Category: Counting »

I know, Halli Galli is probably one of the silliest names for a game on the app store, but I urge you to look past that and spend some time with a simple and incredibly fun set-collection card game for the entire family.

I have to say that this is one of the most frequently played and one of our most requested. Its execution, while simple, provides flexibility that will work as a great challenge for adults, but is easily played with children as young as 3 years old.

Halli Galli is broken into 3 modes, and although the goal in each version is to collect all the cards, how you go about it varies. In each game, you have a split set of cards, and each turn one card from every player's deck is placed on the board. When playing against other players, it's a race to ring the bell, and I'll explain further how each mode works below:

Junior mode - Our MOST played mode and the most accessible mode in the game. In this mode, you watch the cards until you see 2 smiling clowns that are of the same color. If you're wrong, you give one card to each other player. If you run out of cards, you're out of the game and the first player to collect all the cards, wins.

For more complex playing and for older kids and adults, the other 2 modes are great.

Classic - In this mode, each card is of a type of fruit and has a specific number of fruits on each card. Once you see a a set of cards that totals exactly 5 fruits of one kind you ring the bell. The same rules for Junior apply for winning.

Extreme - This is where it gets really complex and challenging. The cards deal faster than other modes, and you ring the bell when you see 2 identical cards or when a monkey appears and there are no lemons, an elephant appears and there are no strawberries and when only a pig appears. Another difference is if you're wrong, you "Go to Jail" and your cards get placed under the bell. The next round you win, you only get your jail cards back. Lose a round while in jail you're out. Everything else is the same.

Each version has 3 different modes. Arcade, Single Player and Multiplayer. With Arcade, you're the only player and if you're wrong, you lose 3 cards (there's no Jail in Extreme). Single Player pits you against 4 computer players with 3 difficulty levels and Multiplayer allows you to play with 2 - 4 people.

I have had so much fun playing this with my 6 year old twins. Huddling around the iPad makes you realize just how perfect a platform it is for these types of games. And it's great, you don't have to set up any cards, you don't have to worry about the bell not working, or someone missing hitting it. You just get to really bond as a family and play a unique and fun game.

I also think it's an excellent educational tool that will get your kids (and you!) to really learn to focus your mind to watch for matches, and is a great way to improve your reflexes and hand-eye coordination.

I cannot recommend Halli Galli highly enough, it's a game that will grow with your family no matter how old they are. And most importantly at the time of this writing both the iPhone and iPad version are on sale for $0.99. You can't even buy a plain deck of cards for that price!

How Many What? is a nice universal educational app focused on counting, object and word recognition, lovingly illustrated by famed Italian comic strip artist Giorgio Cavazzano who has also worked as an illustrator for Disney. This application, although pleasantly interactive, does not contain extra bells and whistles that some parents and children may find distracting.

There are seven modes to choose from, making up two basic activities - animal or object picture and word recognition or basic counting. In the first Flash Card section, one can tap an illustration or corresponding word to hear the name narrated, later being quizzed on what has been learned, being given two and then three words to choose from. In the number sections, one counts a group of animals or objects, given the choice of two or three numbers to choose from as well as offering two and three number choices spelled out in letters instead of number symbols.

I like how easy this interface is to use and the basic Flash Card section would be perfect for toddler with or without parental involvement, but the other sections are best used with the help of an adult.

In the object and word sections, one can tap the animal or object in question to hear the name narrated and one must tap the matching word on the top of the screen as well, with either two or three word choices. I wish these words could be tapped to hear before the player’s decision is made, also with a tap, as I think kids will have be familiar with these words by hearing their names, allowing them to correctly match what they have heard. I don’t, however, believe it is realistic to think kids will be able to recognize these words by sight alone.

If a wrong answer is made, this word is narrated and disappears, leaving the correct answer on the screen also to be tapped and heard, so one will be able to solve these exercises by the process of elimination and some children may learn to recognize these words in this manner. However, I use these sections a bit differently with my son.

My son, 3+, understands his phonic sounds so I will give him hints to these words, asking him to look for the “Z” zebra in Zebra, or “W” sound in Watch, giving him what he needs to be able to choose the correct word in question.

