You love your children. You adore your children. You relish every minute you spend with them and enjoy as much family togetherness as possible. Yet, there will inevitably be times when there are things you just must do—even when you’re supposed to be hanging with your kids.
As busy moms, we often feel pressure to do everything for – and be everything to – everyone. Often, even to our detriment (or the detriment of our sanity).
Unfortunately, this sometimes means we must figure out how to keep our kids occupied while we take care of other responsibilities.
Most moms hate the idea of parking their kids in front of the tv – i.e. the “boob tube babysitter.” Yet, sometimes it must be done. The good news is, today, there are many kid-friendly shows and cartoons that provide at least some level of educational value. Let’s call this “Kiducational TV.” Therefore, this helps to eliminate a tab bit of the guilt we feel when we are forced to resort to these measures.
But what if you’re not at home? Or if there is nothing appropriate on the television / DVR at the precise moment when you must be doing something else? Fortunately, we now have mobile apps that are available to us almost anywhere and everywhere.
Furthermore, similar to Kiducational TV, some mobile apps are not only NOT a total waste of time; but they can also be very beneficial to your child’s – or children’s – education and development.
Here are 6 apps that provide value to children, while keeping them entertained at the same time:
Elmo Loves 1, 2, 3’s
Toddlers – Kindergarten Age
This app uses kid-loved Elmo to teach them how to count from 1 to 20. For kids nearing pre-K / Kindergarten, it moves them into simple addition and subtraction. It even teaches them to write their numbers by having them trace them on the screen.
Cookie Monster Challenge
Toddlers – Elementary School Age
Another Sesame Street favorite character Cookie Monster teaches kids the ultra-important behaviors of self-control, focus, and following directions. You can start them young on this app, and it continues to be relevant for kids entering school and even those in the lower elementary school grades. There are nine different levels and as they progress, they earn different pieces of a cookie-making machine.
GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine
Ages 6+
GoldieBlox is a company that’s mission is to inspire girls to become innovators, launched this app for aspiring engineers. Kids get to learn the basics of animation and even create their own 1-second animated GIFs.
The Magic School Bus: Oceans by Scholastic
Ages 6-8
This app is a science lover’s favorite. Teacher Ms. Frizzle and her students go on an aquatic journey throughout this interactive story that incorporates science facts, pictures, games, and videos.
Stack the States
Ages 9 – 11
Learning the states – and geography in general – can be challenging at best. This app makes it fun too! As kids learn the shape of states, names, capitals, and abbreviations, they create a “state stack” to get to the next level. Eventually, they will create a map of the US.
Habitat the Game
Ages 4+
Want to teach your kids to be more environmentally-conscious? Your child gets to adopt a virtual polar bear and then completes basic actions like turning off the lights, conserving water, and more—all to keep their bear healthy.
Source: http://www.parents.com/fun/entertainment/gadgets/best-educational-apps-for-kids/?slideId=26525
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