For those of us raised in a world without smartphones, the internet, or laptop computers (Yes, I know my age is showing.), coding may seem complicated and challenging to learn, but it doesn't have to be. Coding languages come much more naturally for young minds that have already been exposed to smart technology from a young age. The trick lies in how you teach it. For kids, learning is always easier when it's fun. That's where Apple iPad comes in. 

Getting started

The quickest way to get kids started on programming is to download a fun coding app. I suggest the Swift Playgrounds platform, an Apple creation where users can learn coding through a vast library of simple lessons and activities. Here, your child will learn to code in Apple's app-coding language, Swift, but many principles are the same as in other languages with concepts like loops, if-else statements, and functions. 

Both of my kids have explored Swift Playgrounds on their best iPads and were able to master the first few lessons quickly. However, I will say that their attention spans are short. After about 20 minutes or so, they would prefer to play mindless games with friends in Minecraft, so some incentivization is required to keep them working through the activities, especially as the concepts become more complicated. 

The real beauty of Swift Playgrounds is that once the coding concepts are mastered, the platform can be used to create and preview real iOS apps that can be uploaded to the Apple app store and released to the masses. It's a truly powerful tool many adults use to learn, code, and upload apps in the Swift language. If your child has a true affinity for coding (the jury is still out on my kids), then Swift Playgrounds can be used to begin a budding career in app building! Even if they don't get that far, I am happy knowing that my kids are exposed to various basic coding concepts that can be used across many types of coding languages.

Toys that code

A more hands-on approach for kids to learn to code is a toy that can be programmed to perform different tasks using code. In other words, some kind of robot. Several brands claim to offer this kind of toy, but many are exceedingly simple. One brand that offers a much more intensive experience is Engino. Engino has a range of robotic vehicles and toys that can be programmed using common coding commands.

The beauty of the Engino Ginobot is that it offers many ways to play, suiting kids of different ages and capacities. First, the bot needs to be built. Any child that can handle a Lego build can put the GinoBot together, although it does take some time. Once it's built, the child can program it in several different ways. It starts with manual hand-coding using buttons on the actual device. This is important for younger kids, like my son of eight years, so that they can see how the button commands translate to physical controls. Once the child understands how physical programming works, they can move on to virtual programming using an iPad app. 

Engino has two different coding apps that work with the GinoBot. One is very simple, intended for younger kids that want a quick, easy way to control the robot. Unfortunately, we could not get the Engino app to pair with our GinoBot, so we jumped directly to the Keiro app, a much more intensive coding platform that allows the user to create sophisticated programs for the GinoBot to perform. 

My son needed a lot of help figuring out the Keiro app because it is pretty sophisticated, but I think it would be easier for older kids and teens to understand. Like Swift Playgrounds, the Keiro app uses universal coding principles like for-loops and functions. There is a document of detailed instructions within the app, and once you get going, the programming comes to life. All the programs are created using visual widgets that can be moved, connected, and manipulated, which is great for kids. Seeing the commands laid out visually helps kids to understand how everything works together to produce a program. Once the program is finished, it can be sent to the GinoBot to perform.

The Keiro platform can be used with both iPad and Mac, and there are hundreds of different ways to manipulate the GinoBot through movement, tasks, lights, and sounds. Once a program is created, it can be saved and reused at any time. Any child with the attention span and affinity to stick with it can make the GinoBot perform any number of excellent robotic tasks. Since the Inventor Series also comes with different builds, kids can also build other models to see what each can do. 

Moving forward

As I've already mentioned, most kids have short attention spans, so starting slow is best. Every child is different, and some will show more affinity for coding than others. Whether you're using apps or toys, young children will likely need some help and incentives to dedicate the time required to learn more complicated coding concepts. My son shows more affinity for this than my daughter, but even he gets confused and frustrated when the content get more advanced (and his commands don't work right!). 

Incentivization works well for us. When my kids master a new concept or learn to perform a new program, I reward them with more time to play the less educational apps and games they love (but I do not.). Using this method, they have been learning all sorts of concepts that are difficult even for me to understand. After all, coding is a way of thinking as much as a language. That's where the real benefit lies. 

For kids that do show an affinity for coding and the attention span required for advanced learning, the possibilities are endless. The Ginobot is one example of a coding toy that keeps giving. Engino offers additional attachments and hardware on their website so kids can continuously experiment with ways to program and play with their robotic toys. This is an excellent way for older children and teens to experiment with advanced coding and robotics.

On that note, Swift Playgrounds also has enormous potential for kids to program real apps and games that they can upload to the app store and share with their friends. Even if it's just for fun, these activities offer an excellent leg-up for children going into STEM fields. 

As a parent or guardian in this day and age, it's likely that you will be asked at some point to buy your kid(s) a Nintendo Switch. And although Nintendo is known for its family-friendly games and kid-friendly systems, it still may be a tough choice to decide whether or not to grant your child's wish of buying them a gaming console. So what is the right age to buy your kid a Switch? Well, the answer isn't as simple as a baseline number and will depend on your kid.

Although I'm not a parenting expert, I am a parent who enjoys researching video game topics and playing games. With this perspective, I'd say that like most things in parenting, the most important thing to consider is that every child is different. It's possible for a child as young as three or four to be able to play a Nintendo Switch, whereas an older child, about six or seven, could possibly handle having their own Switch Lite system.

To make yourself comfortable with the idea of buying a Nintendo Switch for your little one to use, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the parental control options and take several other things into consideration.

Things to consider before buying your child a Switch

There are a few things for parents to consider before getting their kid a Nintendo Switch such as:

Reading Level: When I gave my six-year-old nephew a Nintendo Switch and a copy of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! I thought I had given him a gift he'd absolutely love. However, while he was initially very excited to play, it soon became apparent that his reading level wasn't at a good place for text-heavy games. Instead of having fun, he felt like the experience was a task and got frustrated quickly. Of course, the flipside to this is that the Switch can be used as a way to encourage your children to learn to read. You just want to make sure the games you get are good for their reading level or that you take the time to help them through tough sections. Some games have little to no text while others are extremely text-heavy.

Motor function: Kids around six to seven years old are generally at the right developmental stage to be able to comprehend the complexities of some of the more popular video games, by pushing multiple buttons at once and understanding how to hold onto the controllers. However, some kids might not enjoy using the gaming system or might need additional attention and assistance when playing.

Responsibility: Nintendo's gaming systems aren't cheap, so you'll want to think about how responsible your kid will be with the console. Will they accidentally leave it somewhere and lose it? Could they get angry at a game and throw the console? What about the tiny cartridges? Do you think they're likely to misplace them? As a tip, buying digital games will make it so they can't lose any cartridges. As for console damage, there are cases and other Switch accessories to help protect the system. Additionally, you might want to set up some rules about where the Switch can be placed to keep it safe. 

Play limits: As a gamer, I know how easy it is to get sucked into a game and want to play it all day every day. However, that's obviously not healthy for a growing child. Fortunately, the Switch offers parental controls so you can set up play hours, restrict access to certain games, and put a password on digital purchases. So that should help you out. 

Which Switch should you buy?

One of the best things about the Nintendo Switch is that it's a versatile console with plenty of options for everyone. When considering which version of the Switch to buy your kid you have a few options: There's the original Switch, the Switch OLED, and the Switch Lite.

Whenever someone asks me which one to get, I always suggest the Switch or Switch OLED over the Switch Lite. That's because there are so many fun multiplayer Switch games out there that your kid will probably want a console that they can play on TV with friends or family. The Joy-Con controllers on these larger systems can be detached and turned sideways to easily be used as two separate controllers for multiplayer fun anywhere you are. 

The less expensive Switch Lite, however, cannot dock to a TV and doesn't have removable Joy-Con for easy multiplayer. It's also important to note that some Switch games don't work on Switch Lite or don't work as well since the smaller system doesn't have all the features of the two other consoles. Still, if you think your kid will mainly just want to play solo games, then the Switch Lite isn't a bad option.

So how do you decide between Switch and Switch OLED? It mostly depends on what you're looking for. The Switch OLED costs $50 more than the base Switch because of the larger OLED screen, double the internal memory, an updated dock, and an improved kickstand. You're going to have to buy a microSD card, either way, so the Switch's 32GB of internal storage versus the Switch OLED's 64GB isn't much of a factor. And unless you really think your kid would enjoy that slightly larger OLED display, it's fine to get the base Switch to save some cash.

Which Switch games to buy

When it comes to all of the best Nintendo switch games, you have to decide what's age-appropriate for your kid and consider the difficulty of each game. For instance, there are a large variety of Switch games for young kids that even a toddler can play. 

There's also an ever-growing list of free Switch games. So you might be able to find a game they love that won't require you to spend a penny. Though, be aware that many free games include in-game purchases. The gaming system can even be used to help kids learn as there are a bunch of the best educational Switch games out there.

Of course, there are countless other options as well. Since the Switch has many indie developers, they create the best indie games that sometimes offer simpler and shorter gameplay. Younger kids can play these app-style games easily by downloading them from the Nintendo eShop. For toddlers and other small children, you'll want to look for games that utilize more of the screen than the controllers, as that will be easier for them to pick up on. Or, to make gaming easier in general, you could purchase a specially-made kid-friendly controller as well. These often feature simpler controls and grips that make the controller safer to hold.

How to best protect the Switch

We all know kids can be clumsy and unpredictable; and sometimes they react to things inappropriately. Although the Switch is pretty affordable in comparison to other consoles, it's still a lot of money to invest for it to just get damaged — accident or not. Finding a reliable Switch screen protector and a Switch case or perhaps a Switch travel case will save you a lot of headaches and repair fees. Plus, these can serve as fun ways for your kid to customize and personalize their system too! Just make sure you buy the right accessory for the kind of Switch you have as the Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite are all different sizes.

Another tip? If you're buying a Switch for a younger child, it may be wise to keep the console in docked mode. That way you won't have to worry about a toddler's tendency to randomly chuck things across the room.

How to use parental controls and understand Switch game ratings

Though often seen as a children's console, the Switch is home to several adult Switch games. So it's important to know that just like with movies and TV shows, there are game ratings that let you know what the suggested age and content warnings are. These are called ESRB ratings and parents can type in any game name on their website to get information about it. 

There are descriptions below the rating that outline the specific details that led to the reasoning for the rating. This will allow parents to see what their children may see or hear in-game and decide how to handle the decision to buy it. If nothing else, this could save you hours of researching, allowing you to understand the content of any game from the get-go.

Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch Parental Control App also makes it easy to monitor your kid's Nintendo account, prevent access to certain games, whitelist specific games, place playtime limits, and more right from your phone. That way you never have to worry about your kid seeing or playing something they shouldn't. 

Fun for all ages!

While video games get a bad rep sometimes, they can help kids develop some cognitive skills and even learn in a fun way. Although we don't want kids to play for endless hours, an hour or less a day with some longer weekend sessions and supervised game content can be a great way for kids to learn. It's all about making the decisions that fit your family's lifestyle and parenting style. 

Once your child is responsible enough for their own system or your family is ready to facilitate some screen time together, Nintendo offers lots of options, like the best family-friendly games, to help keep the laughs and thrills going. Don't stress and have some family fun together!

