Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

My Favorite Preschool Apps and a GIVEAWAY!!!

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I recently had the opportunity to review a great new book that is out called iPad Apps For Kids for Dummies. It contains very detailed reviews of over 200 apps and it has been REALLY fun to flip through. I actually made a video of 7 apps that we are currently using, largely thanks to this book. At the iTunes app store I have spent roughly the price of a ticket to the movies and have received in return enough entertainment for Darah for a LONG time! Check out my review and see if you discover any new finds! I bet you will!

Win it!: Here’s your chance to win a copy of iPad Apps For Kids For Dummies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Thank you to For Dummies for sponsoring this review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Overwhelmed by iPad Apps for Kids? Help is On the Way!

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I recently asked readers to name their children’s favorite apps. I was really amazed to see that there were very few duplicate responses. In other words, there were as many different “favorite” apps as there were respondents!

I almost completely rely on bloggers to showcase great new apps that I should consider. If it isn’t blogged about, it is really hard for it to come up on my radar. iPad Apps for Kids for Dummies

That’s a shame, because I’m definitely missing out on some great stuff! Over the past week, I’ve been thumbing through a REALLY helpful book and I have all sorts of apps on my wishlist now. The book is called iPad Apps For Kids For Dummies. It categorizes apps by subject and by age range and gives you full color examples of what the app will look like.

iPad apps for kids for dumies inside

This book also has some great tips for using the iPad with kids, such as how to set a password lock so that your kids cannot grab the iPad and get into who knows what without you even knowing that got online.

I’m also amazed at how much detail the reviewer goes into for each app. I feel as though I get enough helpful information to really understand if purchasing the app makes sense for my family. While apps tend not to be very expensive purchases, they most definitely can add up, and throwing away $1.99 stops sitting well with you after you do it a few times!

iPad Apps For Kids For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) is bargain priced on Amazon at just $11.29. It will help you save at least that much money on apps that turn out to be duds, and it will show you tons of apps you’ve never heard of but that you will want to purchase!

How do you find apps for your kids? Read blog reviews? Rely on recommendations from friends? Stumble upon them in the iTunes store?

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

The First App I Downloaded with My New Phone: Chug the Bug Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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We recently upgraded our phones from the ancient iPhone 3 to the iPhone 4s. We’re still one phone behind the cutting edge, but we’re ok with that. This latest upgrade was HUGE, though (hello, Siri!). And after a lengthy absence from the latest and greatest apps, I now feel back in the game.

There’s one app, in particular, that was first on my list to download. It’s from Kids Play Books and it is a 3D story app designed for kids ages pre-k to elementary. It’s called Chug the Bug: Chug Makes New Friends. 

Any parent with a smartphone knows that there is no shortage of apps for kids out there. That’s both really fun and also really overwhelming. How do you know which ones are worth the money? I personally tend to rely on recommendations from bloggers I trust. With that said, I am careful with the apps I recommend since I know people are counting on me to tell it like it is.

And to tell it like it is, I’d say that this app is a winner.

The illustrations are lovely, the 3D component is REALLY fun (for kids and adults, alike!). The story is appropriately interactive for younger kids (meaning that there are fun things to tap on, but not a ridiculous amount of things as I have seen on some apps…that draws you away from the story, in my opinion).

In the story, Chug heads off to school to learn a lot of great things, including what kind of bug he is! He befriends lots of other bugs (making this PERFECT for any kid who is into bugs!). They set off on an adventure together and have a few scary (but not too scary) moments along the way. The story demonstrates cooperation and problem solving at a level that will resonate with young kids.

In addition to the app which I reviewed and which retails for $4.99, Chug the Bug is also available as an e-book which can be read on an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac or Kindle Fire and retails for just $2.99.

If you have an early reader in your home who loves new apps, I definitely think you should give this one a try. It’s unique, well-written, beautifully illustrated, and will provide lots of fun!

Win it!: FOUR Stuff Parents Need readers are going to win your choice of the app code or the ebook code for Chug the Bug!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Thanks to Kids Play Books for sponsoring this post and providing codes for the review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

 

Quickly Find the Best Apps for Kids with WeWantApps

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Please enjoy this guest post brought to you by WeWantApps. This is such an awesome tool for parents with smart phones! 

Have you endlessly scrolled through hundreds of Apps in order to find the best Apps for your kids?  Having experienced this problem ourselves, we came up with the idea for developing WeWantApps! It’s a great new FREE App for your iPhone and iPad and it helps parents find the best Apps for their children quickly and easily. Download now FOR FREE under:http://itunes.apple.com/app/id539933442

It’s designed especially for parents of young children (0-14 years old) and allows them to easily find trustworthy apps suitable for their children. WeWantApps! was setup with a user friendly interface in mind so you can easily select criteria like the age of your child, the App category, language, platform and price and by simply hitting “Search!” the App will display the results of the relevant Apps that you were looking for. Each App has been independently approved for their appropriate child-friendly content and for reaching our quality standard requirements by our dedicated and qualified team so you can be assured each and every App is truly outstanding.

With this in mind we also look to inspire parents by our daily app recommendation! This in-App recommendation is handpicked by our team so that parents will easily find the best Apps out there. The cool features don’t end there! The best thing is that you can even share your favorite Apps with other parents and see what’s most popular among them! Mark the Apps you like, view the Apps liked by others and follow users with similar interests!

