7 Fun Holiday Apps for Kids (+ Giveaway!)

It's beginning to feel a lot like Merry Hanukkahkwanzaismtas. Yes, folks. The holidays are HERE.

Here are a few apps to help you celebrate the season with your kiddos. Great for entertaining while you're trying to squeeze in another grocery store trip (did you remember the flour this time?) or just some tech-savvy ways of adding holiday magic.

All apps are Bug approved. Even the Hanukkah ones, and we're not even Jewish. Plus we're giving away a Kiddie Christmas Tree app! Scroll down for more info.

baltimore kneebouncers want you to play... and they're giving away an app!

 Kneebouncers love play. And the local dad-owned company wants to share the play -- with everyone.

KneeBouncers is GIVING AWAY five of their fan favorite games in one app. KneeBouncers Big Little Games Vol 1 will be available for Android, iPhone, iPad and iPodTouch FOR FREE for a limited time. All to kick off their new Bounce, Play, Learn! Initiative.

“We love this app and we want to share it with the world. You get five fun educational and entertaining games, so you're really getting five apps,”  added co-creator Kurt Dommermuth. “The games are some of the very favorites directly from KneeBouncers.com, so they have been test driven by millions of babies and toddlers worldwide!”

app giveaway: bernstein bears' bedtime battle

Is bedtime a grumble at your house? Then you'll love one of the latest app releases from Oceanhouse Media: Bernstein Bears' Bedtime Battle!

The beloved Bernstein Bears' children's book series is coming to 'app-live' through Oceanhouse Media, and Bedtime Battle is the first book release. From the first announcement that it's time for bed through all of the cub's antics (sllloooowwwwllllyyy picking up the toys, picking out several bedtime stories, needing two tons of tub toys -- any of this sounding eerily familiar?) to Mama and Papa falling asleep reading bedtime stories, it's delightful.

The app provides the option to have the book read aloud to the child (either in auto mode or in a self-directed mode), or the child can read the book to him or herself when they've acquired decoding skills. In addition to the book text being read, a child can select various objects in the room to see and hear the identifying word. Great way for your toddler to start associating text with objects!

The app is currently available for iPad and iPhone for $3.99 from iTunes.

Want to win a free Bernstein Bears Bedtime Battles app for your iPhone or iPad? Just fill out this quick form. We'll announce the winner on our facebook page next Wednesday at 12:00 PM EDT (so you have until then to enter!).

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free download of Bernstein Bears Bedtime Battle from Oceanhouse Media in order to evaluate the product for review. All of the opinions expressed in this post are mine. That's (cool) progeny's promise to our readers: 100% honesty. If we didn't love it, we would never have shared it!

app giveaway: bob books reading magic 2

Back in April, I shared the debut of the Bob Books Reading Magic Apps from Learning Touch. Well, they just released 12 more scenes in Volume 2!

So, no surprise. Bob Books Reading Magic #2 is my pick for week two of our month-long app giveaway extravappganza.

Here's a snipped of what I said in April:

I love when learning and fun are fused purposefully -- and creatively -- through technology. Which is why I'm impressed with the Bob Books Reading Magic app. By blending animation, letter recognition exercises, letter-sound matching, touch screen technology and simple stories, the best selling Bob Books become more structurally interactive for emergent readers.

Still holds true for the Volume 2 release. Need a few more reasons to give this app a try? I've got three for you:

1. When your kiddo accurately completes a task, the black and white line drawing transforms to a full-color illustration -- just like when you know how to comprehend a text, the story comes to life.
   
   
2. There are several different levels, so you can scale the learning activities based on the reading readiness of your child. Even the youngest of toddlers can do level one -- a drag and drop the letters to match a word. Young kids are beginning to identify letters, objects and symbols, so this is an age appropriate task for pre-schoolers. The app also teaches left to right letter order, spelling without visual hints and/or picking letters to spell words. Think of it like buying shoes for a toddler: it's an app that can entertain your toddler now but still has lots of room to grow.
   
   
3. Usually I love apps that have a whole lotta animation and movement. But for the Bob Books app, I love the simplicity of their animations. Leaves a lot of room for your toddler to use their own imagination to build a story.
   

The app is currently available for iPad and iPhone for $1.99 from iTunes.

Want to win a free Bob Books 2 app for your iPhone? Just fill out this quick form. We'll announce THREE WINNERS on our facebook page next Wednesday at 12:00 PM EDT (so you have until then to enter!).