The best iPad for kids will keep them entertained for hours, whether they love learning, drawing, playing games or just watching YouTube videos. But how do you decide which iPad is best for your kids? 

That's a tough decision, as there are now several options available, but none of them are particularly cheap. We think the entry-level, ninth-generation iPad is the best iPad for kids because it gives you a large screen, great internals for the price, a home button with Touch ID, and long battery life that will keep kids busy for hours. Plus, it runs the latest iPadOS without a hitch and will last for years to come.

However, if you have s premium budget you might want to consider newer models, like the iPad Air 5. If your child is a bit older and would be using a new tablet primarily for school, then take a look at our best iPad for students guide. Whichever you choose, be sure to buy a good iPad case before you hand it over. Take a look at our best iPad cases guide for inspiration.

Still here? On we go, then, to the best iPad for kids. 

Quick List

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The best iPad for kids: in depth

The best iPad for kids overall

In our review of the standard iPad, we pointed out that you're getting the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer at a very affordable price point, easily making it the best iPad for kids. The iPad has the A13 Bionic chip inside, so it's an upgrade over the previous generation for the entry-level iPad. 

The large 10.2-inch screen is also great for kids who want to play some games, watch videos, and even do school work. Plus, the regular iPad even has the Smart Connector, allowing support for the Apple Smart Keyboard and other Apple accessories.

The regular iPad comes with either 64GB or 256GB of storage space, which should be plenty for your kids. There is only a $150 difference between the two, so if you need more storage, it's not going to cost an arm and a leg. Still, even with the 64GB of space, it should be enough, even if you use the 8MP camera and 1080p HD video recording with slo-mo video support at 720p at 120 frames per second (FPS). Speaking of cameras, the iPad now has Center Stage on the front-facing 12MP camera, perfect for FaceTime calls with grandparents or distance learning.

The iPad still retains the traditional Home button that many still prefer using. With the Home button, you get the Touch ID fingerprint sensor for biometrics. The iPad also has about 10 hours of battery life, which should be plenty to keep kids entertained.

Just look at how much you can get for much less with the standard iPad than you would pay for other tablets.

The best premium option

In our review of the iPad Air 5 launched in 2022, we said it's our favorite overall iPad model to date. It's definitely pricier than the entry-level iPad with a starting price of $599, but it is a great overall tablet for older (and more responsible) kids.

With the iPad Air 5, you're getting a mid-range tablet that has a few iPad Pro-level features, but at a lower price point. It has a 10.9-inch LED‑backlit Multi‑Touch display, so your kids will have a nice, large screen to play games, watch videos, and do homework on. There are also no bezels on the display, but the iPad Air 5 retains the Touch ID biometric sensor — it's now in the Side button.

You get Apple's powerful M1 chip and eight-core CPU in the iPad Air 5, so it has increased power efficiency and overall better performance than its predecessor. The iPad Air 5 also works with the second-generation Apple Pencil, so if your kid likes to express themselves through art, this is a better tablet for doing so. If you buy the cellular model, it's also 5G-compatible.

There is also a 12MP front-facing camera with Center Stage on the iPad Air 5, making it the perfect device to have FaceTime calls with friends and family. It also has a nice 12MP camera on the back, which is a big upgrade over the entry-level iPad, though it's up to you if it's worth the cost.

The iPad Air 5 comes in new colors, and you have options of 64GB or 256GB for storage. Unfortunately, it's missing Face ID. It may cost a little more than the regular iPad, but it's another best iPad for kids contender, as long as you can afford it and your child is careful with their tech.

Apple's newest iPad Air is packed with features not available on our recommended model. Expect to pay extra, however.

The best compact iPad

In 2021, Apple announced the iPad mini 6, which is the latest iteration of the smallest iPad. In our review, we point out that it weighs just 0.65 pounds, resembling the latest iPad Air but in a smaller form factor. This makes it one of the best iPads for kids since it's a great fit for smaller hands.

The 8.3-inch tablet has the A15 chip for better performance, a True Tone Liquid Retina display, second-generation Apple Pencil support, and also comes in 64GB and 256GB storage capacities. The 12MP front-facing camera has the Center Stage feature that Apple has brought to the entire current iPad lineup. Now 5G connectivity has come to the iPad mini. The only thing it's missing is a Smart Connector.

Don't confuse a smaller screen size with spending less, however. We've included the iPad mini on this list for one simple reason: if you're looking for a compact, easily portable iPad, it's the only game in town. The iPad mini 6 is substantially more expensive than the entry-level iPad.

When convenience and portability matter, consider the 8.3-inch iPad mini.

The best iPad on a budget

One option to consider when buying an iPad for your child is picking up an older model. When this sixth-generation iPad arrived in March 2018, it became the first non-iPad Pro model to support Apple Pencil as noted in our review. Given the price difference between it and the more premium iPad offerings, this was and continues to be a big deal. Perhaps the last Apple iPad to feature a 9.7-inch display, the 2018 iPad offers plenty of great features that make it our budget choice for kids even though Apple no longer sells the model itself.

This particular model has an 8MP back camera with f/2.4 aperture and 1080p HD video recording with slo-mo video support for 720p at 120FPS. It has Apple's second-generation Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the Home button. Battery life is also similar to the current model — up to 10 hours of surfing the web and watching a video.

Why shouldn't you consider the iPad 2018 versus the iPad 2021? The older model offers a slower A10 Fusion chip compared to the A13 Bionic chip with Neural Engine found on the newer one. It also lacks some of the newer features such as Center Stage.

The 2018 iPad can also prove difficult to find new on the market, and the one linked below is a renewed model. Amazon Renewed products are not Apple certified but have been inspected and tested by Amazon-qualified suppliers. These products come with the 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee.

You can save big money on this iPad, which is officially retired but is still available (refurbished) at some retailers.

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Q & A

While the best iPad is great for most people, you may want something a little more affordable for the kids. Our recommendation for most kids is the standard 10.2-inch iPad. It's a great entry-level device. You get a large 10.2-inch screen that works great for playing games, watching videos, and doing homework (complete the setup with one of the best iPad keyboard cases for maximum productivity).

Plus, if your kid is into art in any form, the iPad works with the first-generation Apple Pencil. This means they'll be able to use the best drawing apps for iPad and Apple Pencil, and they can even do other things like practice handwriting with the best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil. You won't get the wireless charging and tap-to-change-tools feature of the second-generation Apple Pencil, but hey, it's a start.

Kids are receiving iPhones and iPads earlier and earlier. There are now two-year-olds who are better on an iPad than some of us. These devices help kids have fun while they learn and discover a whole world of tech. But there's also the bad stuff, like what's lurking on the internet and your kids just spending way too much time on these devices.

Here are some tips to set up a new iPhone or iPad for your kid; perhaps the top-selling iPhone 13.

Best parental control to set up immediately

Thanks to Apple's Screen TIme, you can monitor and restrict access across your most important devices, including the iPhone and iPad. The tool, which Apple first launched with iOS 12, lets you block content, limit viewing times, and more.

Best starter apps for kids

There are thousands of wonderful apps kids can use to have fun, learn, and discover. Here are some of the ones we recommend.

Best accessories for kids

Whether you're buying a device to share with your kids or buying your kids their own devices, these accessories will help them last!

External parental control options

Apple's Screen Time restrictions are thorough, but if you want to take device and content management even further, consider an external parental control option like these.

Helpful guide

We hope this guide proves beneficial when it's time to give your kiddo a new mobile device from Apple. It's a big step but luckily, there are many options out there to make the experience easy, fun, and safe.

You may or may not have noticed, but I was gone for the last two months of 2021, and for good reason! Early November, my husband and I welcomed our new daughter into the world. Needless to say, it's been quite a hectic few months for us, to say the least.

Since this is our first child, I've been learning how difficult it is to be a parent. Some days I don't even know how I'm holding it together, to be honest. I never really saw myself having to keep track of when another human being has to eat or take a poop, but now I'm a new mom and here we are — tracking feedings, pees, poops, baths, medications, and anything else relating to a baby.

So if there are any products out there that are aimed at making the parenting life easier, well, sign me up! I mean, any little bit helps, right? I stumbled on the Talli Baby Tracker from either an Instagram or Facebook ad at least a couple of weeks before my daughter was due. I felt like this would be an invaluable tool to have in our nursery, so I decided to give it a shot. If you are a parent, you'll understand how nice this little gadget is.

Talli Baby Tracker: Price and availability

Talli Baby is only sold directly on the Talli Baby website. Each tracker costs $100, but if you have two children, you can purchase a two-pack for $170. The company also sells reconditioned trackers at a slight discount for $70.

Reconditioned trackers are units that have been returned due to families' changing circumstances, or devices that were not sold at full price because of cosmetic flaws. However, reconditioned trackers have all been tested and work just the same as a brand new device — if you get reconditioned, it has the same return policy as a new one.

Talli Baby Tracker: Convenience for a hectic schedule

The Talli Baby tracker is a simple device. The body consists of a white plastic on the top and a faux wooden material for the bottom half. It's like a small box with rounded edges. There are eight buttons on the surface: Bottle Feed, Solid Food, Wet Diaper, Dirty Diaper, Sleep, Nursing, Pumping, and Miscellaneous, which is a multipurpose button you can customize in the app. There is also a Wi-Fi LED indicator, which lets you know when data is being transmitted to your Talli account via Wi-Fi, or if there is a problem with your Wi-Fi connection.

Talli Baby tracker runs on four AA batteries, which you insert into the bottom of the base. A screwdriver is needed to get the cover off though. I like that it uses batteries, honestly, because it's one less thing to remember to recharge. With fresh batteries, the Talli Baby tracker should last around 4-6 months with regular use. Optionally, there is a micro-USB port on the side of the tracker, which can be used to power the device. However, this will not recharge it. Using the micro-USB port for power will extend the battery life, but Talli says that the device is designed to run on batteries. Plus, no micro-USB cable is included.

There are two ways to use the Talli Baby tracker: you can keep it portable, or mount it on a wall with the slots on the back/bottom of the device. I personally have kept my Talli portable, because it makes it easier to move from room-to-room, and whoever is babysitting can also have quick access to it wherever. Of course, since this device connects to your home Wi-Fi, you won't be able to use it outside of your network's range.

When setting up the Talli Baby tracker, you basically have to pair it with both your home Wi-Fi network and your Talli account at the same time. That's because it needs to know which account and child to send events to once they're logged. I mentioned it already, but one Talli Baby tracker can only be linked to one child, so if you have multiple kids, you need to have a tracker for each one. The device comes with a detailed instruction sheet for setting it up with your Wi-Fi network, and it's an overall straightforward process.

While many may wonder why someone needs this, let me tell you — it's incredibly hard to get to your phone when you're holding and comforting a baby or having to deal with a poopy diaper. It's much easier to just push a single button while you're dealing with all of that at the same time. I mean, I don't want to get poop or spit up on my iPhone 13 Pro screen, you get me? With Talli, all I need to do is push the right button(s) and move on with what I need to finish doing. After you push a button or two (for example, a mixed diaper that's both wet and dirty needs you to push both wet and dirty at the same time), the Wi-Fi indicator will turn green. When it's transmitting the data to your account, it flashes green and won't take any more button presses during that time. The next time you open up the Talli Baby app, your tracked activity should show up.