We like the counting section as well and my son enjoys counting what there is on each page, but it would be nice if when tapped, the narration would count the objects in sequence, helping the player get to the number he is looking for. My son is very good at choosing the correct number in question but needs help recognizing these numbers in word form, so I give him clues here as well.

As one may expect, these drawings are simply lovely, and I have enjoyed them very much. Coloring book pages are also available that one may email and then print from, a nice touch.

Parents may need to add hints of their own to help their children recognize the correct words they are looking for, but working together, children and adults will have fun with this educational app.

What child would not want to make toys? That’s what I thought when I saw the name of this app. The app, itself, offers a number of different coordination and cognitive skills, but the title is misleading. The author says it was approved by his/her own toddler. Well, that toddler has a lot more ability than mine ever did! I would actually call this “Children’s Toy Factory” app rather than “Toddler” Toy Factory, because it has more abilities at the level of preschool and even kindergarten than toddler. In fact, the memory game in the “hard” mode could even be played by an older child or adult—admittedly, my memory is not the best, but I even had difficulty remembering where everything was in the “hard” mode. Best for a toddler’s age is the counting in the “Ship” room. I like the music that accompanies the app, it’s whimsical, and the sound effects add to the app’s entertainment value.

The Toddler Toy Factory does offer a good selection for long playing and learning time, and I like the fact that the child can advance upward from the “easy” mode as the skill is acquired in two of the rooms. In the first room, “Make,” the child reads the letter on the left hand side of the screen and chooses the correct letter from mixed up letter blocks on the right hand side. Then the letter is dragged over, so both letters match and then dropped into the toy machine. As each letter is dropped, it spells a word and out pops the toy that is spelled. The word is repeated, so the child knows what was made and how it is spelled. This is not an easy concept, either, and parents will need to explain it to the child. As the toys are made and piled on the factory floor, they can be tossed around and then back into the machine, if desired.

The “Find” room is an old-fashioned matching game, which is always fun and great for memory skills. The children will most likely be on the easy mode for some time. As the correct matches are made, the toys are dropped to the floor. Once again, they can be tossed around or put back into the machine’s spout to clean up the room. The toys are added to a number counter up top when the go back in. Adding a voice over counting the toys as they go in would add another counting skill. In the “Ship” room, the children drag and drop toys from the shelves into a barrel for shipping. The numbers are counted out loud until the last one is ready for shipping. The “easy” to “medium” to “hard” mode increases the number of items, so larger numbers are learned.

Jellytoons Toddler Skills: Bobo's Birthday Challenge is a really fun app consisting of six mini games designed to develop specific skills among the toddler and preschool age children. I really like the mix of activities that support critical thinking and fine motor skills, as well as working on basic counting, colors, and shapes. A version of this app is also available for iPad as well.

Jellytoons Toddler Skills is an app that my three year old son is asking for a lot these days, calling it his “jelly” game. He really enjoys the fact that this app has a nice mix of narrative as well as multiple activities. As you see, today is Bobo’s birthday. Help his six party guests earn gifts to give Bobo on his special day. Choose one of Bobo’s friends with a tap, and complete his game to choose a prize which is kept in the prize room. My son has quickly learned what friend is associated with each game, and he has a lot of fun telling me their names as he chooses what game to play. Activities include things such as shape-matching as you help blow up balloons, toy sorting by color or shape and a ball and cup / three-card-monty-style game with a good difficulty level for kids is included. It is fun for me to see my son’s face as he tries to focus on the cup with the ball in it as it gets mixed back and forth between two other empty cups. Sometimes he gets it on the first try, sometimes not. It is nice that kids can play these games until they succeed, even if it takes them a few tries to do so.

My son quickly mastered the art of “tap and drag” a long time ago, but his fine motor skills are still being developed. He has some difficulty with game where he needs to drag a character who is balancing on a ball, circus style, down a “S” or similarly shaped path without going off the path. I am glad this game challenges him, as this means he is learning something new in an area in which he could use some help.