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free download of Bob Books Reading Magic 2 from Learning Touch in order to evaluate the product for review. All of the opinions expressed in this post are mine. That's (cool) progeny's promise to our readers: 100% honesty. If we didn't love it, we would never have shared it!

app giveaway: who says moo?

Many of my favorite toddler and childrens' app developers have come out with brand new products in the past few days. Naturally, I feel inclined to share the good ones with you! So each Thursday in August, I'll be sharing a sanity-saving, hand-it-to-them-in-the-grocery-store-to-prevent-the-fruit-snack-meltdown app. And giving one away to a lucky reader!

First up? Who Says Moo. Created by Charm City's own KneeBouncers.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I am the Social Media Mom for KneeBouncers. I took on the KneeBouncers gig because I think they have a fantastic product and they're a local parent-owned company. Grounded in play, their apps are phenomenal teaching tools for the tiniest of pint-sizers.

So it wasn't surprising that the dad-duo founders attempted -- and succeeded -- in re-envisioning the eBook experience with their Who Says Moo app.

What do I love about it? Colorful illustrations, clever animations, toddler-designed touchscreen navigation, and a special voice recording feature that can make anyone — you, your tot’s older sibling or a favorite aunt — the narrator of the story.

It really is a toddler-friendly app. The Bug can easily navigate through the electronic book pages and loves the unpredictable 'disguises' the animal characters take on. She also gets a kick out of creating a cacophony of animal sounds by clicking all of them at the same time. It's like one loud barnyard mosh pit.

Every time the 7-year-old narrator's voice comes on and asks "Who Says Moo," the Bug erupts in "MEEE. MOOOO. I say Moo. The cow says moo, too." It's just too stinkin' cute.

Currently available for iPad for just $2.99, the local company has plans to offer the same app for iPhone, Android and even as part of their suite of online games very soon.

Want to win a free Who Says Moo app for your iPad? Just fill out this quick form. We'll announce a winner on our facebook page next Wednesday at 12:00 PM EDT (so you have until then to enter!).

mini-me app: toddler email

If your tot is anything like mine, he or she is a little mini me! One of the Bug's favorite things to do is grab my cell phone and talk on it -- or even pretend to text. Some mornings she mumbles "puter," opens the laptop and starts hitting the keys. Not in any apparent order, but in a fashion where the typing pattern sounds like my own.

{{Side note: I may be "too connected."}}

21 X 20 MixMedia Inc. has created an email app -- just for your toddler. Aptly called Toddler Email. Now your kiddos can get their "mail" on your iPhone.

Well - - that's how you read your mail right?

I downloaded the app today and it's a really cute take on email for the pint sizers. Before you start worrying about identity protection, know that no real person emails your child. There isn't even a place to enter his or her name (as with the LeapFrog products). It's an email graphic-looking interface used to introduce your tyke to nursery rhymes, classic rhyme characters and an assortment of online games -- everything from matching to letter recognition. The games are displayed in an email menu, while nursery rhyme characters are displayed in a 'friends' menu.

Entre into the world of 'contacts.' Starting with Twinkle Twinkle.

From the developer:

Each friendly email not only teaches them the basics of spelling, counting and memorization, but also introduces the basic technology of email in a way they can easily understand. After each email has been checked, children can tap the "Check for new Email" button to generate more emails. And because every email is randomly generated, your child can even play and replay a single email many, many times!

The downside? The background music. It seems a bit loud in comparison with the characters your child is supposed to be listening to. There may be a way to turn it off in the settings, but I can't seem to access them (it says to slide your finger across the bottom to access info and settings... but it doesn't work for me).

All in all, 99 cents well worth it. Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

tech thursday: 5 apps to tame road trips with toddlers

Summer road trip season is upon us. Luckily for all you tech-savvy parents out there, your smart phone will give you a few tricks to hide up your virtual sleeve that makes road travel with toddlers just a wee bit easier. Here are five apps I'm currently loving (and you will too!).

Road Trip Bingo
Get your kids looking out the window! Sure, you can play the low-tech version of this game, but you gotta admit, it's kinda fun to shake the phone to create your bingo card. The app contains more than 40 items to find and displays them in image format. Perfect for toddlers! Note, there is mildly annoying music with this app. Don't worry - you can turn it off. Developed by Bright Bunny, you can play this app on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. (99 cents)

Where Do Kids Eat Free Today?
Yeah, you heard me. An app that uses your current location to find the nearest restaurants hosting 'kids eat free' nights. Save a little green on your road trip, too! You can also submit restaurants with kids eat free nights via the app, which helps expand the database. Available for iPhone and Android, from Youniversal Apps. Don't want the app? You can use your phone's web browser to search their website database by zip code. (99 cents)