Speaking of the app, it's quite simple to use and allows you to customize certain events, such as Miscellaneous. The Home view lets you see your child's data at-a-glance, which means when their last logged events were. You could also manually add data from this screen, which is useful if your Talli Baby tracker is not working because the Wi-Fi is down. Each event is color coded, making it easier to see in the other views.

The Daily List is just that — a basic list of all activities that have been logged for each day. You can also see what events happened during the night and day, according to what you set it as. I find the Daily List view to be one of my most used sections, as it gives me a good overview of my daughter's progress every day.

The Detailed view gives you a graph view of all logged events in a time frame that you pick. The range can be just today, or you can go back as far as 30 days. Another option is setting a custom time frame, in case you want to go even further back. The Averages section is like the Detail view, but you see the average stats instead. Again, you can pick a time frame just like Detail.

When you're in the app and manually add or edit an entry for Bottle Feed or Miscellaneous, you can also set defaults for each. For example, I have my default bottle set to four ounces, and Miscellaneous has things like Bath and Medication. For the latter, you can change the default event at any time. And if your child doesn't exactly finish the default amount for a bottle, then don't worry — you can always go in and manually edit events too. I've done it a few times myself, and it's easy enough. And if you have the best Apple Watch, the Talli app can send you reminders too, because parent brain can forget things.

As someone who can worry a little too much, I find it necessary to track everything when it comes to feedings and diaper changes. This way, I can ensure that my daughter is doing alright and everything appears normal. I find things like naps harder to keep track of since my daughter likes to sleep randomly, but I love that Talli can keep all of these events in one place. While the app and service is free and can be used by anyone, the physical tracker device streamlines everything. Because seriously, it's hard to get to my phone when I'm juggling my daughter and bottles or diapers at the same time.

Talli Baby Tracker: You're certainly paying for the convenience

While the Talli Baby tracker has a mostly easy setup process, I did encounter some issues on my initial setup. I was getting some error messages and it looked like the Talli "network" wasn't showing up on my iPhone when I was in the Settings. Eventually, it showed up and I was able to get everything going without a hitch. But that could also have been just a network problem with my Wi-Fi, so I'm not entirely sure what's to blame.

One thing I did notice with the app, however, is that if there is an outage with Talli's servers (I believe it uses AWS), then all of your data is inaccessible during that time. This has happened about two times since I started using Talli early November, and both times I could not view my data at all, nor could I log any new events. Instead, I had to manually keep track of feedings and diaper changes in something else, like the Notes app, and then add them to Talli later. Honestly, I was pretty surprised by this — I believe that past data should at least be available locally and offline. There is an option to export your data from the Talli app, but really, having your stuff offline should be a no-brainer.

Another annoyance with the Talli Baby tracker is the fact that it can only be connected to one Wi-Fi network at a time. So if you want to bring it to another family members' home to use, you'll have to set it up with their Wi-Fi, erasing your home network in the process. Each time you want to use it at a place that isn't home, you'll have to re-connect it to that new network. However, Talli claims that they are working on the ability for a tracker to save more than one Wi-Fi network, so it can just connect to whatever network is available at the time. There is no estimate on when that will come, though.

Lastly, Talli does feel a bit expensive for what it is. I mean, it is $100 for some buttons to push to track events and activities relating to your child. And if you have more than one child, it's even more expensive since you need a device for each kid. There's no doubt about it — Talli Baby tracker is more of a luxury than a necessity. But as a new mother myself, I can't deny the convenience that it provides. Whether that advantage is worth $100 is entirely up to you.

Talli Baby Tracker: Competition

Honestly, there doesn't seem to be a lot of products on the market that do the same thing as Talli Baby tracker. But there are certainly other smart baby related products out there, like the Hatch Baby Grow Smart Changing Pad and Scale. This is a changing pad that can track your baby's weight gain between doctor visits and even measures how much your baby drinks in each nursing session.

But if you're looking for something like Talli, then it won't be easy — it's definitely unique.

Talli Baby Tracker: Should you buy it?

• You value convenience and ease of use
• You are a new parent
• You want to track events like feeding, diaper changes, etc.

• You don't have a child (duh)
• You don't think convenience is worth $100
• You would rather just track via an app only

If you are a new parent and want a quick and easy way to track your child's daily events (whether for you or your pediatrician), then Talli Baby tracker gets the job done. The app itself is free and can be used by anyone, but the physical device with the buttons makes the hectic life of a parent so much easier. It's straightforward to set up, intuitive to use (just press a button or two), and you can keep it portable or mount it on the wall — out of the reach of children. Plus, if you have frequent babysitters or other caregivers, this gadget streamlines the logging process for everyone.

Of course, the Talli Baby tracker is a little expensive for what it is, especially due to the fact that you can log everything in the Talli app without the device. However, it's a convenient luxury that is designed to make life easier, and as a new parent, isn't one less thing to worry about always a plus? I just hope that Talli implements offline data and a way to save multiple Wi-Fi networks sooner rather than later.

As a team that works remotely, we understand the necessity behind getting to the gym, and we've tested all the fitness tech that we can find to figure out the best Fitbit for kids. Finding a fitness tracker that works for your little one is a great way to introduce a healthy, active lifestyle into your kids' lives. Our favorite kiddie Fitbit is the Fitbit Ace 3. It's tailor-made for kids aged six and up.

Best overall: Fitbit Ace 3

The latest kiddie fitness tracker from Fitbit is the Fitbit Ace 3. It improves upon its predecessor with longer battery life and more customization options. The Fitbit Ace 3 has motivating challenges to get your kiddo moving. There are virtual badges and tons of customizable clock faces. Made for swimming, the Fitbit Ace 3 is water-resistant up to 50 meters. Not only does the Fitbit Ace 3 track fitness, but it also tracks sleep, an important component for overall health. It also provides sleep reminders and a silent alarm.

Kids can challenge friends and family members to step competitions in the Fitbit app and cheer them on as well. The app has parental controls and a kid view. If your child owns a smartphone, they will get notifications right on the Fitbit Ace 3.

Eight-day battery life means that you could theoretically go on a week-long vacation and not even have to charge your child's Fitbit Ace 3. It comes in three different color options: Cosmic Blue/Astro Green, Black/Sport Red, and Special Edition/Minions Yellow. The special Minions edition even has its own clock face. The silicone band is comfortable, durable, and secure, so your child can easily wear it around the clock. You can buy more than one band and swap them out for different looks.

Fitbit's Ace 3 is motivating for the younger set. Kids will love the look and the fun interactions.

Still great: Fitbit Ace 2

The Fitbit Ace 2 is a great Fitbit for kids because Fitbit has geared it toward them specifically. It has an excellent feature set, comes with a durable band, and is relatively inexpensive.

The Fitbit Ace 2 is for parents of children aged six and older who want to buy their child a fitness tracker. It may be overly complicated for anyone younger, and they may not appreciate its benefits.

The Fitbit Ace 2 may be for kids, but that doesn't mean it's a simple plaything. It boasts practical features that its Fitbit counterparts have, offering your child a meaningful foray into tracking their fitness progress. It tracks steps and active minutes during other exercises. Plus, it monitors sleep so that your kid can learn not only good exercise habits but also great sleep habits as well.

To add a spark of fun and some friendly competition, your child will earn badges for achieving milestones. Additionally, they'll receive daily celebration messages for reaching goals. Got a kid that likes to lay on the couch all weekend? Reminder to Move will encourage your child to stay active throughout the day with friendly reminders.

With its 5-day, rechargeable battery, your kid won't have to put down their Ace 2 very often. Also, since it's shower-proof, they can wear it all day and night. There are 10 clock faces to choose from and two band colors, so your child can add their own sense of style, and the band size is adjustable for little wrists. You can buy more Fitbit Ace 2 bands and swap them out for different looks.

If your child is under 13, you'll create a Family Fitbit account, which offers two views — one for you and one for your kid. You can view all of your child's progress, and your child can access their account through Fitbit's secure "Kid View," which shows them their progress, badges, and more. Kids can also go toe-to-toe with friendly step challenges to win virtual trophies with their friends.

Fitbit's Ace 2 tracker is made kid-friendly with the same iconic design as Fitbit Alta, but with animations and more, all geared toward children.

For older kids: Fitbit Inspire 2

The Fitbit Inspire 2 has a slightly higher price than the kid-friendly Fitbit Ace 2 and Fitbit Ace 3. Of course, it's not strictly for kids, so it doesn't have that "kiddie" look. It's simpler-looking and slimmer. This makes it great for older kids and teens. The Fitbit Inspire is fully water-resistant, so they can certainly take it to swimming lessons or swim team. It tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and much more, and it has up to a 10-day battery life. It even has female health tracking, which is helpful for tweens and teens who need to track periods.

For young people with a smartphone, the Inspire 2 has text, calendar, and smartphone app alerts. It even has guided breathing sessions for stressed-out kids. The Fitbit's sleep tracking can help your child form good sleep habits from a young age. Choose from three different colors: Black, Lunar White, and Desert Rose. The band is removable, so your child can personalize the look with different bands.

This is an adult Fitbit at a reasonable price point, perfect for tweens and teens who don't want a "kiddie" fitness tracker.

Bottom line

The Fitbit Ace 3 has the features your child needs, and the Fitbit lineup is easily the best around when it comes to fitness trackers. The price tag may be a big ask, but it's an investment in your child's fitness habits which will hopefully last a lifetime. Thanks to its hardy build, the tracker itself should last years.

Ever since I gifted my kids with their first pair of BuddyPhones for pandemic-related homeschooling, my son has been a bit jealous that his sister's pair was wireless and his was not. Now he's a happy camper indeed with the newest release from BuddyPhones, the Cosmos+ model that comes with wireless Bluetooth functionality, active noise cancellation, and a cool detachable microphone. These are some seriously cool headphones for kids, but of course, now it's his sister that's jealous. You just can't win, can you?

Since he got his new Cosmos+, my son has used them for gaming, Teams chats with classmates, and for a quick airplane trip to Bogotá. The new headphones have worked beautifully for most of his favorite activities, and they come with a really nice carry case so he can happily drag them everywhere. Thankfully, they are durable enough to weather some abuse. There was only one listening activity that he couldn't use his Cosmos+ for, so I'll go into that below.

BuddyPhones Cosmos+: Price and availability

The BuddyPhones Cosmos+ are a brand new release, so you'll only find them on the official BuddyPhones website for now. I'm sure they'll eventually be sold at Amazon and Walmart like other BuddyPhones, but for now, there's only one place to get them. They're going right now for $100, but if they go on sale, we'll include them in our iMore Deals feed.

BuddyPhones Cosmos+: Big earpads and big tech for little listeners

The first thing I noticed about the BuddyPhones Cosmos+ was the big, ultra-soft earpads. I have some ANC headphones of my own, and these seem to be of even better quality. The large earpad is super comfortable, and it covers the entire ear, creating a good seal to cancel out ambient noise. Even with the ANC turned off, the earpads work to cancel out noise all by themselves. The headband is also soft, and my son feels perfectly comfortable wearing these headphones for any amount of time.

