M's Favorite iPad Apps - Spring 2012

When I can get M to do something on the iPad other than watching episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, these are her favorite applications (in no particular order):

1. Monkey Math School - this app, from the creators of Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, is M's fave. It has taught her to recognize numbers, patterns and even simple equations like 1+1=2. There are a few levels that I have to help her with, but she can spend a good 10 minutes with this app and not get bored. It has also helped her understand how to actually count. Get this app now, as I can't say enough good things about it!

2. Another Monster at the End of this Book - the sequel to everyone's favorite Monster at the End of this Book, features everyone's favorite monster Elmo, along with his pal Grover. Your kid will listen (or read) along while Grover reads the text, and help Grover and Elmo get to the end of the book by performing simple tasks.

3. Monster Coloring - With this simple app your kids can color in outlines of hipster monsters.

4. Count the Animals - Another very simple idea - when you touch the animals on the screen it counts them aloud. The cool thing about this is that you can do it in 15 different languages. For some reason M always sets it to Japanese.

5. Old MacDonald by Duck Duck Moose - This app makes me laugh out loud whenever I see her play it. You can sing along to the classic Old MacDonald song, while touching the animals on the screen, which makes them do silly things - like the cow who is wearing Ray Bans and reading "Moo Yorker."

6. Peekaboo Barn - What kills me about this app is that the kid that says all the animal names sounds exactly like M. I mean exactly. You simply have to touch the barn and the doors open, revealing an animal that makes a noise, then the child says what type of animal it is, and your kid repeats it.

7. It's a Small World - So I like this app a lot more than M does. It is visually beautiful, and I of course have a soft spot in my heart for anything old school Disney. For each line of the classic song you are taken to an illustrated part of the world, where little kids (that of course all look alike) move about and dance and whatnot. It is really well done, and worth the space it takes up on the iPad.

For the past list of favorite iPad apps click here, or here.