I have been meaning to this for a while now but better late than never amiright? Im right.
I'm always trying to find iPhone apps that are toddler friendly. Iv downloaded a fair share and I have come across some real fails but iv also hit upon some really great ones. You may not be down with letting your kid be an iPhone drone but i'm all about it. P has learned a ton from them and this 2 year old works a touch screen like it's nobodies business. And while you may try to avoid your childs interactions with technology, this is what their generation is going to grow up around. By the time they get to elementary school there will probably be an iPad on their supply list. you know:
* #2 Pencils
* Red ball point pen
* Marble notebook
* iPad
* Binder
So in the case that you do hand your child your cell phone while out to dinner so that you may actually eat a meal in peace and have adult conversation, I have compiled a list of handy toddler friendly apps to help you get the job done.
While this app is technically free I would recommend buying the full version. It avoids them constantly clicking on ads and it allows you to have the full version with tons of features. It's essentially a Phone for kids (no way?!) it turns your phone into a kid friendly version. Letting them type letter with out texting your boss, or pressing numbers with out calling back that person whos call you just avoided. It has 'apps' like learning colors, the weather, music, etc.
Although this app is free, if you want to add more books to your shelf you will have to shell out some cash. Each book has an option to read to yourself or have the phone read to you. Each page of the book has features that your child can touch and it makes it interactive. So far some books we have added
Little Red Riding Hood
Vampire Hunter
Cinderella
I want to be a Pirate
The Witches Apprentice
This one is a little pricier but I think worth it. There are 12 'channels' to chose from and each 'channel' has 4 shows. Some are educational, and some are just cute. Peyton loves this app and it's also a good one for younger kids who don't quite have the hand eye coordination to actually play on the phone.
We also use their Scratch a Sketch app
This app is $1.99 and has 5 different games to choose from. This is one of Peyton's favorites. She loves building the train tracks and putting the puzzles together. This one is a little more sensitive and harder to control than others. when she first started using it she would get frustrated about not being able to pick up the pieces but now she is much better.
This is our absolute favorite app. There are tons of puzzles that range from very simple to pretty complex but all doable by my 2 year old. Some of the puzzles even turn into mini games after you complete them. If you place the puzzle piece in the wrong spot too many times a green arrow will appear to help your toddler out. It actually really amazes me how fast she can put these things together.
There is a free version but in my opinion the full version is worth every penny of the $1.99 it costs.
Christmas Themed Apps
In the spirit of Christmas we have added some Santa theme apps to our phones
here are some links to a few silly ones that P seems to enjoy
Toca Hair Salon ~ Cut and grow Santa's hair
Christmas Fun ~ Free, dress santa and a snowman, paint, and sing along to Christmas carols
So there you have it. I hope this helps you narrow down the millions of apps to some that your toddler may actually enjoy. And please let me know if you have found any must haves that I should add to my collection!