We experimented with both the ANC switch and the Studymode setting and noticed the difference right away. While the ANC functionality is not as impressive as the ANC you would find in an expensive pair of Bose or Beats cans, it's more than enough for a kid. When we took the headphones on a trip through the airport and a quick flight, he was happily ensconced in his own little world of video games and movie soundtracks, with no distraction from the loud ambient noise. The Studymode is also very cool, enhancing the sound of voices when he chats and plays online games with his friends. This is an excellent tool for virtual classes, as well. (Thankfully, my kids are back at in-person school right now, but it's an important advantage to note.)

Speaking of travel, the Cosmos+ fold down flat and fit into the convenient carry case like a charm. My son has been carrying them everywhere, and the tough little case holds up well. It's easy to slip into a backpack, and the lightweight design doesn't weigh him down.

My son enjoys the fun, colorful design of his Cosmos+, and I enjoy the fact that he can turn the volume all the way up without any damage to his hearing. We keep the headphones at the default "kid's mode" safe audio setting, so the volume will never exceed 85 decibels. Since he's been getting into music lately, I'm happy knowing he can't listen too loudly. There is also a travel mode (94 decibels) and a toddler mode (75 decibels), so parents can keep close tabs on children's volume, even for the smallest listeners. With respect to tiny listeners, I'm not sure these headphones would fit the smallest of kids, which brings me to my next point in the following section.

BuddyPhones Cosmos+: But will they fit?

Just looking at these headphones, I'm not sure they would fit a toddler very well. Granted, I don't have a three-year-old to test them on, but the lovely earpads are so big, I'm not sure they would fit properly on tiny ears. The fit is almost a little too big for my seven-year-old but just small enough to cover his ears nicely without hanging too low. These headphones might be best suited to children aged five or older, but the package does say 3+, so I could be wrong.

My only other critique is a bit silly, but I'll mention it since it was a little disappointing for my son. He has an Alexa Echo Dot Kid's Edition, and it won't connect to these headphones. I guess only "Alexa-compatible" headphones will work with Echo devices or other similar voice assistant technologies. Since he loves to listen to music on his Echo all the livelong day, it would be nice if his headphones connected to it so I didn't have to hear it, but I suppose this is a small complaint. Most kids probably don't need voice-assistant technology, so it probably wouldn't present a problem to most.

BuddyPhones Cosmos+: Competition

There are many cheap kids' headphones on the market, but few of them present ANC technology, Studymode, and Bluetooth wireless functionality. The closest comparison to BuddyPhones Cosmos+ is the Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiets Headphones. Like the Cosmos+, these have ANC, safe audio, durability, and a convenient carry case. The PuroQuiets do not offer Studymode, however, and the earpads are a lot smaller. I doubt they seal off little ears or provide as much comfort as the Cosmos+. The PuroQuiets are also about $20 more expensive, so the Cosmos+ seem like the better deal to me.

BuddyPhones Cosmos+: Should you buy it?

• Your child could use some comfortable, noise-canceling headphones.
• You're concerned about volume safety.
• Your kid needs good headphones for virtual classes or air travel.

• You're looking for headphones for a small toddler.
• You want headphones that are equipped with voice-assistant compatibility.

Whether your child needs headphones for virtual classes, gaming, or travel, the BuddyPhones Cosmos+ are high-quality headphones with active noise cancellation and a super comfortable fit. They are designed in fun prints and cute colors to appeal to both boys and girls, and the microphone is easily detachable. Be prepared to keep these headphones on hand; since the carry case is so convenient, your child will want to bring them everywhere. While this might prove annoying for trips to the grocery store, the Cosmos+ are a perfect companion for long, loud flights where you'd prefer that your kids stayed quiet and entertained.

Virtual school drags on here in South America, and we've become a bit tired of the competing noise of multiple virtual classes going on at once. I tried letting my kids use my own earbuds, like the Treblab X3 Pros, and other headphones, but nothing was comfortable enough on their little ears and small heads. I also worried about volume control since children may not realize when the volume is too loud. Thankfully, now we have BuddyPhones+ as a solution. These clever headphones are made for kids and have built-in volume control to keep little eardrums safe.

BuddyPhones+: Price and availability

BuddyPhones are becoming a popular choice for parents across the country and they're available from many retailers. Online, you can find them at BuddyPhones.com and Amazon. If you prefer to shop in-store, Best Buy and Walmart both offer BuddyPhones and they aren't hard to find in most states.

The price of BuddyPhones varies according to which model you need. Wired BuddyPhones start as low as $20 for the Travel model, while wireless BuddyPhones can cost as much as $100 for the Cosmos+ model. There are several models in-between at different price points; you just have to decide which features and accessories you prefer.

BuddyPhones+: Happy eardrums and happy kids

My kids love their BuddyPhones+ because they come with cute stickers and have simple, easy-to-use designs. Each child customized their headphones with the stickers of their choice, and they are happy to keep them organized in the included carrying bags. My son tries to take his BuddyPhones everywhere. I like them for different reasons, however.

Headphones are great for kids during virtual school and travel so that the rest of the world doesn't have to listen to what they are listening to. The problem is that kids, especially young children, have no concept of volume control and don't realize how loud is too loud. This problem is solved with BuddyPhones because of the built-in SafeAudio audio control that keeps children from turning the volume up over 85 decibels. Now I can let them listen to their hearts' content without worrying about any damage to their hearing.

The wireless BuddyPhones Play+ model also comes with something called StudyMode, which is a switch that you can turn on to tune out background noise and amplify the sound of voices (i.e. the teacher's voice). My daughter says this helps her concentrate in virtual school, which is good because she needs all the help she can get. My son has the wired version — the BuddyPhones Explore+ — and it works just as well for volume control. This model also comes with a tandem listening cord, making it possible for both kids to plug into the same port and listen to the same device at the same time. This is especially convenient when both kids are trying to watch a movie in the car or at the airport.

Speaking of travel, both of these headphones fold easily into a more compact size. They come with a convenient carry bag so the kids can stuff them into a backpack or carry-on without worrying about damaging the headphones or losing any accessories. Finally, I have seen my kids drop these headphones and otherwise mistreat them, but so far they look just like they did the day we took them out of the box. BuddyPhones do seem pretty durable despite the inevitable beating that kids will give them.

BuddyPhones+: Their ears aren't so very small

My kids and I really like the BuddyPhones — there's not a lot to complain about here. If I'm being picky, the earpads seemed almost too small. Yes, I realize these are headphones for kids, but since my kids are a little bigger (seven and nine), the earpads seemed a little small over their ears. I think a larger earpad would work better to cancel out some ambient noise. I did notice that the top-tier model of BuddyPhones, the Cosmos+ model, does have larger, noise-cancelling earpads. If I decide that this is necessary for my kids in the future, I guess I can shell out for a more expensive model.

One thing I liked about the wireless Play+ model that my daughter uses is that you can adjust the volume control settings. If we're in a louder environment, like an airport, I can turn up the max volume to 94 decibels, or keep it at 85 decibels for home use. My son's wired BuddyPhones Explore+ did not have this feature; they stay at the 85 decibel setting all the time. I would prefer to have this adjustment option on the Explore+ model as well, but I suppose that's why you pay a little more for the Play model with its additional features.

BuddyPhones+: Competition

There are several different audio brands that make kid-safe headphones with volume control settings. One of the most similar to the BuddyPhones+ is the JBL Wireless Headphones for Kids. This product offers a max volume of 85 decibels and a wireless design that can fold down for travel purposes. These headphones are a little more expensive than the comparable BuddyPhones Play model, and they don't come with a carry bag, either. In our opinion, the BuddyPhones are the better deal, and they come with better stickers!

BuddyPhones+: Should you buy it?

If you're looking for a good pair of AudioSafe headphones for your kids, the BuddyPhones brand probably has a good option for you. In this article we covered the BuddyPhones Explore+ and the BuddyPhones Play+ models, but the brand has several other models with different features like detachable gaming microphones and active noise cancellation. Chances are, one of these products will work well for your family's needs. We use them for virtual school, travel, and sometimes just to share a device when the kids want to watch a movie on the iPad at home. It helps keeps our home more quiet and peaceful for the adults while the kids enjoy all the noise they like at a safe volume. If this sounds good to you, then it's probably a good fit for your family as well.

• You're worried about your children suffering hearing damage from high volumes.
• Adult-sized headphones don't fit your kids.
• Virtual classes or multiple devices in the home are creating too much noise.
• Your kids need some convenient headphones for travel purposes.

• Your kids are fine using adult headphones.
• You're looking for a sophisticated set of headphones that can be controlled via app.

BuddyPhones+ have been an excellent choice for my kids, especially since we're still doing virtual school at this point. My home is quiet and peaceful, even when they're both in class at the same time. I don't have to worry about long-term hearing damage because the BuddyPhones SafeAudio feature keeps their volumes at a reasonable level at all times. My daughter claims she can focus better, and they can both watch videos on the same device because of the tandem-listening feature. Overall, there's a lot of benefits to using these headphones in our household. In the future, I may invest in the Cosmos+ model, since they have larger earpads and offer active noise-cancellation. For now, though, the Play and Explore models are great picks for my kids at their current ages.

I have a 19-month old daughter and have spent the better part of the last year and a half researching, purchasing, and trying the best smart baby tech I can find. I've used some of the best smart nightlights for babies and reviewed the VAVA Smart Baby Thermometer, amongst many other baby items.

I recently tried the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light and I have to say, I'm impressed. It syncs seamlessly with the TaoTronics app (compatible with iOS and Android) so you can control your little one's environment directly from your smartphone. It features 25 different sounds and can emulate every color and shade of the rainbow with its light. It's outfitted with a brightness control and gives the ability to program your own modes according to your family's needs. You can set timers, create schedules, and command this device via Amazon Alexa or Google Home with convenient voice control. There's even a toddler lock so your kiddo can't mess with the settings you choose. I highly recommend this product to any parent looking for an excellent, affordable smart nursery light, sound machine.

TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light review: What I like

The great thing about the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light is that you can control everything from the easy to use, free TaoTronics app. You'll receive a Connecting with Smart Device quick start guide with your purchase. All you have to do is download the TaoTronics app, register, and pair your smart nursery light. Once the nursery light is plugged into a power source, it will enter pairing mode automatically. The TaoTronics app picked it up right away — it was super easy!

Once you're in the app, you can start playing with all of the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light modes. This nifty smart device is outfitted with 25 different sounds and seven pre-programmed default modes. There are 10 nature sounds: wave, waterfall, wheat, autumn, drip drop, rain, wind, fountain, flame (my personal favorite), and stream. There are seven animal sounds: frog, cricket, farm, sheep, napping cat, seagull, and cuckoo.

There are eight sleep sounds: lullaby, white noise, pink noise, fan, vacuum cleaner, wind chime, meditation (personal favorite), and radio. Oftentimes, I find that a lot of sounds via baby sound machines can sound artificial and cheesy, but all of these sounds sound pretty true to life. Some of the noises, like vacuum, farm, sheep, seagull, and radio, are kind of random, but hey, they sound like they're supposed to.

