my ten-year…

Best Apps

A back to school sale just for kids' apps

Back to school sales are in full swing which means I can stock up on winter sweaters, coats and boots, even if we won't need them for a few more months. Even better is a great Back-to-School sale on some of our favorite apps for kids tha…

Masterpiece Theater, digital styleBest Apps

Masterpiece Theater, digital style

I get such a kick out of watching my girls get creative--putting on plays, making up songs, doing puppet shows. (Shades of my own childhood!) And now there's an absolutely inventive, wonderful app that let's them do that very thing right…

Keep those preschool brains fresh this summerBest Apps

Keep those preschool brains fresh this summer

We keep hearing about summer brain drain for kids who are on summer vacation. But for those ambitious parents out there who are already eying the Ivy Leagues for their toddlers (oh not you , of course), it's never too early to start maki…

Rocket Math appBest Apps

To infinity and beyond. Or at least to 4+6.

During these long, unscheduled, fun-in-the-sun summer months, I've been on the lookout for some smart apps that keep my kids' brains thinking and not turning into soft serve. That's a big reason why I am so excited about this math app wh…

nerdy baby appBest Apps

Nerdy babies know that B is for binary code

Our first child was born perfect. Ten fingers, ten toes. Still, we had to wait a couple of years to see if she had inherited one very important trait. When she picked up her first lightsaber at age nineteen months, we knew. We had a nerd…

presidents-vs-aliensBest Apps

Teaching the US presidents with the help of aliens

Most of us know that George Washington was the first president and Al Gore was never one, but there are a whole lot of years in the middle there that are not my strong suit. That's why I love a new app that helps my kids and me brush up …

Stack the States appBest Apps

Stack the States and test your geography smarts

Ever since he was a little guy, my six year old has been obsessed with maps, so it was a no-brainer that I'd look for fun apps that capitalize (ha, get it?) on his obsession. What I didn't expect was to find an app that I'd want to play …

New technology turns the page on how kids readBest Apps

New technology turns the page on how kids read

This is a sponsored message from DK Publishing It's an amazing feeling to watch your child develop a love of reading and learning, especially if you've always been a bookworm yourself. But if your son or daughter needs a little more coax…

Jump on the Word Wagon bandwagonBest Apps

Jump on the Word Wagon bandwagon

There are so many kids' apps geared towards teaching letters and phonics and let's be honest, a lot of them suck. But when we hear that developer Duck Duck Moose has got one out, we sit up and take notice. Word Wagon is a very cute kids'…

The coolest way to teach kids the value of a dollarBest Apps

The coolest way to teach kids the value of a dollar

Those of you who are long-time readers of our sister site, Cool Mom Picks , may have heard us rave about Readeez DVDs , which introduce kids to phonics, reading and good music in a way that is fun, playful and effective. Now they have a …

The new PBS website drives the Earth Day message homeBest Apps

The new PBS website drives the Earth Day message home

If I want my kids to celebrate Earth Day every day, it helps if they understand the little issues that all add up to make big changes. In other words: Why I screech when they forget to recycle a piece of paper. (I admit it. I screech.) T…

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow on your iPadBest Apps

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow on your iPad

When my children discovered the Three Little Pigs storybook app on a friend's iPad, I had absolutely zero doubt in my mind that we'd be running home to purchase it that very night. In a word, this app is masterful. Or to use more words, …

3 ways to get kids books on the iPadBest Apps

3 ways to get kids books on the iPad

We're gearing up for our annual family vacation, and instead of loading down our bag with bunch of books for the plane ride and bedtime, I've been loading them up electronically on my iPad. But with so many different options out there, I…

Our review of the ArtRage iPad appBest Apps

ArtRage for iPad. Watercolor 2.0

Art projects are one of our family favorites, but cleaning up, not so much. So I was excited to try Artrage for iPad , an application for virtual painting and drawing. And wow, it is simply wonderful. Related: The mini Monet art app for …