We are all trying to do our best to get used to the new way of living, having to adapt with home working while somehow trying to provide some sort of education for our children can be exhausting. Resorting to a tablet or electronic device can be an easy way to keep the kids occupied while providing you with some time to get things done.
But how long should you allow them to use the tablet and what apps are suitable?
I am not against technology; I do believe that if used in moderation children can greatly benefit from having screen time in their learning journeys.
If I would allow it, my daughter would probably spend the whole day watching YouTube Kids (I wonder what fascinates most children so much about watching other kids playing with toys). We do allow her to use the tablet, but we try to limit it to only a few hours a day and mostly for learning apps.
However, it can be really difficult to know which apps are safe, have the right type of content and will provide your child with enough entertainment while still teaching.
So without further ado, here are the apps as decided by my daughter:
1. Quick Math Jr.
We all know that teaching children is no easy feat and making it fun and interesting can be almost impossible, especially when the subject is maths. This app makes learning numbers fun in a creative and interactive way and for that reason it won my daughter’s best learning app reward, and I agree.
Quick Math Jr. features 12 different math games, very eye-catching unique graphics and customisable characters which kept my daughter engaged and entertained.
To answer the questions children have to either write or draw on the screen which helps them practice handwriting.
2. Squeebles Number Bonds
This math app was a great find. It is really fun and great for building children’s arithmetic abilities.
Squeebles Number Bonds features four unique game modes with 3 difficulty levels in each and focuses on number bonds (pairings) from 10 to 1000 and decimals to 1 (Ideal for primary school children and in line with the UK National Curriculum).
The app also features a reward system (28 cute Squeebles characters and 18 dragon eggs that can be hatched into baby dragons) that would appeal for boys and girls.
Cost: Free (Apple/Amazon) or reduced price of 59p on Google Play. They are offering a limited time promotion during Covid-19 outbreak.
3. Khan Academy
This app is full of educational tools for young children. It features storybooks, videos, colouring, games that teach letters, numbers, reading and logic.
Your child will enjoy choosing their avatar and one great feature is that more than one child can use the app with their own unique avatar and the games are tailored to their skills.
My daughter loves the books that are available, and they are extremely easy to navigate and read. Khan Kids have partnered with National Geographic Kids which allows children access to their fantastic resource of content rich animal books which are great for teaching children all about nature.
In my opinion for a free application Khan Academy is one of the best learning apps you will download and with its multitude of features and content it is sure to educate while keeping your kids entertained.
Here are a few other learning apps that my daughter truly enjoys but are paid for:
Tozzle is a puzzle-based learning game similar to the wooden puzzles we usually buy for toddlers.
There are Tozzle and Tozzle Words. My daughter started with the Tozzle app when she was about 2yo, the puzzles start with big simple shapes and increases in difficulty and complexity. On top of teaching names for a range of objects, letters and numbers this app is great for building motor skills.
The puzzles are mainly aimed at toddlers, older children may enjoy them but will probably do the entire set very quickly.
5. Teach Monster
This phonic and reading game was developed by Usborne Foundation and we were lucky enough to get it for free last year.
Teach your Monster to read is a great tool to teach children to read in a fun way.
This app kept my daughter entertained for hours and she has completed all the levels.