“Mom, I’m bored!” They’re the three most dreaded words of the summer. But with an iPad or smartphone at the ready, your child can have fun and learn at the same time. Combat summer boredom while also keeping your child’s mind engaged with these five kid-friendly educational apps.
Math Bingo
Cost: $0.99
Compatible with: iPad, iPhone and Android
Focuses on: Improving basic math skills, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Why it’s cool: Math Bingo takes a classic game and turns it into a fun, educational experience. The goal is still the same: You must get a pattern of five to win. But here’s the twist – you have to answer a math question right to earn a spot on the bingo card. You can also choose which math function you want to focus on before the game starts. Once school starts, your child will be flying through his math homework and reciting multiplication tables with ease.
Stack the States
Cost: $0.99
Compatible with: iPad and iPhone
Focuses on: Learning the states, their capitals and their geographical location
Why it’s cool: The states come to life and interact with you in this engaging app that teaches U.S. geography. As the app asks you questions about each state, you can move, drop and drag each state to build a pyramid of states. The goal is to reach the checkered line at the top of the screen in order to move to the next level. And the more states you earn, the more games you unlock. If your child loves this app, Stack the Countries is also available for $1.99.
Star Walk
Cost: $2.99
Compatible with: iPad, iPhone and Android
Focuses on: Teaching astronomy through real time images and information about the stars, constellations and planets.
Why it’s cool: This app will get your little stargazer out of the house and exploring the skies (with parent supervision, of course). As you walk, point your iPhone or iPad to the sky, and the app will show you an up-close view of the stars, planets and constellations. The app follows your movement and updates in real time. Also, you can click on the image of a star to learn more information about it. This app is sure to spice up any summer camping trip.
Elmo’s Big Birthday Bash
Cost: $2.99
Compatible with: iPad
Focuses on: Teaching your child how to read, identify definitions of words and match rhyming words.
Why it’s cool: If your child is just learning how to read, this app, featuring everyone’s favorite friendly red monster, is the perfect combination of entertainment and education. This Step into Reading book-turned-app reads aloud to your child as she “flips” through the pages. Elmo and his friends interact with you on each page. You can touch any word to hear it read aloud again, and select vocabulary words provide definitions. Fun learning games focus on practicing upper and lowercase letters, learning letter sounds, matching rhyming words and answering questions about vocabulary words.
Discovery Kids Sharks
Cost: $4.99
Compatible with: iPad
Focuses on: Interesting, comprehensive information about different species of sharks
Why it’s cool: Shark Week can last all summer long with this fun app from Discovery Kids. Your shark enthusiast can learn all about sharks with five interactive games, 30 trading cards he or she can share with friends via email and more than 150 shark facts sprinkled throughout the app. Discovery Kids provides photographs and videos of sharks in their natural environment, all straight from Discovery’s Shark Week files. Your child is sure to be rattling off shark facts for the rest of the summer.
Published July 2013