My boy really enjoys this app a lot, and I know he has a sense of accomplishment as he navigates through these games on his own, has a lot of fun choosing presents and seeing what is inside, and sometimes goes into the present-room to see all the gifts earned - represented by stickers, as these are saved throughout the different times he has played. He likes to moving these stickers around a bit as well. It is nice that this info is kept from one game to the next, but can be reset easily if one chooses. This app also tracks the child's progress through these games.

The look of this app is quite colorful, and I like how Bobo and his friends are amorphous, colorful blobs, each with his own name and gameplay. The world created here is equally colorful, fun and unique. This app both opens and closes with a short video clip explaining the story, a nice addition, but after my son had completed the six games, it would be good if he could bypass the video clips and continue playing instead of starting from the beginning introduction.

Do look at this developer’s related site as it gives more information on each character, as well enabling access to extras that one can print from their own computer. This is a great game to help with toddler and preschool skills in a way that will keep them engaged for a long time to come.

TallyTots is a really fun and creative interactive math app for iPad which teaches number recognition and counting for numbers 1 to 20.

I enjoy how intuitive this app is for kids, as this is an app that I simply opened to the title page for my son and he took over from there, figuring all that there is to learn from this app on his own, but parents will still want to interact with this lovely math app as much as their children will.

This app opens to a blue sky filled with a series of number cards ranging from 1 to 20, waiting to be tapped. After choosing a number, the next screen includes numbers 1 to 10 on the top and 11 to 20 on the bottom of the screen, leaving room in the middle for an interesting interaction illustrating a chosen number. It is nice that for every number selection, narration says ”Let's count to number - “ and pulls the number behind an airplane on a large flag, then counting the top and bottom numbers up to the chosen number. This app also counts to the said number in the middle of the screen with the use of large colorful numbers before the interaction begins, all of which enforces the lessons of numbers, names, and counting.

I really enjoy all the different activities. I am happy to say they are all very different, creative, and unique ways to introduce these numbers, like turning on one light bulb with the touch of a finger from number “1.” These interactions may have puzzle components, like putting four batteries in a small TV that shows an image on its screen when properly put together, or putting shapes in a puzzle box. Activities can also be open-ended, such as creating a seven layer sandwich, or be musical as one can make music tapping on eight differently shaped glass bottles. I appreciate that many of these interactions can be done an infinite number of times, but it would be nice if this were true for all the activities. This app does make it easy to go back and play a number again, but it would be fun to do such things as putting away and taking toys out of their toy box again to repeat the process without going through the intro sequence multiple times.

Sometimes this app counts as the player follows through, completing these activities, such as counting coins as they are added to a piggy bank or as balls travel through a maze. However, it would be nice if a counting option was included where the app activity counts through as each action is performed for all these interactions, if the player chooses. Even without this feature, it is nice to hear my son count to himself as he does things like making fireflies glow or feeding a chipmunk.

I am happy to say that these developers really know what interests kids. This app is bright and colorful, and many of these interactions include some of my son’s favorite interests. We love looking at ornately-decorated cupcakes under a magnifying glass and knocking over dominoes. Even older kids who may be past a counting app will be curious to see what interaction is hiding behind each number. I can see kids of all ages helping their toddler and preschooler siblings play with this app. I have had a lot of fun exploring here myself. I hope that in a future update, when playing with 11’s marble run, one can add the marbles anywhere on the course instead of just at the top. This is a minor note in a wonderfully creative counting app. These developers at Spinlight Studio also came up with the app Swapsies, which I enjoyed. I am curious to see what they come up with next!

Update (3/28/2011): I was just notified by Elly herself that narration is included in this delightful story book! If interested, turn narration “on” found in the settings, top right side of the home page. Thank you, Elly for letting me know! I am sorry I was mistaken.

Big Red Barn is a lovely universal app from the writer and developers of the "Elly" series of story books. Here, this app teaches number and animal recognition, as well as the various sounds that these farm animals make.

My son is a huge fan of Elly the Reindeer, his good friend and favorite reindeer of all time. I could not resist telling him that these farm animals are also friends with Elly and her gang and doing this got the ooohhhs and ahhhs that I expected. We both enjoy this app a great deal, as the illustrations and content are so very cute and inviting. Just about all the animals one can find on a farm are here, and we learn about numbers from 1 to 10 along the way as well.