My Little Suitcase
The last time we went on a trip, the Bug put three t-shirts and her blanket in a suitcase and said she was ready to go. My Little Suitcase begins with a bright menu of choices for a beach trip, snow trip, camp trip, or sleepover. Kids get to pack their own mittens, camping lanterns and beach balls. One by one, they choose items into the suitcase until packing is complete. Designed for kids ages 2-6, this is a great app to start teaching your kids about travel. So when they arrive at their destination, they're ready to PLAY. Available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad from My Busy Kit. (99 cents)

Sunday Drive Scenic Route
Wanna travel 'like a local?' Download this FREE app, which highlights ideal tours for families, adventurers and explorers featuring the best of America's back roads and hidden treasures. Simple & easy to use, just click ‘Options’ at the to right side of the screen. Click Drives to view a listing of routes sorted by distance from your location. Impromptu road trip or need to make an unscheduled pit stop? You're covered. You can even suggest routes/destinations within the app using the 'share' button. (FREE)

Sit or Squat
You betcha. It's exactly what you think it is. An app to help you find the nearest restroom. As a mom about to embark on my first potty training adventure, this is going to be super handy. There isn't too much more to say about this one. Developed by Densebrain and 100% FREE. (FREE).

What apps are you swearing by? Would love to hear about them! Just leave a comment.

Tech Thursday is a join project of (cool) progeny and Classic Play. Each week, both blogs will take on a family-tech related topic. Want to read a past tech thursday post? Just visit either blog and search 'tech thursday.'

fab find: bob books reading magic

The fabulous minds at at Bob Books and Learning Touch have teamed up an app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch that puts the Dick and Sally word workbooks I suffered through in kindergarten to shame...

{{Remember those books? Yeah. Stimulating. My thoughts exactly. Did anyone else not care where Dick was running?}}

Here's where I geek out for a second. You all know that my background is in literacy development. But as a mom that believes in the power of play, I'm always wary about inundating my not-yet-two-year-old with flash cards or apps that simulate flash cards. Einstein never used them, right?

I love when learning and fun are fused purposefully -- and creatively -- through technology. Which is why I'm impressed with the Bob Books Reading Magic app. By blending animation, letter recognition exercises, letter-sound matching, touch screen technology and simple stories, the best selling Bob Books become more structurally interactive for emergent readers.

Pretty (cool).

Let me give you a concrete example: when a child correctly matches letter tiles to the word, the image goes from black and white to color. In my mind, this illustrates just how text comes to life when you're able to comprehend it. A very powerful message to send to developing minds.

The stories themselves are not -- well -- deep. Nor are the sentences complex. But they aren't supposed to be. Sentences are designed to teach word families and help developing readers recognize word patterns (i.e. "Sam had a cat." and "Mat sat.") Perfect for pre-schooler/early elementary readers, but the content might not be compelling if you have an older struggling reader at home.

You can download Volume 1 of the Bob Books Reading Magic App from iTunes for $1.99. Well worth it.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free download of Bob Books Reading Magic from Learning Touch in order to evaluate the product for review. All of the opinions expressed in this post are mine. That's (cool) progeny's promise to our readers: 100% honesty. If we didn't love it, we would never have shared it!

fab find: weelicious app

Are you familiar with the website weelicious.com? For a mom like me who has a little bit of crunch in her {{yes, we did make all of the Bug's baby food}}, it's a fabulous resource. Developed by mom Catherine McCord, Weelicious is a one-stop shop for toddler friendly recipes, nutrition information, foodie-related parenting thoughts and more. With message boards and video tutorials, it's one of those comprehensive resources I just love going back to time and time again.

And now there's an app. For iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

So when I walk down the grocery store aisle or stop by the farmer's market and see that there are excellent prices for white asparagus or pea tendrils, I can whip out the app and see if Catherine has come up with a fabulous recipe that has high bug-approval potential.

You'll be able to access tutorial videos, the Weelicious facebook/twitter communities, search recipes by keyword/ingredient or create your own personalized shopping list.

Did I mention it's free?

For more information about the app, please check out the announcement post on the Weelicious blog.

On a side note, Catherine does not believe in sneaking veggies. You know that I'm for doing whatever you need in order to make sure your child has the nutrition they need. So, I'm for balance. While I don't believe I'll ever put broccoli or spinach in brownies, blending veggies into tomato sauce is something I've ALWAYS done. It's not a covert operation in my opinion. Just good common sense. Go ahead and give your sauce full-bodied flavor. You don't have to tell you kids -- or your husband -- about it.