5 (Free) iPhone Apps Every Parent Should Have
One of the best things we can do as tech-saavy parents is get our kids acclimated early to the wonders of a digital life. I’m not saying kids can’t be kids, but I think it’s pretty darned cool that my 4 year old is the only kid in her class who knows how to work an iPod Touch or bring up web-based games in Safari. At the end of the day, growing up around technology could really give kids a leg up when they get out into the real world. And so, with that in mind, MacApper is proud to suggest five free apps that every parent should share with their kids.
Buddy the Bus offers up a 21st century take on the book-and-record sets we used to get as kids. Back then you’d dig out your Fisher-Price turntable and listen to the narrator read along with the story. Now that we live in “the future,” both audio and book are magically transported as one package in this totally free app. Your kids can pop in their headphones and listen along as Buddy the Bus takes his passengers all over the town.
Baby Flash Cards is, to no ones suprise, exactly what it sounds like. Flash cards are considered by many to be a great way to stimulate a child’s mind. But why shell out $5-$10 for a set of real cards when you can get a fantastic free set right here? The free set included in Baby Flash Cards features a variety of real world objects and animals paired up with their matching words. Cards can be explored alphabetically or randomly, and you can set it so that all the info is on the card at once or the words are hidden until you touch them.
SimpleDraw proves one solid universal truth: kids LOVE coloring. It’s timeless. Give a kid in 12th century Mongolia a crayon and he’ll know what to do with it in seconds. So it should come as no surprise that the one app my 2 year old is always trying to wrestle away my iPod for is the one she calls “COLOR!!” SimpleDraw’s name couldn’t be more accurate. You can select from a handful of colors and brush thicknesses, but asides from that things are kept alarmingly minimalist. Your little one can just put a finger on the screen and go to town.
Children’s Classics let’s you put the tradition of reading with you’re kids right in your pocket. Sure you could ask your child to sit quietly and patiently on that long train trip/airport wait/doctor’s office visit, but wouldn’t it be more fun to break out the bedtime stories in the middle of the afternoon? Children’s Classics offers up 16 classics children’s reads ranging from Pinnochio and Robin Hood to Aesop’s Fables and The Secret Garden. If you find your family is really digging it, make sure to do a search on the AppStore for BeamItDown Software. Not only have they pblished this great collection, but they have a number of other classic family stories like Alice in Wonderland or A Christmas Carol available completely free of charge.
myHomework is an app that every iPhone/iPod toting student should own, and every parent encourage. myHomework lets a child keep track of their class schedule, assignments, tests and other school activities. Even better, it has color coded reminders to let them know when something is about to come due or has missed a deadline. Organization is a cornerstone to success, and what better developmental task to apply this to than the daily juggle of academia?
This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many apps, both paid and free, that prove to be a great resource for parents the world over. What iPhone apps do you share with your kids?
“an app that every iPhone/iPod toting student should own, and every parent encourage.”
If you buy an iPhone for your 4-12 year old, you should be shot in the face.
@no, completely unnecessary comment and you are probably not a parent. As a parent of a 5 and 3yr old, I load a number of these applications on my iPhone, and often share time with them to use them.
ABC Animals, Adventure, Flash Cards, various memory games.
My 3 year old has worked out touchPhysics and even use of levers!!
Also if you look at primary schools, they are now adopting iPod Touch devices in the classroom to enhance learning.
Don’t worry Ian, I think your okay with your 3 year old. ‘No’ only specified that 4-12 year olds should require you being shot in the face. We have one in the oven and I will be trying to get him playing with iphones, laptops and other techy gadgets asap!
[...] [via MacApper] [...]
A lot of people think it’s obnoxious that my 9 year old has an iPhone, but we didn’t exactly go out and get one for her. We had the original phones. Then my husband bought the updated versions, so we hooked one of the older ones up for my daughter. My ex and I are divorced, and my daughter is involved in many activities. It’s a great way for her to stay in touch with me. She has had it over a year and not lost it. She’s a very responsible kid.
Anyone who gets their child an iphone should be shot.There are cheaper phones out there for children,and shoving what they want in their face just spoils them rotten.
I’m 15 and I WORK for my stuff.I have a part time job, and £5 a month pocket money.Yeah,i don’t earn much,and no,i have not got an ipod.I have my mothers 10 year old hand-me-down cell.I pay for 1/3 of my school uniform costs as well.I like it when you work because once you get something,you feel like you DESERVE it.Anyone under 12 who is with an adult 25/8 shouldn’t have a cell anyways.
-Emerald.
Thanks for these great apps! It is difficult to search through everything in the iStore for children apps and this really helped.
I have a grown son and yes technology is great…But i see it everyday children
are not being taught human relationships how to share get along listen talk things
out why talk when you can tech message. Remember like all new toys I call them
it is about big business not human beings and that is why so many kids are killing
and doing some really awful things. The human connection is gone.
Gotta tell you that Buddy the Bus and Children’s Classics are both not free anymore….. They cost .99 cents. As for thinking that if your child has an iphone, they should be shot in the face, you obviously don’t have children.
Cram for the iPhone is also an option. It uses multiple choice testing AND digital flashcards to help prepare students for various types of test material.
@no thinks buying an iPhone for your 4-12 year old is totally unacceptable but shooting someone in the face perfectly acceptable. Sums up his mentality really.
My daughter is just 7 and handles her second iphone with great responsibility, after the accident with the first one, which was not entirely her fault (she very nearly jumped into the turbulent sea after it as our yacht almost broached in heavy seas), we decided she needed at least two, one for home and one for the boat and possibly another for the holiday home in Bulgaria, they have been a great asset to us and probably a good deal cheaper than a babysitter.
