My Son and his iPad. Six App Recommendations and Thoughts.

Hello and Happy Monday!

First of all, look at those eyes! Okay, now we can start.  Before I had my son I looked at other moms who put their children in front of the TV or gave them an iPhone, iPad in a café or restaurant with a skeptical side-eye. “If I ever have a child, I will never ever let him/her play with those things. They need to be entertained otherwise; through the mother or father,” I thought while taking a big sip of my Campari Soda that sat in front of me while I waited for my lunch. 

When I became a new mother, I did not have any thoughts on media use, apps and whatnot anymore. Later, I occasionally loved to read what is going on in the world while I nursed my son to sleep. I rather listened to his breath  however. I just thought I have some time before all these gadgets become of any concern for my son. Well, I was wrong. In a world of virtually living on our iPhones I clearly underestimated the power it would have on Petit Joel. He was/is more than aware of what is going on. Babies mimic their parents and of course when seeing us with the gadgets in our hands or pockets all the time, my son wanted to discover what the commotion is all about. Initially, he pressed the on/off button for fun but unlocked the phone in no time. I think he was around eight months old when he fell in love with my iPad mini (that has been transferred into his iPad mini – spoiled son!) and I started to download some educational apps for him. We raise our son bilingual and by now he is fluent in English and German but most of the apps are in English so he can practice while to him I speak German most of the time and my husband is away on mission. 

My son is turning three! in October and I would like to share some apps we currently use and he enjoys. With these apps he learns the alphabet, counting to ten, drawing, shapes, colors and so much more. We are not solely using electrical gadgets obviously, but he can play with them at least once or twice a day. Usually after lunch or dinner. On the other hand, my opinion about this particular mother at the restaurant changed. I always take either my phone or iPad with me when we plan a restaurant visit. You know, it is nice to have the phone charged and ready for those moments when you really need it. Let’s just keep it real, there are just those times when I feel embarrassed when Petit Joel has his tiny tantrums and loses it in public. [Thankfully, this almost never happens!] Mostly and these days, I take my son wherever I have to go during the day. Cafés, lunch dates with friends with a toddler are not a problem but if they do turn into one, I am prepared and have something up my sleeve. With these apps, I keep his attention at bay and they teach him something while I have tea and scones with my friend. 

Dr. Seuss. 

Petit Joel loves this app and it is one of the best book apps I have found so far. There are great Dr. Seuss books for babies and toddlers. My son is a bookworm already and he loves to listen, click on things and discover what comes next. This is an app you can use together with your child and read to him/her/them. Read to him if he cannot read yet but he discovers where he needs to click to find out more. There is also a “Read it Myself” option available. I highly recommend this app. 

TINY HANDS. 

These educational apps all work for my son. He is easily solving 3+ level and has so much fun with it. Kids learn about shapes, stacking things, colors, counting and so much more. Most of the apps are free for the first and second level. Get the app here. 

ZOOPER. 

“Learning the alphabet should be a fun experience, and Zooper ABC Animals has plenty of fun bits to keep kids engaged in the activities offered by the app. Animations and sound effects are maximized to bring a joyful experience. Worth a look if you’ve been looking for an alphabet app that can deliver more than just a list of animals, fruits, and common vocabulary”. Get the app here.

Writing Wizard. 

It is still too early for my son to learn how to write but he loves to play around with his app. “This app trains kids to write more accurately in smaller and longer forms. It features a replay mode and detailed reports to aid parents in monitoring their child’s progress. Parents can create multiple user profiles and add custom words. The latest update has features for accented letters and support for French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish”. Get the app here. 

Intro to Colors. 

“Inspired by Montessori color tablets, the app uses RYB color model to teach kids about primary and secondary colors and basic color mixing. Kids also learn about shades/gradients with the help of musical tones. The app supports several languages including French, German, Spanish, and Chinese”. Get the app here. 

Pepi Doctor. 

My son was terrified of doctors. He was afraid to get injections and stethoscope, ear, nose and eye examinations – forgetaboutit. With this app, he is getting more comfortable about doctor visits. Barely cries. Check-mate! “An adorable role-playing app where kids can play doctor and cure common ailments. Along the way, they learn about hygiene and first aid. The games are intuitive and text-free, suitable for toddlers”. Get the app here. 

Maybe this gives you some inspiration. What toddler apps can you recommend? I would love to hear from you.