Features Archives - Page 2 of 29

Flying the toddler-friendly skies

By Emily On August 12, 2014 · Add Comment

Our friends over at Duckie Deck just want to make parents’ lives easier. Whether it’s teaching about proper hygiene or helping young kiddos learn to share, their apps are designed with intuitive user interfaces and easy-to-follow early learning concepts. The folks at Duckie Deck also understand the importance of helping children grow off-screen, which is why they’ve devised these very clever resources to help minimize the anxiety of traveling with young ones. I admit – the idea of taking a flight with my two young children is so daunting that I haven’t been on a plane in over 7 years! Even though I couldn’t begin to imagine flying with a toddler, I will say that after seeing what Duckie Deck has created it almost seems like a vacation with the kids would actually be relaxing… Take a look comprehensive infographic with helpful hints for everything [...]

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#5apps: definitely “check out” these library apps

By Emily On July 1, 2014 · Add Comment

We have a very contentious relationship with our local library. The kids love to go, and I love to take them, but inevitably we leave with armfuls of books that somehow never get returned on time. Oh – and then there was the infamous Page Ripping Incident of ’13; the library just added a new kids’ section that I believe was entirely funded by late fees and damaged book payouts from yours truly. For the days when you just don’t want to see your face on a wanted poster behind the checkout desk, “check out” these kids’ library apps (bonus – the pages don’t rip): FarFaria: Downloading this app is free and a monthly subscription is $4, giving kiddos access to over 700 stories with 5 new books added weekly – all which can be accessed if you’re offline. The app is geared for young readers ages [...]

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#5apps: hit the road with these classic road trip apps

By Emily On June 25, 2014 · Add Comment

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#5apps: educational apps that feature popular children’s TV and movie characters

By Emily On June 18, 2014 · Add Comment

I’ve noticed with my own children that apps with recognizable TV & movie characters are much more frequently played (and for longer) than some apps that don’t feature childhood favorites. While Disney apps will pretty much always win in our house over anything else, there are also a ton of really great educational apps that draw on the relatability of popular (non-Disney) children’s programming to engage kiddos and keep them interested in learning. Here’s a list of 5 educational apps that feature popular children’s TV and movie characters (all of which are currently on our family iPad): Care Bears: Wish Upon A Cloud Developers at Budge Studios know how to take a beloved kiddie icon and turn it into an app that encourages creativity and open-ended play, and teaches kiddos about grooming, feeding, and getting dressed. Although the Care Bears have been through many transformations over the years, [...]

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#5apps: these art education apps will boost your kiddo’s creativity

By Emily On June 17, 2014 · Add Comment

Have you ever tried to take your young kids to an art museum? Yeah, me neither – I think we all know how this story would end. One day they’ll be old enough to appreciate the great works of artistic masters but until then I think we’ll stick with iPad apps to boost their creative thinking and educate them on the art world. Here are 5 art education apps that are much more fun than a trip to a stuffy ol’ museum: The Alice App: In this retelling of an age-old classic, Alice becomes interactive and the artwork (which took 4 years to create) is based on the Renaissance period. Besides text and stunning art, the storybook app boasts mind-bending puzzles and fun, engaging surprises on each page. Art Stories Milan – The Sforza Castle: Take a virtual tour of the Milanese Sforza castle. Tour guides [...]

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