PS our son is coming up to three years, any suggestions for a good app to keep him quiet for a couple of hours on his iphone? Cost is not important.
why would a 4 year old need an iphone? well, very very good, thank you for promoting the world of automated people.
I’m 16, and i have an iphone which i pay my mum £35 a month for my own contract, but 10 years ago when i was a small child, my mum and dad had no iphones or computer games to help childrens learning, and i’m an A* student, so im sure its not a neccesity to buy your 3-12 year old an iphone …..
Dress Jinjee – A Children’s App On The iPhone For The Festive Season Which Allows Dressing And Decorating The Gingerbread Man And Sharing It With Loved Ones. Make A Yummy Gingerbread Man – http://www.punflay.com/dress-jinjee-appstore.html
Hope you gift a “Dress Jinjee” to your kid
Check out Molly and the Magic Lolly! With this highly interactive and addictive story book your kid can touch, slide etc. with characters to make the story happen. Also,you can stay on a screen and replay animations….
Available from iTunes: http://itunes.com/apps/MollyAndTheMagicLolly
Check out Playworks free iPhone app for kids Switch http://www.playworks.org/iphone-switch
It’s a great game froma great non-profit organization promoting recess in schools across the country
great application which every children will surely like
We’ve had phones for all four of us for 9 years – since our youngest was just 9. We took flak from everyone. Who cares what they think? We have NO TELEMARKETING phone calls during dinner anymore and haven’t for nearly a decade. I say, if you can afford it – Go for it. The family plans are outstanding value these days and only getting better.
I agree…anyone that gets an IPhone for a 4 yr old should be shot. But it doesnt hurt to share. I share mine with my son and daughter all the time. Plus you can use it as an incentive to finishing homework on time or helping out or as an reward for being good. This doesnt work with PSP’s cuz in their mind your controlling something that is theirs. But with an iphone you have a legitimate reason for calling it yours and you are doing them a favor for letting them use it. So far it’s working out great with my 5 and 9 yr old.
we have developed new fun app for kids!
ABC zoo is a teaching and developing iPhone and iPod touch application for your kids. Easy-to-use on a trip or whenever you are out with your children to amuse or keep them busy. A useful and funny app that lets your kid get used to reading. Your kids will learn alphabet while playing.
available here:
http://www.xoxol.net
Interesting games! my 4 year old loves them,….you should also check out this amazing game called number sense which is a fun way to learn Math! http://punflay.com/number_sense-appstore.html
There are other educative apps as well that will be of great help!
wow. what a handful of very dim people. why would you not want better things for your children? having children learn technology at an early age is just smart common sense and so good for their future. i have a 3 year old and one on the way. the toddler doesn’t have her own phone at all but i have dozens of apps just for her that teach her letters, numbers, how to read and she draws and paints right on the phone too. she draws and paint on paper too but it’s not that convenient on the subway or in the car so the phone is great. she knows how to interact with people. some of the comments on here are just sad. maybe these people want their children to be unemployed or live in barns. great list. doodle buddy is a great app that kids can draw on as well, also free. pac man is a classic that maybe some of these technology deficient people can relate too that kids and adults can play. why would you even look at this list if you didn’t think kids should touch technology. idiots.
Thanks to the Ipone/Ipod touch apps (we have the Ipod touch) our 5 year old autistic daughter is able to comminicate with us and a trip to the store is not painful anymore. With the cost of her special meals, therapies and private school it is great to have access to free apps is great and a big help!
My little one loves baby explorer which is an ipad app. Here is the link: http://www.punflay.com/baby-explorer-appstore.html
A great game for Kids: Pre-k Safari kids iPhone Game:
The magnificent plains of the Serengeti come to life in this entertainingly educational interactive game. Pre-K Safari sends little preschool explorers on their way to fun and learning with this exciting game for children ages 2-5. Touch the screen and animals come to life with the sounds and sights of the grasslands.
Features:
- Learn Shapes, Colors, Numbers, and ABCs with both drill and test modes.
- Meet 28 fun animated animals including zebras, elephants, and lions! The Hyena host encourages your child as they play with a variety of positive feedback.
- Easy to learn! The intuitive style of play means that your child can dive right in to the rugged wilds!
- Keep track of your youngster’s achievements/skill level with a simple 5-star system.
Hey check out this FREE app!
My kid loved Number Sense http://www.punflay.com/number-sense.html, an educative iphone app i downloaded for free at the app store from punflay.com , they have a lot of interesting games!
Are there any apps that give better controls over app accessibility? I ask because I would like to let my kids use my iPhone, but there are certain apps I would like to restrict them from using, as I either have sensitive data in them, or don’t want the kids wasting time on them. Now that the iPhone can multi-task, I figured there must be an app for this, I just can’t seem to find one…
I have no problems, letting my 2 small boys playing games on my iPhone.
Their favorite app ist currently LittleFish. I let them play this game, because it is funny, non-violent, and easy to play. And, it even has a parents level
Btw, I have just found out that LittleFish is the most selling childrens game in the CH-App Store, which makes me proud, having chosen the right thing.
My Husband and I own a iPhone each and my Kids 8 and 3 got my itouch 2nd gen to share.
I think it’s great- especially in the car! What I like most: Thanks to Doodle buddy, no more wasted paper or broken pens or painted walls!!!! My three year old likes it better than her nintendo xl !! My 8 year old can read her books, solve riddles etc – they love it!
Seriously? They should be shot should they? Why don’t you just mind your own friggin business? It’s got nothing to do with you so why would you wish ill upon someone else like that? Jealous that you couldn’t have an iphone when you were young?
Stop acting and thinking like a child and grow up. What’s funny is I see a parent on here and they still say this and that should be shot…ridiculous.