As with the Elly books, the text is not narrated, making this a lovely book one reads out loud to children and would also make an excellent early reader book as well. Kids will delight in tapping to hear the number spoken or to hear the various animals make their animal sounds incorporating both interactions as well as a classic reading experience. We also love to count the different animals on each page as well, making it an even more engaging. The animals sound very good here and I really enjoy how one can layer different animals together to make this app sound just like a loud and crazy barnyard if one wishes to do so.

My son enjoyed making all the animals sound at once, something easy to do thanks to the last page that brings all the animals and numbers together for the sake of happy tapping. After he was finished here, he also looked at two other farm-themed apps he had not shown interest in for some time, showing me how Big Red Barn nicely peaked his interest in farm-related things. This app is a must-have for animal lovers who are at an age where numbers are new and different, or for older kids who just want to hear the bleating, mooing, and oinking from the tap of a finger. As with the Elly series of apps, one cannot go wrong buying these for baby/toddlers' first apps, as well as beyond.

Math Easy HD is an iPad app which teaches math concepts both for beginner and beyond in this interactive application. It is nice that there are ten different exercises to choose from that range from teaching basic counting and number sequencing to beginner multiplications and double digit subtraction as well as counting by twos and the concepts of odd and even. This app can also be personalized with the picture, name, and age of the child - something children may enjoy.

This app has a lot to offer children as it contains ten interactive activities that are fun to explore, as well as many other objects that one can tap in order to see and hear the names of these objects as they are narrated, a nice touch. I also appreciate the basic look and color scheme of this app, with an appealing pallet of soft blues, greens, and purples as well as other colors. I also like that this app takes the player from the beach to a train theme as well as many other different locations and many animals are included to further the learning experience and to bring a bit of whimsy to this application.

I enjoy many of these sections. I like that when one plays a “connect the dots” themed game, only the numbers in sequence need to be tapped instead of dragging a finger to physically connect the dots, something that would still be hard for my son to do. I also really like an additional activity involving elephants where parents can change the colors of these animals back and forth between blue and brown to keep the game engaging and problems new. It is also nice that children scroll through number choices, tapping and dragging the correct numbers into their corresponding boxes.

I do think, however, that asking kids to count letters in a specific word in one section is more confusing than it needs to be. I as an adult missed a few of these questions when the words got very long and it seems a bit overwhelming, counting letters in a 10 letter word vs. 10 objects like balls or other things that kids are familiar with. Even if this game is not my favorite, there is a lot here to enjoy and learn from. Gold stars are included as rewards and this app praises right answers, which is nice, but I do wish the app would not use the phrase “you are so smart” which is sometimes used, but instead “you work really hard,” as praising a child for being smart has a way of backfiring and causing unforeseen issues. Other than these issues, this is a nice math app kids will enjoy.

Rocket Math is a new universal game involving rocket-building and launching, where one plays math games to earn the money that is used to buy rocket parts. Once your rocket is built and makes its way to space, 56 math based missions can be played with medals that can be won for completed missions, including concepts like square roots and advanced multiplication and division, as well as basic math concepts, making this game great for the entire family.

This is an absorbing game, very involved in terms of the building and launching of the rockets, with both altitude as well as air time being factors for a successful flight. Playing math games in the interest of earning money towards rocket parts is a great motivator, and I am glad that there is not a specific time limit here. The missions are very stimulating and can have an almost frantic pace, a player being able to play only as long as one’s rocket remains in orbit.

I hope that a page of building tips can be added to this app soon. As of now, there is no real explanation as to how to build a successful rocket, and for a long time I was not able to leave the earth’s atmosphere in order to go on the missions.

After watching the YouTube video associated with this game and at first copying their rocket design, I was able to go on a mission, but I wish that I did not have to go hunting for information not supplied in the app to make this game a successful experience. There is info on building the rocket in terms of how to make rocket parts bigger or smaller, as well as other adjustments and other options, and I like the very gracious option that lets the player sell back rocket parts at full price after one tries them out. However, I would really like to see a tutorial added explaining what the basic parts of the rockets do, and what it takes to make a successful rocket, and some basic principles of physics that are used in propelling the rocket.

