Best apps for kids from Millennium Mom author Joanna Zucker

By Sheila Gray – bio | email

FOX19 Organization Expert Joanna Zucker is the author of Millennium Mom.  On Wednesday's Fox 19 Morning News she filled us in on some great apps for kids:

A couple of months ago we did the best apps for moms, so we decided to flip things a bit and find the best apps for kids.  Whether we like it or not, our smart phones not only serve as a phone and Internet connection for us, but also for entertaining, education and endless fun for our children.  I researched Parenting magazine, NY Times and other blogs to get their recommendations for the best apps for kids.  iTot Toddler Flashcards - Just like traditional flashcards, iTot Toddler Flashcards teach the names of animals, foods, and other objects, as well as the alphabet and numbers. You'll get hundreds of beautiful cards in this simple application. And with language support, iTot Cards can teach these words in French and Spanish, too!  $.99, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, Ages 1-4 Toddler Teasers: Shapes - Created by a real mom and dad searching for ways to occupy their own 2 year old, Toddler Teasers Shapes quizzes tots on the basics. Kids are told which shape to touch, and after four correct answers, they're rewarded with a virtual sticker. And if they push the square instead of the circle? They'll still learn as they go by hearing the name of the wrong shape and guessing again. Free, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, Ages 2-4 ABC Phonics Animals Free Lite- Parents are always right and ABC Phonics Animals Lite is another piece of evidence of this claim. This application was developed by parents who focused on ABC phonetics, spelling, reading and sounds with their own children. ABC Phonics Animals enables parents to interact with their children through flash cards to enhance quick learning Kids Song Machine Lite  - Kids Song Machine Lite can keep your children entertained for the duration of a long road trip. This is a fun musical educational application for your children that allows them to learn and sing songs that will create memories for many years to come. The full version of Kids Song Machine has an additional 10 songs. Kids Song Machine has been voted in the top ranks in more than 65 countries to include the United States, England, and Spain. PLAYTIME THEATER -PlayTime Theater is a customizable, interactive castle play set that gives kids characters, props, and sound effects and invites them to create and record short shows.  This truly innovative app delivers what so many others promise (but don't quite deliver): free play.  In a crowded field, this app stands out as the single best use of touch-screen technology that we've ever seen for kids. Spot the Dot is a perfectly executed and very visually appealing app that teaches toddlers colors and fine motor skills. It was designed by children's author David A. Carter (who wrote the best-selling pop-up book How Many Bugs in a Box) and it shows.  One by one, kids will have to find a colored dot that is hiding in plain sight, in the dark, among other shapes, or behind tiles that must be flipped.  And so on.  Each activity is different, but clearly explained which means kids won't need to be able to read to play.  They may need an adult helping however, because there are no prompts if they forget what they're looking for or don't quite understand the challenge.