What’s on My Kid’s iPod

by Cindy Young, in category Green Technology

In keeping with the iPod app theme from a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would share my son’s favorite iPod games and applications.  I know a lot of people would disagree with giving a preschooler an iPod, but I have found that you can find a ton of educational games for it.  I give him this rather than hooking up a DVD player in the car and let him play with it when we have long waits at the doctor’s office or auto mechanic.  He doesn’t have his own expensive video game system at home, and I try to avoid electronic toys as much as possible.  So the iPod is his one electronic luxury – and I don’t regret it for a second.  It helps him learn everything from reading to problem-solving and has been a great supplement to what I teach him.

So here is what is on my kid’s iPod:

  • Flashlight – Fills your screen with bright light to create a flashlight effect.
  • Clifford Be Big
  • CookieDoodle – Lets your kids roll out dough, cut out shapes, put on frosting and sprinkles, and eat the cookies – all virtual of course.  This has to be one of my son’s favorites.
  • DressChica – From PBS Kids Sprout, your child can dress Chica (a little chicken) in various costumes and then save and email the final result.
  • FirstWords Sampler – A great game for learning about letters, sounds and spelling.  This is the free version and then there are a ton of more specialized versions.
  • FirstWords Animals – Similar to FirstWords Sampler but with a focus on animals.
  • FirstWords At Home – Similar to FirstWords Sampler but with a focus on stuff found in the home.
  • FirstWords Vehicles – Similar to FirstWords Sampler but with a focus on vehicles.
  • ABC Animals – Letters, phonics and handwriting for preschoolers.
  • Balloonimals Lite – Your child can make balloon animals on the iPod – lets you blow up the balloon, create the animal and pop it!
  • Mew Mew Tower – An odd game that kids seem to love – build towers out of cats and try not to let them fall over.
  • Wheels on the Bus – Interactive musical book based on the classic song.
  • Grover’s Number Special – A great game featuring Sesame Street’s Grover where kids count and catch falling foods.
  • Preschool Music – Features 4 different musical activities to teach your child about music.
  • Preschool Arcade – Three different games for learning about letters, numbers and matching.  My son is obsessed with the alien game.
  • Preschool Adventure – Simple activities for learning about colors, numbers, shapes and more.  This is great for younger kids who are just starting out with these types of games.
  • Chinese for Munchkins Lite – Want your child to learn Chinese?  This is a great place to start.
  • iBooks – Apple’s book app.  A great way to carry a ton of books on a trip for your child without carrying a ton of books.
  • Pandora Radio – A radio for your iPod that lets you choose stations based on certain artists or genres.  A pick a Laurie Berkner station and let it rock.
  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears – An interactive version of the classic tale.
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider – An interactive musical book based on the itsy bitsy spider song.
  • JirboMatch – A memory game matching pairs of animals.
  • Kideos – Kids can watch age-appropriate videos that have been reviewed by parents and educators.
  • Weet Woo! – Another great video app for kids.  Videos include shows like Caillou and Arthur.  I find this app slightly more easy to navigate than Kideos.
  • Koi Pond – Watch fish swim and touch the screen to see the water ripple and the fish swim away.  Sounds boring but it’s actually pretty mesmerizing.
  • Matches – Match up pairs of cards to test your memory.
  • MEanderthal – From the Smithsonian Institution, a neat game that allows your child to turn her face into a Neanderthal’s face.  Also includes some fun facts.
  • Scribble Lite – Your child can draw and paint mess-free with this app.
  • Monkey Preschool Lunchbox – A game with highly-annoying background noise but it is pretty addictive for kids.  Includes learning games such as puzzles and matching.
  • Pre-K Safari Lite – Letter flash cards and word games featuring safari animals.
  • Word Magic – A word game that focuses on spelling and reading.
  • Super WHY! – Based on the Super WHY! PBS Kids show, this is a great app with 4 different interactive literacy games.
  • Virtuoso – Turns the iPod into a piano!
  • Sesame Street Playground – Interactive version of the “Where is the Puppy?” book.
  • Highlights Hidden Pictures – The iPod version of the Highlights magazine Hidden Pictures game.
  • Make a Martian – Another one of my son’s favorites.  He makes his own unique looking martians (or monsters as he calls them).
  • Fish School – Another great app from Duck Duck Moose.

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