New apps in KinderTown include:
Auryn Ink
Subject: Art
Category: Creativity, Drawing
Age: 3,4,5,6,7,8
Price: $3.99
Device: Universal
Auryn Ink gives kids an authentic watercolor experience that they can use with a finger, stylus or Nomad Play paintbrush. They experience first hand what happens when you apply color on top of color, add more water or change the tip of the brush. Not only do kids get to create amazing artwork, they can finish their projects in the car or while waiting during a sibling’s after school practice.
The Monsters Family
Subject: Language
Category: Pre-Reading, Vocabulary, Comprehension
Concept: Listening
Age: 3,4,5
Price: $1.99
Device: Universal
The Monsters Family is a “slow app” that focuses on one complete task at a time to encourage attention to tasks without in app distractions. Meet the 4 members of the monster family and help them solve one step activities like: finding what pictures are different, matching card pairs or labeling pictures with the correct vocabulary word. The speech in the app is presented slowly, with very encouraging complete phrases. As they solve problems, kids are earning prizes to add to their reward shelves. Kids work on completing simple activities that reinforce early learning concepts with The Monster Family.
Buildo Rescue Sticker Book
Subject: Social Studies, Language
Category: People and Places, Storytelling
Age: 4,5,6,7
Price: $1.99
Device: Universal
Buildo Rescue Sticker Book is a fantastic place for kids to role play and storytell. There are 4 play zones in the app: police, firefigher, coast guard and hospital. Kids can swipe through the backgrounds adding stickers that can be resized and manipulated on the screen. Stickers have a nice sound byte, but parents might enjoy setting this app to mute. A fun app for kids to take control of their play.
Bug Games – by Busy Bee Studios
Subject: Language, Math
Category: Pre-Reading, Logic
Concept: Listening, Logic Games
Age: 3,4,5
Price: $0.99
Device: iPhone & iPad
Bug Games contains a nice mix of early learning games for young kids. Your child will delight in crickets who sing nursery rhymes in 3-part harmony. Parents will appreciate the phonics and number practice that is supportive and provides valuable listening experience of counting and blending sounds. The puzzle game gets kids tapping to turn and flip path pieces to help the ants get down the ant hill. Bug Games is good fun built around early learning activities.
Fireman Sam – Junior Cadet
Subject: Social Studies
Category: People and Places
Age: 3,4,5
Price: $2.99
Device: Universal
Fireman Sam – Junior Cadet has kids taking on the role of firefighter. Games, in both easy and hard modes, include learning how to wield the fire hose, putting out fires, rescuing cats, navigating the fire truck through mazes, loading the truck in a challenging memory activity and helping clean up the fire station. Log on up to 3 kids and keep track of their completed games in the training certificate. There is a nice free play sticker activity for kids who like to storytell and create art work. A perfect app for a child who loves fire fighters.
Montessori Approach to Geography HD – Animals of Africa
Subject: Science
Category: Life Science
Age: 7,8
Price: $2.99
Device: iPad
Montessori Approach to Geography is a resource for learning about the animals of Africa, their habitats and a variety of facts. Each animals is presented with an information page which is read aloud so kids can easily listen along. Enter the habitat map games to make connections between animals and where they are found on the continent of Africa. The games work well for instruction (with animal names given) or for challenging yourself to identify animals by habitat location without any hints. This app has a lot of advanced information for young kids, but is a good resource for investigation and exposure.