I do think kids of all ages, from pre-schoolers to adults will enjoy this game very much once they fully understand how the different rocket parts are used. When fully comfortable with how this game works, it is addicting as well as educational.

Didakto is board game-styled app for iPad which is fun and educational for the whole family. Multiple categories are included, specifically math, language, logic, and geography, with questions gauged to age groups from four to twelve years, but in my experience, adults will find these games fun and challenging as well. First, a photo is displayed which is then sectioned into pieces that are further transformed into one half of a matching-style game. Below are the corresponding answers, the object being to drag and drop the top question pieces to their corresponding answers below. When finished, the picture is brought back together and the pieces out of place are those which had not been correctly answered. A personal photo can be used, as well as many options which are included, further personalizing this game. I am impressed with the choice of six different languages as well.

I like that this is a true family game, that there are levels that will fit the needs of a large age range, and that there is no timer here or high scores - something that I greatly appreciate. Four basic categories are included, each subject giving four more specific choices to narrow down interests as well as specific questions for different age groups. All of this makes for a very content-heavy application, and I never feel as though I have played the same game twice, even if in reality I have. The questions are educational and can be very thought-provoking, especially those involving logic.

I did not know if my son, almost three, would be interested or be able to participate in these games, but as I was looking at the four to five year old logic section, he pushed my hand aside and began completing these questions on his own, much to my amazement. He was able to answer these questions himself, but he still needs a little help getting the pieces in the correct areas to hear the satisfying “click” of a tile tapping against a game board.

This is a great game, especially for families who enjoy spending time together playing classic board games, but who also want to embrace the technology of the iPad. I think this would make an especially nice travel game as well, all nicely contained in the iPad with no pieces to keep track of, as well as many variations to choose from.

Park Math is a wonderful iPhone app from one of my favorite developers, Duck Duck Moose. This app helps kids ages 1-6 explore math concepts in a way that is bright and cheerful and above all else, never seems like work. I am impressed with how content-rich the app is, having 7 activities to choose from as well as two levels of difficulty, all with a lovely theme of animals having fun, playing at a park. Recently, an iPad version, Park Math HD has been released which also includes a 3rd level as well.

I really like how children get to choose to either follow a roller-skating blue bear as he leads them through the park to different games, or simply choose a section by tapping one of seven kite icons the sky above which represent each activity. I also appreciate how different levels of knowledge are covered, from the basics of counting in sequence to more advanced math like addition and subtraction which are very interactive, tapping to add ducks as they take their turns down a slide, and learning by subtracting apples as they fall from trees. Best of all, kids can take their time learning these concepts, working at their own pace without feeling rushed. It intrigues me how focused my son is when he is working with this app, and I do see these experiences transitioning into his daily life. He has become very interested in counting the objects of his world, now we add as well as take things away from his piles and I am happy to say he can keep up. This app is educational, but more importantly, it is fun. My son really enjoys all the animals this app has to offer, having lots of fun interacting with them.

I would love Duck Duck Moose to do for basic reading what it did for math. A lot of apps teach the alphabet, but I would love to see one go further down this path to including both the letters and phonics as well as sounding out words and ultimately sentences. If anyone can do this, it is Duck Duck Moose.

Splish Splash Inn is a beautiful application that teaches number recognition and counting. Sea-themed, this app takes place at the “Splish Splash Inn,” a hotel for fish. Go door to door, find out what kind of fish is staying in each room, and practice counting with the narration as each fish swims into the room. There are 10 rooms to choose from. This would be a lovely game in and of itself, but what makes this app all the more special is that each fish is musical and you can help them swim around as well. Tap to play, and drag to move around the screen. The drawings are beautiful, the music is well done, and I enjoy introducing my son to the names of these fish this way. As an adult, I also like how each hotel room is styled differently, a nice touch parents will appreciate.

I think it's great how children can play this game at their own pace, and I am impressed with how long this app holds both my 2.5+ year old son’s, as well as my attention. The first time we played, my boy wanted to quickly go to every room to see what kind of fish there was to discover. Now when he plays, he stays longer in each room, tapping and dragging the fish around the screen, being really engaged with their sounds. My favorite rooms are those where the fish play octaves so one can really make music with them. The effect can be quite magical. Others have more of a random noise quality that is still fun and entertaining, but not as musical.

