CheapTweet Blog

In this edition of Happy Hatchling, Heather – mom and CheapTweet blogger – shares some of her favorite kid-centered iPhone applications. Be sure to follow Heather on Twitter!

My family travels a lot, mostly because both sets of grandparents live far away. My parents are three hours by car, while the other set is four hours by plane. We also enjoy attending sporting events and eating out with friends. Co-workers, friends and family wonder how we are still able to do so much with a toddler who is not yet two (but already experiencing the terrible twos). My secret is our iPhone. Four hours forced to sit in my lap on an airplane? iPhone. Three-hour drive? iPhone. Two hours at non-baby-safe friend’s house? iPhone. One-hour dinner at resturant? iPhone. Now don’t get me wrong, my child doesn’t just play with my phone all day long. We use it almost exclusively for times when we’re out of the house and on the go. That makes it fun and exciting for her and keeps her occupied for short spurts of time.

I have spent a great deal of time searching and purchasing kid iPhone apps, and let’s be honest, there are a lot of apps that are duds and a waste of 99 cents. However, there are also some educational apps that I am proud to let my child play. Here are my picks for apps that are both mommy and baby approved. (Note: I am not sponsored for this post and these are my honest-to-goodness favorite apps.)

Baby’s First Apps (6 months and up)

1) Itsy Bitsy Spider

Love, love, love this app. This is a great first app for babies because it’s not complicated and everything on the screen is interactive. When you touch the spider it moves to a different scene, the flowerpot blooms, a window opens and shuts, or a banana slug eats a banana. Very entertaining and if your little one loves this app, they make others such as “Wheels on the Bus”, which is fun but not quite as easy or interactive.

2) Balloonimals

This game is fun to show off because it surprises people with its creative cuteness. Kiddo loves it, but there are not limitless options so she tires of it more quickly than other games. It may also require some parent help to play. My own mother sometimes fights my daughter for playing time on this game.

3) Elmo’s Monster Maker (pictured)

Who doesn’t love Elmo? This is app was made by IDEO, the same company responsible for Balloonimals.  The graphics are amazing… It’s like watching Sesame Street. In this app, you create your own monster muppet.

4) Peekaboo Wild

Another great first app for babies. It is a peekaboo game with wild animals (they also have a barnyard version). Your child taps the screen and the next animal is revealed. The animation and noises are cute and not annoying compared to other animal games.

5) Baby’s Animal Show

This is a basic flash card application with pictures of real animals and animated animals. It’s not very flashy, but my daughter likes to see the animals. This one is good for when your kid is learning animal noises.

Apps for Tots (1 ½ years and up)

1) Monkey Preschool Lunchbox (pictured)

Many different puzzles with many different concepts. Although, your child may not be ready for some of the games, they are designed to be solvable even if answers are chosen at random by your tot. This way your child can learn the concepts over time without getting frustrated.

2 ) Shape Builder

Simple puzzle game where your kid drags the puzzle pieces into the correct shape. Very simple, but there are lots of different puzzles and it helps with your little one’s hand-eye coordination.

3) AniMatch

This is a simple matching game. This game makes the list due to the cute animal noises and animal faces. This app is for an older tot (2 to 3 years old) because there are lots of puzzle pieces to match. There is also a free version of this app available.

4) Monkey Preschool: When I Grow Up

Similar concept as the Elmo game, except here you select an occupation for your monkey. It has unlimited play with many options.

5) Alphabets in the Zoo (pictured)

There are four parts to this app. The play mode is actually a video of the animal alphabet song. The graphics are sometimes blurry, but the creativeness and the song makeup for it. The other nice feature is flash cards of the animals that were in the song. The flash cards have four buttons, which tell your kiddo more about the animals featured in the song. There is also a karaoke option, which is totally pointless because it the same video without sound, and finally there is a poor quality matching game with annoying sounds. All in all, the alphabet video is adorable and the flashcards are informative.