fun apps

I think for those of us moms with fond memories of playing with paper dolls, there's something really lovely about seeing how they're being translated for the tablet age. I love that even on the road, without a pair of scissors, my girls…

If you've ever dreamed of seeing your name in the rolling credits of movies, well, this app doesn't quite do that. But it does let you customize movie clips with your own messages and that in itself is pretty cool. The app is called Perc…

If you've ever laughed at JibJab's hilarious ecards, like this one of the CMP staff at Halloween , you know how funny it is to see your own visage shimmying while dressed like Dracula, or busting a Mummy move. And now that they've entere…

Though I was raised on the original Brothers Grimm stories, which are pretty dark, I was always a little more scared of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk . The whole I smell the blood of an Englishman boomed by a big hairy giant? Yeesh…

There are many instances when I find myself in the car waiting for something -- for a practice to end, for a napping kid to wake up -- and have idle time. It's in these moments that I forgo checking email on my iPhone and opt instead for…

I get excited about great apps for my kids -- and ticked off by the ones that stink -- but I don't usually think too much about the apps' developers. However, as my kids have started to amass an arsenal of apps on my iPad, I keep running…

I've long been a fan of David A. Carter's pop-up books like One Red Dot , ever since my sister, an ardent pop-up lover, introduced me to them years ago. So when I heard that he had helped develop a new app for the iPad, I could only hope…

One of my kids' favorite things to do with the iPad is draw. Actually, one of their favorite things to do anywhere is draw. So I am always looking for fun coloring apps that can keep the artistry flowing, and that I find easier to justif…

When my kids were little, I couldn't wait to take them to see the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, they didn't want to stay up that late, hated the booms and generally made it hard to relax and say my required "oooos" and …

As soon as I could turn my back on my kids with the safety scissors, I knew it was only a matter of time before they decided to give themselves (or each other) a trim. A far better way to scratch their itch to play hairdresser, comes in …

As much as my little ones love to play with my iPhone, my nearly 7 year-old daughter enjoys her fair share of play time, usually with games that I've downloaded for myself. (Who can resist Angry Birds and Tiny Wings ?) So this past week …

Yes, I may be the last person in America to discover the awesomeness that is Tiny Wings , now an essential part of my morning commute. The game is every bit as addictive as Angry Birds, only with less anger and more flying. Can tens of t…

Having just gotten my first iPad a few days ago, I have to hold myself back from loading up on every single app that looks entertaining. But I couldn't resist trying out one new free app that puts the perfect spin on playtime, and it is …

Here's a new twist on the growing market of instant e-Cards--an app that lets you customize an animated message for just about every occasion. Also? It's free The YourCards app has a great selection of video e-cards that your children ar…

We're so thrilled to welcome Lucky Diaz , one of our fave kindie rock artists, as our guest Dads Dig This blogger. He's the father of a beautiful 7 year old daughter and lives in Los Angeles. Like most dads, I usually spend post-bedtime …

It's St. Patrick's Day and we couldn't resist passing along the special holiday-themed edition of our favorite time waster--er, app--Angry Birds. Here, our way too familiar friends go green and get lucky with this special St. Patty's Day…

This weekend on Cool Mom Picks , we uncovered an awesome custom video from Santa , and our readers are going nuts for it. As are our own children. So much so, it would be gross holiday negligence for me not to share it here so even more …

For the past few months, my kids have been obsessed with the Talking Tom Cat app that has them yelling, singing and -- yes -- screaming at a cat who then repeats everything back to them in his own weird voice. Harmless fun but no redeemi…

To say my girls are obsessed with the range of cake, cupcake, Jell-O mold, and cookie making/decorating iPhone apps out there is an understatement. It's like the EZ-Bake Ovens of the smartphone era: So fun for kids, it doesn't even matte…