One of my favorite features on the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light is the full spectrum of rainbow color it can produce. It is truly awesome. In the app, there's an option to turn the basic nightlight on and off, and also the option to turn on color mode. When you switch color mode on, you're presented with a full bar of every color and shade in the rainbow. You can make brightness adjustments as well. I love lights and I love color, so this was a really fun feature to play with.

Another excellent feature on the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light is the ability to program your own modes. Like I mentioned previously, it comes programmed with seven default modes (sound and light settings). The seven default modes include blue light with waves, green light with frogs, red light with lullaby, aqua light with cuckoos, orange light with seagulls, and soft nightlight with no sound. You can program up to five of your own modes on top of that — so you can fully customize your light and sound settings.

When you want to program a mode, simply scroll through the sounds until you find the one you want. Adjust the volume to your desired level. Pick the color and the brightness setting you'd like to accompany that sound. If you want to add a timer, that's an option as well. Once you've picked all of your desired settings, simply hit the large plus sign in the drop down mode menu and your customized mode will appear in the mode menu immediately.

You can set zero to 24-hour timers via the TaoTronics app on your smartphone and 30-minute to 4-hour timers directly on the device. The setting controls on the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light itself are somewhat limited. It's a lot easier to control everything (aside from maybe turning it on and off and adjusting volume) via the app on your phone. The TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light also gives you the ability to create a schedule.

Being able to create light and sound schedules for your little one is a useful feature because it helps with gentle sleep training. You can program different lights and sounds to turn on and off whenever you choose throughout the day. You can also choose when you would like your settings to repeat; whether it be every day, the weekdays, the weekends, a single day, or a day combo of your choice. This is really cool because you can program the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light to automatically play your baby's favorite sound and light settings to lull them to sleep when it's bedtime, and program it to play livelier noises and brighter colors in the morning, giving baby the signal that it's time to wake up.

The TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light is outfitted with a toddler lock. Even if it's within arm's reach of your tiny tot, they will not be able to mess with your settings. You also have the option of voice control. You can ask Alexa or Google Home to turn the machine on and off as well as adjust the brightness settings.

TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light review: What I don't like

There really isn't much I don't like about the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light. If I'm going to nitpick, I wish there was a way to control the color modes from the device itself. You can turn the machine on and off, adjust the volume, set a 30-minute to 4-hour timer, and pick a sound directly from the device — but there's no option to adjust the color modes. The color modes, the child lock, and the brightness adjustments can only be done from your smartphone via the app.

There are also a few odd sound choices on the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light. I don't consider farm animals, sheep, seagulls, vacuum cleaners, or radio static to be particularly soothing. Nor am I likely to put my child to sleep listening to those sounds, but to each and their own. I could see the animal noises being fun during playtime, and perhaps the vacuum cleaner sound is for getting your child comfortable with the noise so you can clean while they sleep. However, the radio static stumps me completely - it is such a grating sound.

The competition

Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine

A noteworthy competitor is the Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine. This device combines nightlight, sound machine, and a time-to-rise alert in one easy to use device that you can control from your phone via the Hatch app. You can customize color, brightness, sound, and volume. You can also set programs to turn on and off automatically according to your family's schedule. This product is very similar to the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light as far as features go, but it's more expensive. The Hatch will run you $60 whereas the TaoTronics will run you $40 for virtually the exact same capabilities.

Fisher-Price Smart Connect Deluxe Soother

I have the Fisher-Price Smart Connect Deluxe Soother and it's cool, but not as cool as the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Lamp. The Fisher-Price Soother offers three sound options: soothing music, nature sounds, and white noise. It offers three lighting options: soft amber night light, starlight projection (with multiple colors to choose from), and soft amber animal projection. You can control your sound and light settings as well as sleep timers via the Smart Connect app. You can also use the Sleep Stages tool within the app to create a personalized bedtime routine. Don't get me wrong — this is a great product, but I like the TaoTronics Nursery Light even more. It's a little less expensive and offers so much more when it comes to features.

TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light: Should you buy

You want a sound and light machine

This is a fantastic, smart product at an affordable price. It offers a plethora of features, programmable modes, and the ability to set timers and create schedules for gentle sleep training.

You love sound and color options

The TaoTronics Smart Nursery Light features 25 different sounds and a full spectrum of rainbow color light settings.

You love smart baby tech

This smart baby sound and light machine can be controlled via your smartphone (iOS and Android compatible) with the TaoTronics app. You can also voice control it with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

You want the ability to control all of the settings directly from the device

The settings you can control from the device are limited.

Overall, I love the TaoTronics Smart Nursery Lamp. It's easy to use and pairs seamlessly with the TaoTronics app so you can create the perfect environment for your child directly from your smartphone. It offers a plethora of different sound and color settings, as well as the ability to program your own modes. You can set timers, create schedules, and use smart voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Plus, there is a child lock so there's zero chance of your curious toddler messing with your settings. The sounds are realistic, and the light colors are bountiful. It uses smart memory recall to restore the settings you used last the next time you turn it on. I highly recommend this product to any parent looking for a great, affordable sound and light machine.

What you need to know

• MeeBot 2.0 has been announced.
• It's an Apple Store exclusive.
• Children can learn to code and built their own robot.

UBTech Robotics has released the MeeBot 2.0 robot and it's exclusively available to buy from the Apple Store. It isn't cheap at $129.99 but it's at least educational.

The new robot can be built by youngsters from age eight and upwards, although we have to admit that we want to take this thing for a spin ourselves. We're sure UBTech Robotics wouldnt mind big kids trying it out, too.

The new unit is around 30% larger than the previous model and now comes with additional sensors and programmable eyes. AppleInsider also points out that six new servo motors and a new gear system have also been added to the sequel.

Once children have built their MeeBot they can use a free iPad app to program it and then have more fun than anyone probably ought to with a miniature Terminator. They'll need to find one though – MeeBot 2.0 is only available at select Apple Stores across the United States and Canada. Again, it's priced at $129.99.

Summer means the days are long, work gets a break, schools let out, and we have time for some fun in the sun. It also means we have time to expand our horizons, to learn and do new and exciting things. One such thing is learning a new language. How we communicate and how we think are limited only by our command of language, beautiful, lyrical, contextual, nuanced, delicious language. And apps like Duolingo make it easier than ever to learn a new language, to do it from your deck or poolside, from your living room or hotel room, and right on your iPhone and iPad

• Duolingo - Free - Download now

Duolingo on iPhone or iPad is perfect for kids, and for kids of all ages. It's free to use and you can log in with Facebook or Google+, or create a Duolingo account, and then you're all set to get going.

Getting started with Duolingo on iPhone and iPad

To start choose a course you want to start with. The list is long and there is certainly something for everybody. It's free with some ad placement but for a monthly fee of about $15 you can remove ads and learn offline.

If you're already familiar with the language you can take a short, 5-minute "placement" test to skip ahead.

If you're brand new, you can start with the basics. Lessons include different types of exercises like picture matching, translation through typing, translation through word assembly, multiple choice, and even speaking into the microphone.

Duolingo changes them up as well, so if you ever have to or want to repeat a section, it's never the same way twice.

The best kind of challenge

Duolingo gamifies all this to make it fun and to encourage you to keep going. When you complete a section, you get points and bonuses. There's Game Center integration and a leader board so you can follow your friends and try to keep ahead of them. You can even set daily goals to make sure you keep up with your learning.

That game-like design and interactivity makes it perfect for kids, but is also a great way to keep a whole family, group of friends, or co-workers engaged. It makes learning challenging in the funnest sense of the word. To take it up a notch, you can go to the practice area and compete against another learner or yourself or even join a language club.

For kids especially, but for everyone, it's great to set up a schedule or framework. We're all creatures of habit, and it can be as hard to start something new as it is easy to keep going once you've really gotten started.

The keys to linguistic success

Put it in your or everyone's schedules to do a lesson or two before bed. It takes no more time than reading a short story, playing a game, or browsing a social network. Make it a rule that Duolingo has to be "played" first for a lesson or two before any other game can be played. If you use a point system, Duolingo can be used to earn points for games, TV, or other activities. If you're using it strictly for adults, whomever is atop the leaderboard can get their lunch or drinks covered at the next get-together. Get creative!

Learning a new language is an incredible gift to yourself, your kids, your family, your friends, or your team. It will allow you to communicate with more people and think in more ways than ever before.

I've set a goal to learn some Italian this summer. I might brush up on my French as well! If you're looking for a fun summer project, give learning a new language with Duolingo on your iPhone or iPad a try!

Looking for some fun, age-appropriate activities to educate and entertain your child during their screen time? You may want to consider Amazon's kid-centric multimedia app, FreeTime Unlimited. After many years of being available on Kindle and Android, it's finally available for iOS, and it's chock full of readables and watchables chosen specifically for little ones. Not in the lame way, either: it's basically a virtual treehouse with a sign hanging on it that says "NO BORING GROWN-UP STUFF ALLOWED."

What's new with FreeTime Unlimited?

Check back here for the latest updates in FreeTime Unlimited news.

What is Amazon FreeTime Unlimited?

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is an ad-free, all-in-one subscription service designed specifically for kids that offers unlimited access to approximately 10,000 kids' books, movies, and TV shows for children between the ages of 3 and 12. It's meant to be both fun and educational, with content supplied by the likes of Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, PBS Kids, and National Geographic. The app was first launched by Amazon in December 2012 as a supplement to the original Kindle app, and was previously only available for Kindle tablets and Android devices.

How does it work? What all can you do with the app?

As I mentioned above, Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is a paid app, so in order for your kiddo to utilize it, you do have to purchase a subscription. Thankfully, it's priced similarly to other streaming services at $9.99 per month — all you need to do is sign up using your Amazon account or subscribe via iTunes. Once you do that, you and your child will be able to access the following:

• Kid-approved books: FreeTime Unlimited offers thousands of great books to choose from, from illustrated storybooks for small children like Winnie the Pooh to chapter books like the Harry Potter series for more advanced readers. There are also the neat tutorial books I used to love as a kid that provide instructions on how to draw animals and make cool crafts.
• Beloved movies: Love Moana? What about Spider-Man? FreeTime Unlimited's probably got it. No matter your kiddos' tastes, they're likely to find a favorite from a popular brand you trust. They've even got the complete collection of Wallace and Gromit films, which I absolutely adore even though I'm a grown adult. There's something for everyone.
• Family-friendly television shows: From PBS Kids' Arthur to Nickelodeon's Spongebob to Discovery Channel's Popular Mechanics for Kids, the TV shows offered on FreeTime Unlimited also cover a wide variety of interests.
• Personalized profiles: With FreeTime Unlimited, parents can create up to four different personalized child profiles that can be switched between easily and quickly. You can even set an age range for a profile, assuring that your child will receive age-appropriate recommendations just for them.
• Amazon Parent Dashboard: If you'd like to better connect with your kiddos based on the things they're into, this will definitely be the coolest feature for you. Using the Dashboard, you can review your children's FreeTime Unlimited activity over the past 90 days so you can see what they've been gravitating toward recently. What's more, the app provides Discussion Cards to help you start conversations with your kids on their favorite content.

