educational apps

I have always been a huge Beatrix Potter fan, so I find it thrilling that my own kids are just as enthralled with the artwork and easy prose. And now they've got an extra reason to enjoy her works: One of my favorite tales now comes to l…

The other night, I dragged my kids outside in their pajamas to show them Jupiter and Venus and felt so smart, considering that the only thing I can reliably find on my own in the cosmos is the moon. But thanks to one cool app, I already …

If you like the idea of your kids playing with iPhone or iPad apps in the back seat to keep them occupied, but feel better when the apps are educational instead of--oh, say, Angry Birds, we completely feel you. Whether you've got day tri…

Even with all their toys, my kids have always been fascinated by the no-frills blue-and-green globe they can spin around and look at countries with hard-to-say names like Azerbaijan. So you can imagine how neat they are finding a brand n…

Like so many of us, Judy Blume's books hold a prominent place in my memories and in my heart. They took me from slightly confused tween to slightly more confident teen, and the themes in her work still resonate with kids today. So why ca…

Dick Bruna's Miffy has been a longtime favorite around here--you know, cute little bunny from Holland? X for a mouth? So of course my kids were happy to get to play with Miffy's brand new iPad app. Along the lines of Mo Willems' Pigeon A…

My sister makes this little laugh/cry sound every time her first grader brings her another one of his books. It's so awesome that he loves to write stories, and yet the amount of paper he goes through each week makes her consider plantin…

Board books are a staple in every new parents' library, even if we know that they end up mostly as chew toys. So I love that DADA Company came up with a virtual version of the board book that's equal parts interactive story, animated ill…

In honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, I've rounded up some of our favorite Dr. Seuss apps, from cool books to fun games, even a camera app that lets you turn your kids into the Cat in the Hat himself, you'll find a slew of great ways to celeb…

Not sure what it is about children and their love for stickers, but I do find they end up everywhere but in the six-dollar sticker book that the kid begged and pleaded for in the store checkout line. So how great that DK, one of the best…

I find that with kids and apps, sometimes simple is best. Such is the case with a funky, fun, creative iPad drawing experience known as Wurm Junior. A tot-targeted spinoff of the very cool original Wurm app , the Wurn Junior App is a cre…

Memory games are a great idea--in theory. Those brightly colored cards with rounded edges that fit snugly in grabby little palms are supposed to develop memory, recognition and visual identification skills, so what's not to like? At leas…

I (want) to know what some of the best apps (are) for a 4 year old. She's so interested in learning to read, yet I have no idea where to begin. I think she may have a bit of photographic memory, so it's hard to tell if she is actually re…

This Presidents' Day, between shopping for a car (heh) and going to crowded play spaces with every other kid on their day off from school, find a quiet spot and spend a little time flinging presidents at alien attackers. Don't worry, it'…

What parent among us has not relied on the genius of Dr. Seuss to keep our kids entertained with his wacky rhymes and memorable verses? When my kids were younger, I would literally walk around with sentences in my head like, "wet foot, d…

I don't know what my kids like more--playing with this new CMP fave book-turned-app, or hearing me say, "Here, kids. First draw a butt." From the people who brought us the wonderful Everything Butt Art book comes the brand new, just laun…

Our readers often ask us to suggest more kids' apps beyond iOS, and while we do cover the great Android apps we find, there's certainly a discrepancy in both quantity and quality when compared to what's available for iOS. Well Android us…

Oh Appy Day! gives you the scoop on the coolest apps from some of the coolest people anywhere. This week, Jessica Alba shares three of her favorites! I have a few favorite apps for entertainment, because my daughter has the attention spa…

I know I don't have the only 2 year-old who can pick up my iPhone, unlock the screen and navigate apps. And it never fails, when the phone is in her hands, the Nursery Rhyme Karaoke app, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star , is the first thing s…

After my kids had mastered mama and dada , the next thing they started saying is When are we getting a dog? Since my three kids are so obsessed with friendly canines, it was a no-brainer that we'd check out a new app that stars man's (an…

We use our gadgets as just one tool in a huge arsenal of parenting tricks to help us entertain our little ones. When we do, here are the apps that keep our kids happy, with lots of emphasis on storytelling, imagination and creativity. To…

Those tweens and big kids can be a tough crowd when it comes to technology, but these apps have passed the test. And why we're always wondering where our iPhones and iPads are. BrainPOP Liz: Our post headline says it all: Brain Pop Jr an…

These top kids' apps of 2011 are the perfect combination of education and entertainment, which is why our editors--and our grade schoolers--think they're cool. Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App Liz: While Mo Willems' debut app is designe…

*EDITORS NOTE: PLEASE SEE UPDATE BELOW When I was a kid, I used to LOVE those video segments on PBS shows like Reading Rainbow and Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood that featured things being made or built. There was one visit to a crayon-making …