I really hope the developers at Shortstack continue to make children’s educational apps. The quality here is grand, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

MathGirl Addition House is the newest installment in a series of MathGirl apps designed to increase girls' confidence and literacy in mathematics, here specifically addition. Like MathGirl Number Garden, this app has a lovely floral theme which will be of interest to many girls. There are twelve levels to master, each increasing in difficulty as you continue to play, and the faster you get the correct answers, the more points you earn. Redeem these points to decorate your house; you are able to choose paint colors, decorative doors and windows, and other things to make your house personal and special.

I showed this app to my 2.5+ year old son, and he is able to complete the first few levels with a little help from me. I was glad that, although you get more points for speed, he was able to take as long as he needed, working at his own pace to answer correctly and was still able to collect points for his hard work. If he answers wrong, he is able to keep playing until he answers correctly. Once when we went to redeem these points, my son did not have enough to get what he wanted, and it was his idea to play again to earn more. It was nice to see how enthusiastic he was about playing this math game, and I like that with twelve levels to choose from, this app will grow with my child.

The most interesting thing about this app is that if you own both MathGirl Number Garden and MathGirl Addition House, these apps can sync together so you can look at both the garden and house side by side, creating a highly personalized and detailed landscape to be proud of. I am very curious to see what the next app - MathGirl Multiplication - has to offer, and I am looking forward to syncing all three together for an even grander landscape.

"Mr. Hat and the Magic Cube" is a new interactive game for children involving kids being transported to a magical world after playing with a mysterious cube. They can’t go home until they help Mr. Hat find the cube’s stolen pieces.

This app combines both animation and games that help teach spelling and vocabulary, counting, matching, dexterity, and puzzles, getting more difficult each time you play. Being plot-heavy for a kids app, "Mr. Hat and the Magic Cube" contains 3D animated video clips rivaling those of serious adult games.

I do think, however, that it takes too long to be able to go home for a children’s game, and I found it to be tiring and a bit frustrating, even for an adult. I like that the app saves your progress, but when you solve the game, I really wish it would start over from the beginning.

Putting these issues aside, I really enjoy the magical world the developers have created. Part Willy Wonka, part Dr. Seuss, this world is trippy and maybe even a little creepy for some parents. I find this refreshing compared to the other soft and fuzzy learning apps we play. I am curious to see what happens in the next "Mr. Hat" application.

"Pre-K Safari" is an amazing education app, teaching letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. Each activity has a safari theme and is great for kids who love animals. The music has an African beat, the sound quality is high, and I find it relaxing to listen to. Each game is narrated by a friendly hyena who gives praise for the correct answer and lets the player know when the answer is wrong but is always kind and encouraging. You can also track your child’s progress with an achievement screen.

I don't think I ever taught my son how to use this app. All the activities are very intuitive, and he picked it up very quickly on his own. My son knew all his letters, numbers, shapes, and colors by just over 2 years, and I give this app and ones like it credit for helping him learn these things without any struggle whatsoever. As an adult, I find this app enjoyable as well. The colors game is taught by touching different colored butterflies, and I find their flying around quite lovely. There is also a free lite version to try, but this app is worth much more than $.99.

"MathGirl Number Garden" is an application designed to help girls gain confidence in math, specifically counting and beginner multiplication. This app is pleasant to look at and has girls in mind with the garden aesthetic. There are twelve levels that increase in difficulty, and the faster you answer the questions, the more points you get. Redeem your points to buy objects such as flowers or butterflies to add to your garden.

I like the fact that although you get more points for speed, there is no time limit to win the base number of points for a right answer, and if you answer wrong at first, you can keep trying. I think adding objects to the garden page is a nice motivation for girls to go back and practice their math skills.

I showed my garden to my 2.5 year old son, and he was really interested in this until he asked me to add a second pink bunny, but I could not. I wish you could just buy whatever you want with the points that you have earned. I do think that this is a fun app and a nice teaching tool that girls will enjoy using.