I’ve been using apps with my kids for about four years now. My husband bought me my iPad for my birthday one year because I was dying to get one in order to use apps to help my then 4-year-old, severely language-delayed daughter with speech therapy. Since then we’ve used iPad apps for kids for all kinds of things, but my very favorites are those that combine learning with fun. Here are my top favorite iPad apps for kids that do just that.
Toca Tea Party by Toca Boca
is a cute little way for your child to have a virtual birthday party. You can play alone or with mom, dad, or siblings and friends. This app lets you choose from 3 types of cake and themed plates so you can set what kind of party you are having. You can set the iPad on the floor and place your favorite friend or stuffed animal on either side of it so that you are serving real-live guests your virtual treats. I love this app because it encourages pretend play and it’s great for kids to play alone or with a parent. If you are working on learning and intentional play (like I was for speech therapy), you can use it to work with your child on following directions (“Please pour me some more tea”, etc.) or on answering questions: ask your child either what they are doing, what they just did. It’s also great for working on sequencing; you can have them walk you through the tea party sequence of events verbally. (“First, I set the plates out, then I cut the cake, then I poured the tea”, etc.) They will have so much fun, they won’t even know they are working on speech!
iWriteWords by giggle lab
This is one of the very best handwriting apps for kids aged preschool and younger. You simply trace letters with your finger using the guided prompts, and are rewarded when you’re done by a cute drawing that kids love. Both of my kids loved this from age 3 and they loved it for a long time. It really helps kids to learn to form letters with their fingers before they are ready for a writing tool, so that the letter shapes are already cemented in their minds. It’s a great little app – simple and sweet!
I Like Books by Grasshopper Apps