What devices can I use to access Amazon FreeTime Unlimited?

FreeTime Unlimited can be accessed on Kindle tablets, Android smartphones and tablets, and now iPhone and iPad. It's free to download the app, and once you sign up you can also try it free for a month to make sure it's the right thing for you. However, after that, you will be required to pay for a monthly subscription fee to continue using it. You can get the app now by tapping the link below.

• Amazon FreeTime Unlimited - Free with IAP - Download now

Questions?

Still have questions about FreeTime Unlimited that you desperately need answers to? Share them with us in the comments below and we'll do our best to help you out as soon as possible!

Anyone remotely tech-savvy knows the importance of backing up your data regularly. Hard drives can fail catastrophically, without warning, taking your precious photos, emails, and documents with them. Unfortunately, plenty of people who use computers aren't remotely tech-savvy. And some of those genuinely wonderful, lovely people are likely related to you. If your family's proving tough to shop for this year, consider giving them the reassurance that if their hard drive goes south, their data won't. Here's how to set up and remotely administer backups for the people you love.

(Bonus: Needing to set this up on the family computer can give you an excellent excuse to leave the room when the conversation turns to [uncomfortable personal question], [mortifying childhood anecdote], or [perilous foray into politics].)

1. Know how to share screens

Talking your relatives through this or any other tech support task by phone can be a nightmare. Save yourself and your family the exasperation by making sure they know how share their screen with you from afar.

To lay the groundwork for screen sharing, confirm that your Mac-using loved one(s) know what Messages is, and how to use it. (For siblings, this shouldn't be an issue; parents, probably not; grandparents, almost definitely.)

Once you're both online in Messages from your respective Macs, open a conversation with them. In the upper right corner of the Messages window, click Details. In the box that appears, next to their name and photo, click the screen-share icon pictured at left — the one that looks like one rectangle atop another — then select "Ask to Share Screen." Once they grant your request, you'll see their screen and be able to talk with them as you work.

Loved ones not on Macs? Consider another reliable cross-platform solution, such as the free-for-one-on-one-connections AnyDesk. Whichever solution you choose, screen sharing will make restoring any lost files from a distance a lot easier.

2. Set up Time Machine (if they don't already have it)

The more backups, in more places, the better. Assuming your relatives have Macs, and haven't already done so, get them set up on Time Machine. If they don't already have an external hard drive handy for local backups, and you don't have an old one to lend them, we can help you find a good backup drive.

3. Create a cloud backup

In case of a fire, meteor strike, Sharknado, or just the failure of their local backup drive, you may want to back up your family's computer to a cloud service as well.

Before you make this leap, ensure that your loved ones have a fast Internet connection with unlimited data. You'll be moving a lot of gigabytes on a regular basis, and you don't want that process to take forever, or blow out their phone or ISP bill. You can check their broadband speed with a quick visit to Speedtest.net.

Based on our review of cloud backup services, your best bet for securing your family's data may be Backblaze. At $50 per year, per computer for unlimited storage, it offers the most bang for you or your family's buck.

Backblaze has software built specifically and securely for the Mac (plus an equally solid PC version). And unlike many other services, Backblaze even offers gift subscriptions. That means you can cross a name or two off your gift list and spare yourself the awkwardness of summoning a family member to enter their credit card number while you avert your eyes.

We've got detailed instructions for setting up Backblaze, but in a nutshell:

1. Create a Backblaze account. Remember the username and password.
2. Download and install Backblaze's software on your loved one's computer.
3. Sit down with your family member, open Backblaze's Preferences, and specify what kinds of data (Applications? Documents? Specific folders?) they want backed up.
4. Start backing up.

You can log in to Backblaze's web site to check the status of their updates and make sure your family members are backing up their data regularly. If and when their hard drive does melt down — or if they just delete something crucial and want to retrieve it — you can order up a restoration of anything from entire drive to just a few files on Backblaze's site.

Backblaze will email you when those files are ready for download. Then just start a screen-sharing session with your loved one, download the files from the cloud via their computer, and (ideally) bask in the glow of familial gratitude.

Way better than an ugly sweater

You can count on your family members to remember all the embarrassing childhood stories you wish they'd forget. By setting up and managing their remote backups, you can also ensure that they never lose touch with the important parts of their digital life.

And hey, checking in about data redundancy gives you a great opportunity to keep up with the people you love.

Got tips of your own for securing family members' precious data? Recommendations for any grandparent-friendly services we may have overlooked? Let us know in the comments below.

Every kid loves playing with an iPad, but not every kid is super jazzed about – cue dramatic music – learning while having fun.

DUN, DUN, DUUUUUUN.

Luckily for parents, teachers, grandparents, and babysitters everywhere, there are quite a few iPad accessories available for kids that aren't only a stupid amount of fun (seriously, you'll probably be playing with these when you have a chance), but also aim to build practical skills, language development, and so much more!

Here are a couple of the coolest interactive toys you can buy for your kid that'll take iPad learning to the next level!

Tiggly Learner Kit for iPad

If you have a little guy or gal between the ages of 2 and 8 and want a program that works with your iPad and teaches shapes, math, and language comprehension, then take a peek at the Tiggly Learner Kit for iPad.

Tiggly works through three award-winning learning systems called Tiggly Shapes, Tiggly Math, and Tiggly Words. With Shapes, you get four shape toys and four different apps that teach problem solving, shape recognition, and fine motor skills and creativity. With Math, you use five different math toys combined with three award-winning apps to teach numbers, addition, and counting.

If your kid is crazy about Sesame Street, then they'll love learning with Tiggly Words, which features the Alphabet Kitchen and three other fun apps to teach reading, digital storytelling, long and short vowel sounds, word building, and so much more!

All of the additional parts and pieces come with a convenient drawstring bag, so you don't have to worry about constantly losing things and playing cleanup (cue the Barney song…)

See at Apple

BOSEbuild Speaker Cube

If your kid is someone who likes to take things apart and put them back together or if you're both big music lovers and love dancing up a storm, then the BOSEbuild Speaker Cube might be the perfect interactive toy for you!

This build-it-yourself Bluetooth speaker allows kids to play and learn about magnets, sound, music, and motion. Using a simple app on your iPad, you can arrange and build your BOSEbuild Speaker Cube to experiment and get creative.

The box the product comes in can even be built into part of the speaker! So if you're looking to literally think outside of the box, then check out the BOSEbuild Speaker Cube and get buildin' today.

See at Apple

Osmo Genius Kit Game System for iPad

Artificial intelligence? Check! Educational but creative content? Check! Interactive and easy to use with the iPad? Double check!

The Osmo Genius Kit Game System for iPad is a completely revolutionary gaming accessory for your little one that explores science, math, art, and so much more in five incredibly fun games called Number, Tangram, Newton, Words, and Masterpiece (which you can also download for free in the App Store).

Tangram works by arranging wooden puzzle pieces into the shapes that are on screen, Newton works by using inventive objects around the house to guide falling balls into targeted zones on the screen, while Words uses spelling games to match phrases to pictures, and Masterpiece forces you to get creative with your drawing skills!

With the Osmo Genius Kit, you get the base for your iPad with a mirror and stand, number tiles, word tiles, and wooden tangram shapes, but if you wanted a little bit more out of your Osmo experience (or even want something that works with older children), then we recommend picking up the Osmo Coding Game Kit for iPad.

See at Apple

Wonder Workshop Dash Robot

Looking to teach your kid a little bit of code, but don't want to make it seem like the most boring-est thing ever? Then take a peek at the Wonder Workshop Dash Robot: a sidekick/pet/educational toy/best pal for your tot!

The little voice-controlled robot is designed as a coding tool, meaning it's been built with sensors and capabilities that allow it to dance around, move, light up, avoid obstacles, and make various sounds depending on how your kid programs it. Using the Wonder and Blocky apps, kids get access to over 600 different coding adventures and projects without any major instructions – the apps are designed to easily teach you how to program your Dash bot!

While this little robot is adorable and awesome, it is recommended for children ages 8 and up, so babies keep on movin'.

See at Apple

Play-Doh TOUCH Shape to Life Studio

If you're looking for an interactive toy for your iPad that'll have you asking your kid for a turn because it's SO. MUCH. FUN, then check out the Play-Doh TOUCH Shape to Life Studio.

What is the Play-Doh TOUCH Shape to Life Studio, exactly? Well, it's simple! Design your Play-Dog masterpiece, place it on the Shape to Life studio, scan it with your iPad, and watch your creation come to life! That's right: you turn your Play-Doh monster into an actual playable video game character, giving you complete control over its appendages, abilities, and how it moves about the digital world.

While not necessarily the most educational accessory for your iPad, building and getting creative with your child can strengthen art skills and even problem solving skills. Maybe next time you need to beat a level, design a critter with 4 arms instead of 9!

You can even use 3D Touch on your iPad to poke, squish, and stretch your creations. Now the real question is… what will you and your little one create?!

See at Apple

UBTECH Jimu Robot Meebot Kit

Have you ever dreamt of building your own robot and programming it to obey your every command? Well that's what the UBTECH Jimu Robot Meebot Kit is… except smaller, funner, and for your kids! (Side note: this robot won't heed your every beck and call; it'll just dance around a bit and look adorable).

With the Meebot Kit, you and your little one can design and program a robot that can easily be controlled with a free app on your iPad. You don't even need tools to assemble your Meebot! Simply connect parts and portions like a high-tech Lego to bring your UBTECH Jimu Robot Meebot Kit to life!

You can even pick up an additional Explorer kit, which lets your kid construct four different animal models – a parrot, t-rex, walrus, and penguin – but you don't need to stick to the regular mold. You can totally design your own type of creation and use the app to program it and have it move the way you want.

See at Apple

Edwin the Duck Learning Toy

Adorable, reliable, small, and your child's next best friend, Edwin the Duck Learning Toy may look like a classic bath-time rubber ducky, but he's actually a little interactive toy that lives in your child's hands and on your iPad!

Using Edwin, your tiny tot can play a plethora of games, engage in interactive stories, sing songs, and learn lessons about shapes, math, and other important skills. You can even use Edwin in the tub, as he's 100% waterproof, or use him to stream music via Bluetooth speakers to lull your little one to sleep with some comforting lullabies.

The only downside to Edwin the duck is that there isn't a ton of content out for him yet, so you may be playing through the same stories and games over and over again. However, if you've ever played with a little kid, you'll know that repetition isn't really a huge deal-breaker for them – maybe just your sanity.

See at Apple

What are your favorite educational toys to use with your iPad?

Is there an interactive educational toy that you and your little one love to use that we might have missed on our list? Let us know what it is in the comments below and we'll be sure to check it out!

Nothing is more adorable than the image of kids filled with joy during the holidays. If you're still looking for gift ideas for little ones, here's a list of ideas!

Sphero - BB-8 App-Enabled Droid

If there's someone on your list who doesn't yet own the Sphero BB-8 droid, YOU NEED TO GET THEM THIS.

It's a no-brainer for any Star-Wars-lover on your list. Seriously. It chirps, it beeps, it makes all those familiar noises from the movie BB-8, etc.

