Category: Counting »

iSee123 - A  Counting Adventure is a nicely animated interactive app that would be a good choice to introduce number recognition. Text, narration, numbers and animation are incorporated together to help kids learn their numbers and count from 1 to 10. The music and ocean sounds make the animated scenes peaceful and relaxing to watch. 

I am really impressed by the unique aquatic animals chosen, making it stand  apart from the usual barnyard-themed  applications.  My son (aged 2 1/2) has known his numbers for a long time but is still engaged. He quickly found the section of this app where he could just watch the animations and went through all 10 of them again, sitting quietly.  

Although great for number recognition as well as being beautiful and creative, many of the animations don't alone lend themselves well to counting. Before the animation begins, I would like to be able to touch and to count each animal as the narrator counts for me and then the animation should start. Having said this, I still recommend this app because of the peaceful sounds and intriguing animal choices. 

The storybook application “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” is based on the original book by Theodor Geisel – most commonly known as Dr. Seuss. As with many of Seuss’ early books, there isn’t much “story” to this story, yet the clever, poetic lyrics and fantastical creatures aptly capture the imagination and wonderment of readers of all ages. For early readers, “One Fish…” keeps their attention through clever rhyme and offers lessons through word association and word comprehension. Further, the design of this colorful ebook application reinforces these lessons by highlighting words as they are narrated. Also, when objects are touched, they are identified by both spoken and written word. I appreciate how this application has a lot of movement with panning across each page for a more detailed look at different illustrations. The original artwork and text by Seuss work well in the iPhone/Touch format, and even better on the iPad. I was thrilled to learn it’s a two-in-one deal, since the one application works for both the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad.

The wait is FINALLY over and our friends Madera the Monkey and Figaro the Frog have returned… this time to Save The Day! (Duh-da-da daaaa!) “Madera & Figaro Save The Day” is the story of two silly friends who join forces to help their community after a large storm has hit their fair city. Their mission is to help restore the city in time for the big party. An impressive follow-up to publisher Lyn & Line’s first application entitled “The Rescue of Ginger”, this app is supersized with more story, more interactive features, and many more learning opportunities. It’s the most interactive storybook app I’ve experienced yet and provides a perfect symmetry of educational game play and story. It’s a rich source of learning opportunities for young kids including elements that teach sizes, shapes, letters, numbers, colors, and matching. It’s packed full of original interactive features and games, too. Designers have crafted the app so that the sequence of questions are randomized, thereby capturing and keeping the attention of young ones who play this application over and over again. It has vivid HD illustrations that are designed to work on both the iPad and iPhone. What a treat!

The application "Jam Packed!" is a clever puzzle game with the theme of packing. The object of the game is to find a perfect place for each object so each box is completely jam-packed with items. The game contains three categories - Black Box, Jewelry Box, and Lunch Box - with each getting progressively more difficult as the levels progress. Each category has 15 levels, and the tricky part is that each level is locked until you have accomplished the level prior. Trust me - it's harder than you think to pack things so they all fit! After each sub level is completed, there is a rewarding comment displayed. The graphics and illustrations of items to be packed are realistic and the sound effects are somewhat satisfying. There isn't any music, but there are dragging sounds when shapes are moved. "Jam Packed!" is great to help kids develop critical thinking and problem solving skills and the game is geared for toddlers to age 10. This is a superior app, a great purchase, and there's a whole lot of puzzle fun jammed packed in this game!

"123 Color" follows the “color-by-numbers” concept used in early childhood education and introduces letters, numbers, and colors to Preschoolers . The main menu has four categories from which to choose. When you touch the book at the top of the page, coloring pages will appear, then you choose the page and begin coloring. At the bottom of the coloring page are the color choices to match up with a number or letter. Touch a color, then match the number or letter in the picture and the color will appear. When the picture is colored correctly, musical notes will float across the screen and play a little jingle. If musical notes are not heard or seen, the colors or matches are incorrect. "123 Color" allows children to keep trying until all numbers or letters match correctly. It's offered in a number of languages, including English, Spanish, French, and German, and a combo of English-Spanish. The app is well-done, bright, and colorful. The coloring pages are fantastic, and there are many choices within the app. I do hope the publisher decides to add new pages with every update. "123 Color" is also available for the HD iPad