We put a lot of love and effort into WeWantApps! and we truly believe it will soon be one of your most trusted and central Apps.

 

Get Your Kids Interested in Jazz: A Jazzy Day App Just Released!

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Got a minute? Then check out this great video that previews an app that is perfect for kids ages 3-8.

This is a really cool, interactive and fun story that teaches kids SO MUCH about music and musical instruments, specifically through the lens of jazz. Your children will join in with two kittens and their father as they visit a Jazz Big Band and learn more about the sounds each instrument in the band makes. In addition to the great story, there are also wonderful game features that help continue the learning. Kids can test the aural and visual knowledge as it relates to various musical instruments.

Don’t just take my word for it, though. This app recently won the Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award for 2012. That’s no small feat in the world of apps! Additionally, it has been featured in the “New and Noteworthy” and “Staff Favorites” Education section of the iTunes app store. It’s getting a lot of well-deserved recognition!

A Jazzy Day can be downloaded on the iPh0ne, the iPad or the iPod touch and is available for $4.99 in the U.S.

Disclosure: Special thanks to The Melody Book for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Sandra Boynton and Beatrix Potter Apps (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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I think it is fair to say that I have seen my fair share of apps for children. At last count, I think we had around 25 apps on the iPad that were just for Darah. I’ve seen a few bad apps (poor design, not much fun, etc.) and I’ve seen LOTS of high quality apps that engage the reader and help little ones learn while they play.

But I’ve NEVER seen apps like what is being put out by Loud Crow Interactive. They have put out 2 Sandra Boynton classics (The Going to Bed Book and Moo Baa La La La). They also have The Tail of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter.

I’m almost at a loss for words for how to describe the technology used to bring these books to life. For the Beatrix Potter books, you should know that they are quite long (which is a good thing for little ones who are ready for a longer story). And page after page has the gorgeous illustrations we’ve come to expect from a Beatrix Potter tale. Only these apps have other features you might not be expecting. For example, the characters on many pages can be touched and dragged to make the slide, tilt or spring. Additionally, there are objects that pop out of the page to give a 3-D effect (no glasses needed!). When Tim and I first read through one of these books, we both erupted in applause when we got to the end. DEAD SERIOUS. Has a children’s app ever made to cheer out loud? Didn’t think so…

Here’s a video that shows you what the app is like:

The Sandra Boynton books also have the ability to click and drag some of the characters. And they have other really precious features. One of my favorites is a moment when lots of animals are crowded around a sink, brushing teeth. You can turn on the hot water and watch the page fill up with steam, which you can then wipe off. Ha! One thing I appreciate about these apps is that they bring a new life to the Boynton books, which most parents really love, but grow tired of after time (not because they aren’t wonderful, but after reading a board book 200 times, you get a little bored, yourself!).

Buy it!: All of these books are available through iTunes. Start at the Loud Crow site to learn more about each option. Pricing starts at just $1.99 for the iPhone, and goes up to $4.99 for the PopOut books on the iPad (SO worth it, by the way).

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win one Beatrix Potter app and one Sandra Boynton app of your choice! Woo hoo! The contest will run until June 29th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me which two apps you would like to win, and choose wisely, as you will get what you select!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Loud Crow Interactive on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received complimentary apps for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Coloring App: iCrayonMaker

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When I was a little girl, one of the career ambitions I had was to be a color crayon creator. I wanted to invent new colors for Crayola and also name them. Think about it: somebody out there has that job. For real. Frankly, I’d still like to have that job.

Coloring App

coloring app And now I sort of do! There’s a fabulous new app out called iCrayonMaker, and yeah, perhaps it is designed for kids, but let me tell you, I’m having lots of fun with it! With this app you get to custom create different crayons and then build your own personal crayon box. You guys wouldn’t believe the fabulous blue gray color I’ve already whipped up. It’s positively dreamy and I want to color my whole house with it! Not really joking, folks…

As part of the app, you can color with your crayon, and use it in crayon, felt marker or glitter, which makes the final product look even more awesome. Darah and I have been working on shapes, numbers and a few basic words (we’re doing that teach your baby to read program…too early to tell if it really works).

This app is available on the iPhone and also has a version for the iPad, which we especially love. The iPad becomes a giant canvas to be filled with swirls and squiggles. You can save your masterpieces as wallpaper or email them to yourself or others. What a fabulous (and paper-free) way to capture your little one’s artwork!

Get it!: iCrayonMaker has a free version that you most definitely should download! You can upgrade to the full version for just .99! GREAT BUY!!!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: FIVE lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will win the iCrayonMaker app (full version, of course!). The contest will run until February 8th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winners will have 48 hours to respond to notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: In honor of my fabulous iCrayonMaker color that I want on my walls, tell me what color you love to have on your walls (it could already be there, or it could be one that you’d like to put there!).

My answer: Besides my beloved new blue-grey color, I also loved this color we had in our old house. It was called chocolate froth, and if you can imagine what the bubbles from a chocolate milk look like right after you mix it up, that was the color! Gorgeous!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Download the iCrayonMaker lite version and tell me what you think!
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.