BB-8 has 60 minutes of battery life, Bluetooth connectivity, responds to your voice, and can be controlled by your smartphone. Basically, it's the best little droid you could ever hope to own. It's as adorable as it is interactive.

See at Amazon

By the way, if you decide to snag BB-8, you should totally get the Star Wars Force Band.

It's a companion device that lets you control BB-8 with The Force! You can use gestures to push, pull, and control BB-8 without needing to use a smartphone to make BB-8 move around how you'd like.

Side note: It also lets you control other Sphero robots, so it's a great standalone gift for anyone who's got a nifty Sphero bot from holidays past!

See at Amazon

Pokémon Sun & Moon

Do you want to be the very best gift-giver, like no one ever was? Then add Pokémon Sun & Moon to your list!

Pokémon is a staple in any childhood (well, for the cool kids, at least), so you can almost guarantee these Nintendo 3DS games will put a smile on your gift-getter's face. Heck, I know I'd be super pumped if I opened this up.

See at Amazon

Air Wars Battle Drones

I mean, come on — what could be better for a coupla kids than a set of drones that you can use to battle it out?

The goal of the battle drones is to knock your opponent out of the air before they knock you out of the air! The package comes with two remotes, two drones, and 10 weapons!

Last but not least, check out the name of these awesome attacks you can do with these Air Wars Battle Drones:

• Tornado Attack
• 360 Spin Attack
• Circle Attack
• Ram Attack

See at Amazon

Wonder Workshop Dash Robot

So … we can't make a gift list for kids without at least a couple educational gift ideas. And the Wonder Workshop Dash Robot is first up!

The Dash Robot teaches kids coding through the use of the Wonder and Blockly apps that are filled with tutorials that teach you how to program the robot.

Wondering what all you can do with the Dash Robot? Well, you just hook up your iOS or Android device and program the bot to move, dance, light up, make sounds, avoid obstacles, and more. You can even program the robot to respond to voice commands.

See at Amazon

Bitsbox - Coding for Kids

Bitsbox is another awesome educational gift that you should add to your list.

Bitsbox is a subscription box (trendy), but it's not filled with food, wine, or snacks — it's filled with coding projects! It's designed for kids age 6 to age 14 and teaches kids the fundamentals of coding: variables, conditionals, etc.

Each box comes with loads of different coding projects — you pick which ones you'd like to complete and use the included materials to complete the project! Brilliant!

See at Bitsbox

The iPhone is the best camera most of us have with us most of the time, and that includes those times when kids do the most amazing, the most outlandish, and the most unexpected things. Making sure you can capture those serendipitous moments as quickly, easily, and beautifully as possible is something Apple has spent a lot of time on. Both the iSight hardware and Camera software are specifically designed to do just that. When it comes to taking great photos of your children, grandchildren, nephews, and nieces, and family friends, there are several ways to make sure the best camera captures the best photo possible!

Note: For planned shoots, including portraits, see our how to take fantastic photos of your kids with your iPhone guide.

1. Pre-set for success!

When your kid is in the middle of a birthday cake blowout, goal kick, belly flop, or chance encounter with Mickey at Disney, the last thing you want to do is start fiddling with your camera settings. So, choosing good defaults is essential. For example, if you set high dynamic range (HDR) to "auto" then, no matter the range of light and shadow, you'll get the most detail possible from your photos. If you're more comfortable shooting with the camera grid on, so you can line up your shots using the "rule of thirds", or if you don't want to be stressed even thinking about it, you can easily turn it on or off. And if you think you might be shooting at night or in extremely low light, you can even set the LED flash to auto, just in case. (Hey, something is better than nothing!)

• How to enable HDR or Auto HDR on your iPhone or iPad
• How to enable grid lines on your iPhone or iPad
• How to use the True Tone camera flash on your iPhone

2. Fast access, fast photos!

There are several ways to to your camera with the iPhone. It's good to familiarize yourself with all of them so that, whether your iPhone is locked and in your pocket or purse, or you're already busily using it for something else, you can still get to the camera in a flash. Practice them as much as you can. That way, you won't be fumbling around while the perfect shot passes you by. You'll be capturing it forever.

• How to quickly access your iPhone camera from the Lock screen
• How to quickly access your iPhone camera from Control Center

If you really use the camera a lot, you can even move it to your dock to make it all the more convenient when you're already on the Home screen.

• How to rearrange app icons to customize your iPhone or iPad Home screen

If you're trying to take a photo one-handed, or are simply moving too fast to hit the big, round button on-screen, Apple also lets you activate the shutter and take a picture with the volume up button:

• How to use the the volume up button to take a photo with your iPhone or iPad

3. Burst, baby, burst!

Taking a photo while rushed, stressed, or otherwise in the moment can be tricky. You have to worry about your own hands moving or shaking, and your child doing everything but standing still. At the same time you want to make absolutely sure you capture whatever they're doing at just the right moment — the high point of the jump, the fullness of the splash, the cross-of the finish line, the impact of the moment. That's why Apple added burst mode to the iSight camera to help you get the best shot possible, even if it takes many shots in rapid succession to get it!

• How to use burst mode to capture all the action with your iPhone camera

4. Shoot and move!

When you're not prepared to take a photo, it typically means you're not in the best position to take it either. The lighting probably won't be ideal. The distance probably won't be ideal. Here's the thing — Shoot anyway. Get your camera open fast and burst a quick series of shots just to make sure you capture something. Then move. Once you have that first set of shots, once you know you've captured the moment, move to an angle with better lighting. Move to a better, closer distance. Keep shooting while you do. Take short bursts every time you step down and are relatively stable. Keep shooting but keep moving until you're at the ideal position, light behind you, action filling the frame, level with your children. The moment might pass long before you get there, but you'll have a steadily improving series of photos until it does.

• How to position yourself to take the best photos of your kids

5. Go manual if you must!

For more experienced photographers, the iPhone now lets you take full, manual control over exposure, focus, and white balance. While fine-tuning each photo won't be possible when you're tying to capture impromptu photos, if you know you'll want photos and your kids are zooming around, or the setting is dark, you can take control of exposure to lose some light to reduce noise or blur. Set it in advance, then take the shots when you want them! All you need is a great manual camera app!

• Best manual camera apps for iPhone: Fine tune your photos before you take them!

6. The video trick!

If you absolutely, positively, no matter what have to catch a photo of something and megapixels don't matter and potential blurriness doesn't matter, you can switch your camera to video mode and just record as much, for as long, as you need. That way, as long as you're pointing your iPhone in the right direction, you'll get what you need to without any chance of you snapping even a split-second too early or too late.

• How to record a video with your iPhone or iPad

While shooting the video, you can use the Take a Picture button — the white circle just to the left of the Record/Stop button's red circle — to snap as many still as you want. That way you have the safety of video capturing everything but the advantage of a few better-quality photos if they turn out.

• How to take a photo while shooting video with your iPhone or iPad

If you don't take any stills while recording, or they aren't exactly the moment you want, you can still use the built-in screenshot functionality to get a second, albeit much lower quality chance at it. Just play the video, scrub to the exact spot you need, and take a screen shot. Boom. Instant "photo". It'll be low-res, it might even be fuzzy, but it'll be all yours, and you can take as many screen shots of as many frames of the video as you'd like.

• How to take a screenshot with the iPhone

7. Fix it in post!

Chances are, when you're photographing kids and doing it under pressure, you won't get the perfect shot right off the bat. At the very least, the action won't be properly framed, the eyes might be red, and the levels and colors might be off. Luckily, Apple provides a bunch of tools to do everything from cropping away the parts of the image you don't want to removing red-eye and auto-enhancing the parts you really do.

• How to crop photos on your iPhone or iPad
• How to auto-enhance photos on your iPhone and iPad
• How to remove redeye from photos on your iPhone or iPad

iOS 8 lets you bring filters from any other app right into the photos app, so you can make sure every shot is perfect.

• Best photo extension apps for iPhone: All your edits and filters in one place!

Bottom line

With these tips, hopefully you'll be able to capture more and better unexpected moments, and not only with your kids, but with your pets, when out on trips or at events, or any place serendipity finds you. With the great tools available in the iPhone and the Camera app, a little preparation and practice, and some luck, you'll never miss a great shot again (or, at least, miss them way less often!)

Now, get out there and shoot!

Osmo (playosmo.com) is a hardware gaming device for kids that connects to any iPad. They have just started shipping after getting more than $2 million in pre-orders from over 2,000 schools. How does it work? It turns physical objects and interactions into digital game elements. You need to see it to believe, so go watch the demo on video.

An important piece of Osmo is the reflector that needs to be placed over the iPad's front-facing camera. This lets the iPad see the entire surface in front of the Osmo stand. Osmo then converts whatever it sees into data that can be used with the game that is currently playing. A stand is also included, however there is nothing technical about it. You can use it for general iPad use, too.

There are currently three games to start with. With Tangram, you need to arrange tangible puzzle pieces to match what's on the iPad. With Newton, you need to use objects like a hand‑drawings, glasses, keys, or anything around you to guide falling on-screen balls into targeted zones. With Words, you need to guess and spell out the on‑screen hidden word by tossing down real‑life letters faster than your friends in front of the iPad. The hint is in the picture.

To extend the games, there is an online platform accessible at my.playosmo.com. It lets players to create their own Osmo content. For example, you can upload images and enter new sets of words into the Words game. One great example usage from this is mapping students' faces with their names.

When you order Osmo, you receive the kit, which includes the reflector, iPad stand, wooden tangram shapes, and words tiles. The iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini, iPad Mini Retina, and iPad Air are supported. Pre-orders currently cost $79, but orders will not ship until November 2014.

How do you feel about Osmo? Will you buy this for your kid?

While school might take a break for the summer, sports do anything but. From little league to soccer practice, gymnastics to judo, tennis to skating — we have indoor rinks! — there are all sorts of sports, team and solo, for kids to have fun with, get healthy doing, and learn valuable skills from. And what better way to keep hold of those memories and share them with teammates and classmates alike than with rookie cards of their very own? If you're looking for a great summer project for the kids — or the kids of all ages, adult-leaguers — then get your iPhone and iPad ready. Here come the cards!

Rookies

We're using an iPhone app called Rookies to make our cards. It's free and you can share the cards you make electronically for free as well. If you want to order the proper wax-paper wrapped, printed cards, however, there's a fee associated with that. Whichever way you decide to go, get started by downloading Rookies.

• Rookies - Download now

Take your photos

The first thing to do is take photos of your kids doing their sports. They can be action shots with the kids darting across the field, flipping through the air, spinning across the rink, swinging at the ball — whatever it is they do! They can also be posed shots with a ball or a glove, a racket or a pair of skates, a gi or a stick.

Check out your or your kids' favorite pro athlete pictures for ideas. And then shoot a lot. The more the better.

For the action shots, here's how to get the best pictures possible:

• How to make sure you capture unexpected photos of your kids with your iPhone

For the posed shots:

• how to take fantastic photos of your kids with your iPhone

Set up your cards

Once you have your photos, launch Rookies. First, choose your template. There are a lot of different varieties, so you should be able to find one that suits your sport, team, and mood.