HOW GOOD IS YOUR MEMORY? This game will test just that! Train your brain while you play by watching the computer carefully as it creates sequences for you to repeat. If you make a mistake in the sequence, the game goes back to the beginning. There are four speed modes - normal, fast, faster, and fastest. There are also four sounds to choose from - original, piano, digital, and silent. The silent mode is good to train your brain on visual memorization, however if you combine the sound with the images, you benefit from both visual and audio memorization. "Memory Block" offers excellent early learning skills for new readers. The shape of the computer buttons are colorful and pleasing, and large enough for the littlest fingers. This is a keeper of a game because it has learning benefits for every age. It helps the young ones to develop future skills for reading, and helps the older ones to sharpen memory skills. Remember - our brain is a muscle, so keep working it while having fun!

Can you find the differences between two pictures? Each set of pictures has 5 "differences" and the object of the game is to find them as quickly as you can. The quicker the differences are found, the more points the player will earn. The player has the option to use hints if they get stuck and 3 hints are available per game. The game gives the player 10 chances to guess incorrectly before time runs out. Find the difference, touch it, and a green circle will appear. If the player guesses incorrectly they will lose time points. If time runs out and the differences were not found, red circles will appear to inform the player where the differences are located. The nice part about this game is that the picture will appear again and again until the player successfully finds all five differences. This is a visual brain game; some of the pictures can be tricky and challenging. Luckily - if you're stuck on a picture - you can use the magnifying glass to get a hint. The pictures are appealing and an exciting part of the game is wondering what the next picture will be. It could be anything from a child in a snow storm to a scuba diver in the sea. With each new update more more photos are added. "Find the Differences PRO" is never ending fun and a visual brain workout. What a fantastic app for elementary age children!

If you’re a fan of apps by Duck Duck Moose (like the acclaimed “Wheels on the Bus” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider’), then you’ll absolutely flip for the publisher’s newest app. “Fish School” is a toddler/preschooler-based application that’s packed full of age-appropriate lessons and games. Lesson topics include letters, numbers, shapes, and colors; there’s also a matching and “differences” game. Each activity features groups of brilliantly-colorful fish that school together in various patterns for their instruction. The musical accompaniment is delightful classical string instrumentation that offers a high-brow soundtrack to this magical app. I find there’s a plucky playfulness about “Fish School” that makes it equally enjoyable for kids and parents alike. My son enjoys watching the active and ever-changing “fishies”, participating in the “ABC” song, and counting. I’m impressed with how this app has struck a perfect balance of game play and learning opportunities. “Fish School” engages my son’s adventurous, spirited-side, all the while, keeping his attention and interest in learning fundamentals like counting and letters. Admittedly, I have selfish reasons for liking this app. Watching the vibrant fish in the cool, crystalline blue water is like a mini-vacation for this tired Mama. All I need is the sensation of powdery sand beneath my feet and a cold beverage in my hand, and I’ll have the perfect virtual beach escape. Ahhhhh….

A classy classic puzzle game that never gets old. It has been around for centuries and is still used in our educational systems today. "Lets Tans..." is a visual spatial puzzle game that makes people of all ages use the ole' brain. This app has 3 different puzzle modes - Classic, Replica, and Arcade. There are 7 brightly colored shapes called tiles and they fit together to make a perfect square “the basic Tangram.” The 7 shapes assembled can form thousands of different shapes. There are 110 different shapes to form in the “Classic” puzzle mode. Drag the shapes inside the large shape, tap once to turn the shape in the direction you want it to go or tap twice to flip the shape to it’s other side. After each shape is assembled, the player is rewarded with an applause or some type of celebratory sound and then on to the next puzzle. Whether you're in the car, waiting room, restaurant, or just hanging out and your child has their head buried in your iPhone playing "Let Tans..." - RELAX... they're learning!

