The iMums have compiled a list of some of our favorite family friendly apps to share with you – and really hope that you will enjoy them. Please come by and visit us at w w w.t h e i m u m s . c o m and subscribe to our we ekly newsletter. We hope to “se e” you so on! My Playhome by Shimon Young “My PlayHome brings the dollhouse into the digital age by offering an entire virtual home, complete with an adorable family of five that kids can explore and interact with. Now a universal app which includes a backyard as well , this app features beautiful hand-drawn illustrations and realistic sounds associated with each interaction. My PlayHome also has a simple user interface very easy for little fingers to control.” Cake Doodle by Shoe the Goose “Cake Doodle by Shoe the Goose is a virtual cake decorating shop. From cracking eggs, sifting in flour, pinching in orange juice, to measuring out vanilla this app will have your child learning how to cook using a recipe. Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, blend the batter and put it into the oven to bake. Once the cake comes out of the oven, the real fun begins. After icing the cake in any variety of colors, you can decorate with fancy tips, pre-made toppers and decorations as well
as put your own photos on the cake.” Magikid Stage by Angell Echo “Magikid Stage by Angell Echo is a creative play app that lets you and your child direct, create, record and playback your own magical stories. As a director, your child can choose a scene, design his stage, select his characters and add his choice of music soundtrack yet still able to change any or all of the selection later. Once he has added his own dramatic narration, dialogue and lots of action in his script, he’s ready to make a live recording of his theater production.”
“As a parent, who has many apps, I would recommend the following”
Toca Kitchen by Toca Boca Toca Kitchen, a universal app from Toca Boca, features the opportunity for children feed four characters that range from a boy and a girl, to a cat and a cow. A variety of foods including: vegetables, meat, fish, fruit and even hay are available in the refrigerator to be chosen by the child. A vegetarian option is also available that removes meat from the refrigerator. The food is removed from the refrigerator, placed on plate in front of the character and then the preparation steps begin. These include using a food processor, cutting, boiling, frying or micro waving the food; the child can do one step or many. Characters react both based on the foods they are presented with, as well as the way it is prepared. If the character does not like the food, the player can simply go back to the refrigerator and choose another food and way of preparation. This app allows
6. Choose apps which help your child enhance their skills in a specific area. My son loves reading books on the iPad because they highlight the words and interact with him when he touches the pictures. I also love that he uses his creative skills to tell me stories about what he sees in the pictures.
1. When downloading a new app, be sure to screen it yourself prior to allowing them to use it. As a parent, grandparent, teacher, therapist, you know your child the best 2. Make using the iPad a family occasion, I was surprised how fast my son picked up on the technology and the things he could do. By using apps as a family we have worked on a variety of skills while keeping him engaged and learning 3. Rotate apps on and off the iPad to allow your children to practice different skills 4. Visit app review sites like The iMums, Moms with Apps and the other app review sites for an opportunity to learn about apps via reviews before you buy. 5. Realize that even if an app looks great in concept, it may not be a perfect fit for your child’s learning style. Lite versions of more expensive apps give you a chance to “try” before you buy to ensure a good fit.
7. Categorize your apps into folders to make them easier to find. You can do this either via iTunes or on your iPad. On the iPad simply hold down an icon until it wiggles – then you can stack them together to make folders. Makes apps much easier to locate and categorize. 8. Think of ways that you can use what you have learned on the iPad and translate it to real life. Using the Shoe the Goose app Cookie Doodle, we make pretend cookies and then we also measure out real life ingredients to make cookies to bake at home. 9. Use technology to interact with your family if they live at a distance. I can’t tell you how much joy my son gets from using Skype to show our long distance family what he is doing and making in pre-school. We try to set up time every week for him to talk with them. It’s amusing because he now thinks that people should be able to “see” when he talks to them from our home phone because of his experiences with Skype. 10. Have regular “turn off technology” nights which mean that you spend time together as a family – even though we have an iPad I still read my son a print book every night just to have time together with him.
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