A good look at educational apps for kids on the market will tell you that there is a huge choice out there. Some of these apps fall into categories we are very familiar with – learning to read, learning math, learning about the globe, arts and crafts for early childhood learning and so forth. However, using this new tool and the amazing, high-speed, constantly evolving technology, we as developers, can construct a world for our kids that is composed of all our knowledge, everything we are familiar with, while at the same time trying to infuse innovation, “modern values” and the open, abstract train of thought that is so essential in our fast-paced, ever-developing world.
In fact, we can categorize educational apps as either “traditional” – those that adhere to the familiar values of life and learning, or as “integrative” (like the more modern baby carriages), which combine the teaching of reading, writing and math with more inventive, open-ended options in order to introduce kids to what we consider to be essential abilities or skills for life in our technologically oriented world – in particular – learning not to limit thinking to the boundaries of what is already known.
Why is all this so important?
We should not discard the good old pedagogy – we need it, it actually provides the initial, basic knowledge every child must master in order to have the necessary tools with which to create new knowledge – reading, writing and maybe even math. Nevertheless, today we are fully aware of the fact that the world needs brilliant, inventive minds of all kinds, minds brimming with self-confidence and curiosity – and that these qualities must be acquired and developed in the same way that reading and writing are acquired. The wonderful new medium of apps for kids allows us to offer ‘right-brain’ learning experiences, and that is why it is so important to us as parents and as developers to make sure the apps we download for our kids enable activity and creativity and match not only the values of the old world, but also those of the new!
In the following article we want to show you, parents and developers, a number of applications we find particularly educational, either because of a successful combination of ‘traditional’ and ‘new’ principles, or because of the enrichment, inventiveness and openness they offer.
Space Boards by NeoLithix
Space Boards is an app that enables kids to learn and practice motor skills as they acquire writing skills at different levels from the most basic to the more advanced. The app has 18 series, each of which focuses on a different writing skill from the basic elements of tracing a letter to writing words according to pictures.
Learning processes – Much has been written about learning processes such as those offered by Space Boards, and truth be told, it seems like it is the children who set the tone, and every child enjoys writing, especially when you have an app like this that leaves very little room for error. On each page children are clearly guided and equipped with a ‘pencil box’ with marker and eraser, so that even if they go over the lines and it bothers them, they can easily erase and try again.
No music! – Another point worth mentioning is that the developers were so focused on the goals of this app that they decided not to include music, which accompanies almost every app, be it a children’s book or a game. However, in this one, which is designed for hands-on learning, musical accompaniment while children are busy with the ‘worksheets’ might be a distraction – so it is worth noting the app’s choice of focusing on the goal rather than catering to the ‘norm’.
Ages – This app is suitable for preschoolers and first graders and somewhat resembles a Summer Fun workbook, only is much more fun and much more personal. Every child will find feel at home with it and will enjoy the pages he or she likes best.
Shared / technology element – This is also an application that you can teach kids to share and work on together, even though it is better suited to a ‘single player’, who concentrates on the learning while coloring, and not just on a game.
Cost – 4.99$ or free sample page
Bottom line – a particularly pedagogical app catering to the specific need of preschoolers and first graders as they develop motor skills and acquire writing competence. It will no doubt be particularly enjoyable for these ages and will give them a great deal.
Toca – Store by Toca – boca
Toca – Store is a colorful and fun-filled app that simulates a store. It enables children to learn something about money, payments and counting correctly while playing a shopping game.
What it teaches – Through the act of buying items (anything from teddy bears to bananas) kids can learn addition and subtraction. They can see and count the coins in the wallet. It is not something abstract, the money is concrete and visible, one coin at a time. The application encourages parents to ask questions during the game such as: “How many coins do I have left in the wallet?” or “Does this cost more or less than the other item? Kids actually learn about the value of money in a most basic manner that suits early childhood learning.
Shared / technology element – Toca Store requires two players right from the start – a seller and a buyer, even though it is possible to play with it on your own. However, when parents and children play together, the parents can accompany their children as they learn the new elements through taking part in the game, and at the same time learn good habits.
Cost – 1.99$
Bottom line–In fact, it is not entirely obvious that this is a learning app at first glance, because first and foremost it is very experiential and is reminiscent of the games of the past. But when you take a closer look, you see that it can instill habits and develop the ability to count, and can definitely change how arithmetic and the basics of counting is experienced in elementary school.
Monkey math Preschool sunshine
A light-hearted, fun app that teaches basic arithmetic. The cute little monkey and the backdrop of sand and sea with vacation-style music accompany the child through the various tasks, all having to do with the sea, marine animals and numbers.
Ages – Preschool and first grade
Shared / technology element – This can definitely be played with a friend, a parent or on your own. Whichever, it is just as much fun!
Task types – bursting bubbles with a certain number of items; four seahorses, four clams, four turtles… Players win prizes for certain tasks and choose a fish or a sea-shell for their aquarium that can be reached by clicking on a special icon on the edge of the screen. Other tasks involve tracing a number with your finger, filling in the next number in a series etc. What all the tasks have in common is their fun aspect, largely thanks to the gentle colorfulness of the blue sea and the music.
Cost – 0.99$
Bottom line–We loved this app, and we loved to see our 4- and 5-year old kids enjoy it and play with it for over 20 minutes at a time. Highly recommended for learning basic arithmetic while having fun!
Oscar & Josephine by Kidoodle apps
Oscar & Josephine by Kidoodle apps is a creative app, all the components of which seem to have been planned to support the child’s creativity. It won the Best Entertainment App prize. The story framework is about pirates, the sea and lots of imagination. Kids get a topic page with an initial drawing which they then develop as they see fit. This might be a giant aquarium to be filled with sea creatures or two nice pirates that have to be created; the topic pages are always interesting and thought-provoking.
We believe the quality of an app can be assessed through a number of parameters, and in Oscar & Josephine we found several such parameters that indicate the excellence of this one:
Music – The pleasant classical music does not distract the kids, rather it adds to the app’s artistic ambiance. The narrator guides the child simply and briefly, leaving room to think rather than just follow instructions, allowing real freedom to create.
Creative tools – The app provides simple tools that could be defined just as ‘brush and palette”, but as soon as the kids start filling in the picture they discover that they have everything! The same individual “markers” in the app are actually all a real artist needs to create, concentrate, have fun and not get lost in an overload of tools that are never used.
Shared / technology element – The days of hanging our kids drawings on the refrigerator are long gone. But this app also allows you to take a picture of the finished drawing, save it and even send it on to proud grandparents or friends. This sharing option is a tool in its own right; it helps to build self-confidence and a sense of pride when our kids can show the world their creations at the click of a button.
Cost – $1.99
Bottom line – Some kids don’t play with crayons and markers at all. They are afraid of what people will say, they feel there is too great a gap between what they want to draw and what comes out, and they sometimes feel they are supposed to draw something perfect. This is one of the apps that can bring such kids closer to the world of arts and crafts, offering a clean, pleasant and inviting space that will arouse interest in drawing and having fun with it.
We found that drawing with this app is both enjoyable and realistic, and definitely worth every parent’s attention!