“Count TV” is a video-based application that features interactive counting clips hosted by Sesame Street’s Numero Uno Vampire – the Count. To play, you choose a number between 1 and 10 and watch a video that conveys a lesson about the number that’s been selected. Each video has an interactive opportunity that allows the user to participate by touching objects within the video to count to the selected number. There are a couple of observations that struck me about this application. First, I was overcome with a warm, fuzzy sense of nostalgia watching the video clips; many of them were archival, old-school Sesame Street segments that brought back sentimental thoughts and feelings from my childhood in the 70's. The monster puppets and classic characters were like old friends, much of the animation had a funky, retro-vibe, and many of the grainy archival video clips had a pure, dreamy glow about them. My second impression was that, while entertaining, the application provides more of a passive learning experience than many educational apps I’ve played. I shouldn’t hold that against it though – “Count TV” is an aptly named app that offers the chance to sit back and enjoy amusing, retro-style Sesame Street video clips, a little counting practice, and a big trip down memory lane.

I’ve spent a lot of time playing toddler apps with my son and I haven’t come across many that have as much educational breadth as “TeachMe: Toddler”. This well-organized application is brimming with learning potential with six different lessons on topics that include shapes, numbers, letters, phonics (letter sounds), colors, and counting. It’s a fantastic tool for learners and teachers alike. For children, the game-like lessons are entertaining and there is a reward system that offers encouragement and positive reinforcement. For teachers/caregivers, the app tracks and records lesson scores so that future instruction can be directed toward areas that need improvement. While “TeachMe: Toddler” deserves high praise for potential teaching opportunities, I must honestly admit it’s greatly lacking in other areas – namely the production value. The artwork quality is sub-par with less-than-dazzling stock art quality characters and clunky sound features. Despite this application’s aesthetic shortcomings, I recommend “TeachMe: Toddler” because it’s a great educational tool, fun for toddlers, and a fabulous value.

The newly released picture book – “1 Little Boy” – takes a refreshing and innovative approach to interactive children’s applications. It is the original story of a little boy who goes on a fantastical journey and along the way is joined by a variety of animal characters from cherished classic tales. The app was carefully contemplated and executed with tremendous attention to detail. The text has a delightful sing-song rhyme and rhythm, the illustrations are remarkably attractive, and the narration is clearly and distinctly enunciated. You can interact with the story in several ways; you can touch each character to hear different sounds and expressions, touch the screen to have characters appear, and record your own voice to narrate the story. It’s a great educational resource, too. Kids are learning on several levels; they can read along with they narrator, they have the opportunity to count and recite numbers, and they can indentify different animals and their sounds. I’m HUGE fan of this application…”1 Little Boy” is a picture-perfect addition to our virtual bookshelf, and it’s an imaginative, refreshing, and amusing way to teach my son.

“Preschool Connect the Dots...” is a phenomenal value with a whopping 200+ puzzles offered and a plethora of settings that allows you to customize the experience for different ages, interests, and skill/competency levels. At first glance, the screen is full of what looks like a flurry of random dots with numbers or letters, but once you start connecting them, a rough sketch appears. When you finish the puzzle, you’re rewarded with a picture that completes the sketch. My favorite features include the option to choose from five different puzzle themes/topics (e.g. animals, transportation), the high quality sounds effects and narration, and the multitude of learning opportunities offered. From an educational perspective, this app helps preschoolers sharpen skills including object identification and pronunciation, counting, letters (upper and lower case options). We look forward to many, many hours of fun and enjoyment connecting the dots.

The children’s application Bumblebee Touchbook offers two main features. The first is “read and book” and the other is “watch a movie.” The book section is interactive and educational, while the movie portion is a 3-D animated short featuring adorable bumbling bees. When my son and I first played this application, I expected a passive book reading experience; we soon learned it was much more of a teaching tool with learning activities focusing on word recognition and counting. The lessons are concise and simple, but exquisitely done with graphics that have Pixar-like quality and charm. We especially enjoy the bumblebee movie, set to Tchaikovsky’s classical tune “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies”, which is reminiscent of my favorite Disney films “Fantasia”.

Count Caddy is an application that teaches fundamental counting skills to very young children. To play, the user must drag various objects one-by-one into the counting circle; after each turn, the corresponding number is spoken and written to reinforce the lesson and to guide the user along the way. The creator – Tickle Tap Apps – clearly and effectively produced this app with the preschooler-set in mind. Count Caddy has an uncomplicated interface and simplistic animation that appeals to young eyes. It uses visual and auditory approaches to teach counting, helps to sharpen fine motor skills, and it does stellar job of wrangling my son’s attention span. Best of all, kids can challenge themselves to learn incremental counting (by twos and threes); this appears to be a unique and distinguishing feature of this educational application.