Because there are a lot of poor games out there, and many are based on the kind of operant conditioning described in the video below , they are a huge draw for children without having much reward, and they are often the kinds of games our children might ask us for. Sometimes it's hard to find games that are actually worth the time our kids are going to spend on them. What follows are some of my favorites. I haven't been paid by any of these games to promote them. I just think they're good.
Hungry Guppy
It's difficult to find an app that really works kid's number sense. That's why I love Hungry Guppy and Hungry Fish so much. They are made by Motion Math (that makes a whole slew of great math games for older kids). Hungry Guppy is appropriate for Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade children, and Hungry Fish is for First Grade and up. Hungry Guppy teaches children key foundational math skills, such as the part/whole relationship of numbers and their hierarchical relationships. For a glimpse of what you get with this app, check out this video:
Subitize Tree
Subitizing is an important skill for young children. It is the ability to visually recognize numbers by mentally grouping them. This is a great game that hones this skill. A child must quickly recognize the number shown in order to free the animals. It has different difficulty settings which makes sure that children can be challenged and not frustrated as they develop the skill. Both my 3 year old and 6 year old enjoy this game at different levels.
Duck Duck Moose
I love app developer Duck Duck Moose. All of their apps are well made, adorable, and creative. My younger kids love their nursery rhyme apps and my older kid is a fan of Moose Math. I don't think you can go wrong buying something made by these guys.
KneeBouncers
Sometimes baby is going to want a turn at the iPad, or need a phone distraction, andKneeBouncers is the best I've found. When baby touches the device's screen, bubbles pop, colors change, bells ring, and vehicles drive by. It works on your computer too; if baby likes to play with your keyboard.
Monkey Preschool
The Monkey Preschool series by THUP games is another series where every game is a winner. All of my kids have loved these games while preschool age, and they've learned great skills too!
Letter School
Letter School is a handwriting app. It's been a great app for all my kids, and especially for my second son, who learned all his letters by the time he was 2 from playing this app. The novelty of the game has worn off of my 6 year old, however, despite the fact that he still needs the practice.
Handwriting Without Tears
Based on the fantastic handwriting program, this is an excellent app for teaching proper letter formation. However, children probably won't be intrinsically motivated to play this one, so it's place is probably more instructional than recreational.
Eddie's Number Party!
This game by Scientific Learning, is a wonderful game to teach preschoolers pre mathematical skills. It also has a fun storyline and... PUPPIES! And what preschooler wouldn't love that?
Originator
Originator is the creator of the apps, Endless Alphabet, Endless Numbers, Endless Wordplay, and Endless Reader. All of these are engaging, adorable, and informative. You need to watch the video to get and idea of just how adorably these games have been put together.
This post originated on Lyndsey's Blog: Mamma's Tots.