The next step is to choose your photos and edit the text to include any team names, but most importantly your kids' names and positions, and other custom information. You can even customize colors so everyone looks distinct. You can also customize the back of the cards.

You can make as many as you want, to include different sports, different children or groups, different action shots, different poses, etc.

Share and print!

Once you're done, you have two options to consider. If you don't want to spend any money and order the cards themselves, you can share them to your social networks like Facebook or Twitter, or directly via Messages or Mail. You can also save it to your Photos app to either share later, show off in person, or print out on your own.

If you want the full treatment, however, if you want your cards printed out like real cards, wrapped in wax paper, you can order them right from the app. They come in packages of 20 and even though they don't include the dry, stale pink gum sticks of the old days, if you remember them, you'll swear you can smell it.

Bottom line

Everyone likes to feel special. Seeing yourself in action, seeing your name in print, seeing your pose or your team on a real rookie card is a great, fun way to feel special. It makes a perfect birthday treat, party favor, last-game loot-bag, or fun summer project for the whole family or league. And best of all, with Rookies on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, it's not only fun — it's easy!

Thanks to Andy Ihnatko for the Rookies recommendation!

Summer vacations are just made for the great outdoors. Whether you're in your backyard, at the local park, at a national park, or hiking halfway around the world, there's an amazing amount of plants and flowers, bugs and birds, rocks and streams to see and enjoy. Best of all, if you have your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, the Camera app means you really can bring it all home with you. What's more, if you have iPhoto on your Mac, you can have even more fun. You can have a real book printed and bound on real paper so you can share it with your family and friends. For kids — or kids of all ages — it's a great project that not only lets you relive your adventures but record them for everyone!

Getting started with iPhoto on Mac

Before you even launch iPhoto, make sure you shoot a bunch pictures. Shoot the trip to get there. Shoot again cool signs you see along the way. Shoot the name of the place or park you're visiting. All of that will help you establish where you are. Then just shoot all the amazing things you see. Get some photos that show the landscape, the trees, and the surroundings. Get some shots that show the people you're with. Make sure they take some shots of you too! Don't be afraid to get in close. Really close! Capture all the sights and textures and things that shine in the sun, glisten in the rain, creep, or crawl, or fly, or swim around you. Nature is wondrous diversity. Capture as much of it as you can!

Once you've gotten more than enough photos, and you're back home safe and sound, you're ready to share!

1. Launch iPhoto on your Mac. (it's free and comes with OS X, the software that runs your Mac.)
2. If you use iCloud and Photo Stream, wait for your photos to sync over. If you took a lot, it may take several minutes, even on a fast Wi-Fi connection.
3. If you don't use iCloud, or you want to go even faster, connect your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to your Mac using your Lightning or 30-pin Dock connector and sync your Camera Roll to iPhoto over USB.
4. Select the photos you want to use in your book.
5. Click on the Share button at the bottom right.
6. Click on Book.
7. Choose the format (hardcover, wired, etc.), style (picture book, journal, etc.), size (L, XL, etc.), and color of the book project you want to start.
8. Click on Create.
9. Click on each page to edit the photos and text.
10. Click on Buy Book once you're done.

Making your journal into — your — journal

Apple offers a ton of options for your book. You can choose between hard cover and soft cover, and whether you want it wire bound or not. You can pick the theme by either using the drop down (handy if you already know which one you want), or the carousel to browse them all (handy if this is your first book).

You can choose the size at the bottom left, either large (L) or extra large (XL), and the paper color at the bottom right.

Once you've picked all that and created your new book project, you can still change your mind about the theme using the "change theme" button at the top right.

iPhoto will pre-populate your book with all the photos you chose. If you haven't chosen enough photos to fill the book, you'll need to choose more photos, change the page layout to show fewer photos per page, or even repeat a few of your favorites.

Click on a page to change the layout, photos, arrangement, options, or text. Click on a photo or text block to move or edit it, or click on Options to add things like borders or captions.

Once you're done and happy, click Buy Book and Apple will get the process started!

Bottom line

Digital is glorious. Digital is beautiful. But for some things, for some people, you just want a real book to hold in your hands, real pages to flip between your fingers, and real printing to splash beautiful photographic light across your eyes. From coffee table compendiums to National Geographic magazine, there's a long, proud history of nature books and journals and, thanks to Apple and iPhoto, anybody and everybody can make one of their very own.

If you visit a park or a mountain, a trail or chasm, your backyard or the beach, take photos with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, and then make yourself a book with your memories, or make one as a gift for your friends or family. Either way, it'll be enjoyed!

Made any books using iPhoto? Making one now? Let me know what you made and how it turned out!

Summer and vacation go together like, well, two of the best things in the world. Parents have time off from work, kids have time off from school, the weather is nice, the sun is shining, and travel beckons. Whether it's a day at a local fun spot, a trip across country, or an adventure half-way around the world, memories will be made. Amazing memories, crazy memories, shared memories. No matter how great a vacation is, however, you can never be there forever, nor can you take everyone you love with you. What you can do is bring the vacation home for you and for them! With your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, not only can you take videos and pictures of those magic travel moments, but you can edit and share them right in iMovie, even right away if you want to. Best of all, for kids (of all ages!), iMovie's trailer templates make it incredibly quick and easy to put together something short, sweet, and fun!

• iMovie - Free/$4.99 - Download now

iMovie is free for anyone who bought an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad after September 1, 2013, and only $4.99 for anyone else.

Getting started with iMovie on iPhone and iPad

Before you even launch iMovie, make sure you shoot a bunch of videos and photos. Shoot the people you're with, the places you go, the cool things you see and do, and make sure you get someone to shoot video and photos of you as well. After all, you don't want to be missing from your own memories!

Once you've gotten more than enough videos and photos, and you're eager to preserve and share them:

1. Launch iMovie from the Home screen of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
2. Tap the Projects tab if you're not there already.
3. Tap the + button to add a new project
4. Tap on Trailer to start putting your video together
5. Pick your Template
6. Tap Play to preview the template
7. Tap Help at any time to see button labels and more.

Apple offers a wide variety of templates to get you going quickly. The ones best suited for vacation and travel videos include Adrenalin, Expedition, Fairy Tale, Family, Narrative, and Swashbuckler, but you can, of course, choose any template that suits the mood.

Each template will tell you how many people it's best for, and how long it runs, to help you in your decision making.

Trailer assemble!

Trailer chosen, it's time to start putting it all together:

1. Tap Create Trailer
2. Tap on a text field to fill in the Outline

The outline controls the credits in your trailer. That includes everything from the name of the video itself to the names of everyone in it (the cast), along with whatever you want to call your own personal movie studio and who made what (the crew). You can fill in as much or as little as you like, and either add more entries if you have more people in the cast, or remove them if you have less. For the rest, you can leave it on the defaults if you prefer — and claim credit for everything!

Once you're done with the credits, it's time for the clips and the titles (the text shown in between them).

1. Tap on a text field to fill in the titles.
2. Tap a thumbnail to choose your videos or photos.

The thumbnail will show and tell you how many people would be ideal for each segment (and even tell you their name if you've entered them in the cast information above!), as well what type of shot to pick (e.g. action).

iMovie defaults to showing you all the videos on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad because that's what you're making, a video! You can choose to tab over to Photos if you want to include some stills, or even Camera if you want to grab an extra shot.

1. Tap on a video you want to add
2. Slide the yellow braces left or right to choose the part of the video you want to add
3. Tap Play to preview the video
4. Tap Insert to add the video to your trailer.
5. Repeat until you've filled in all the thumbnails

If you pick a photo instead of a video, iMovie will give it a nice "Ken Burns effect" — scaling and moving it — so the energy of your trailer stays constant. If you make a mistake or want to change something, don't worry:

1. Tap Undo to go back to where you were right before
2. Tap on a video or photo thumbnail you want to change and make your changes!

To preview your trailer:

1. Tap the play button to watch it small, within the work area.
2. Tap the play full screen button to watch it big.

When you're done:

1. Tap on Return to projects.

Sharing your adventure

Once you've made your trailer it's time to share it with your friends, family, or — if you want to — the world.

1. Tap on the Share button.
2. Choose the service you want to share with.

There are several sharing options for you to choose from. It really depends which one or ones you and your friends and family use. If you want to share directly and privately, there's iMessage and Email. If you want to share but keep it online for everyone, There's Apple's iMovie Theater, if everyone you know is on iPhones, iPads, or Macs. There's Yahoo's Flickr, Facebook, Google's YouTube, and Vimeo.

You can also play it for people right on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, or connect to a TV via Apple TV and AirPlay or directly with an HDMI cable adapter. Whatever works best for you.

Important! Save your work!

iMovie is a great place to edit your videos but it's not a great place to store them. If you later delete videos or pictures from your Photos app — because you don't remember you used them in a trailer — they'll be deleted from iMovie too, and go missing from your trailer. So, even if you've already shared your work, it's also important to save it.

1. Tap on the Share button.
2. Tap on Save Video

That'll put a copy in your Photos app.

Have fun, make memories!

With your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad you can not only preserve all the wonderful memories you make on vacation, but you can have fun doing it. Whether you're resting up back at the hotel room or in the camper, or on the long drive or flight home, everyone from the kids to the parental passengers can build and share a movie trailer, and make the time and miles fly by!

Curious About Shapes and Colors is Curious George's newest iPhone and iPad app that helps teach kids about shapes, colors, sorting, tracing, and more. The entire app is narrated and directed by The Man With The Yellow Hat while George cheers you on.

The premise of the game is that you're helping George build toys by putting all the shapes where they belong. There are 5 different toys (or levels) that you help George with. The activities include matching shapes with cutouts, tracing shapes, organizing based on color, and more.

At the end of each level, you get to play with the toy that you helped George built in a little mini game. These include helping a robot with a jetpack collect falling bananas, sorting fish that are various colors and shapes into groups, a traditional Simon Says memory game with a train, shooting arrows (or plungers) at balloons to gather bananas, and controlling an astronaut car on the ground to collect bananas.

The good

• Teaches kids about basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles, as well as more complex shapes like diamonds, ovals, and hexagons
• Includes primary and secondary colors, along with varying tones
• Introduces pattern recognition and sequencing, and builds skills like sorting, construction, tracing, and coloring
• Narrated by "The Man With The Yellow Hat"
• Includes fun, short 30 second video
• 5 different "levels" with fun game at the end of each one
• No in-app purchases
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• The controls for some of the games are a bit difficult for children in the targeted age group

The bottom line

If you have a little kid who likes Curious George, you can't go wrong with Curious About Shapes and Colors for iPhone and iPad. It's well made, does a great job at teaching about shapes and colors, and is just plain fun! It's also designed in a way that can be fun to sit and play with your child -- this is always a plus!

• $2.99 - Download now

Scholastic First Discovery: Ladybug is an iPhone and iPad app that is all about ladybugs. It teaches about the basic anatomy, eating habits, and developmental stages of ladybugs and more.

Each page of Ladybug is narrated by a woman's voice and includes fun interactions. For examples, you can view a 3D model of a ladybug, tap its wings to see them open, and help a ladybug eat a bunch of aphids.

The good

• Clean design
• Great graphics and illustrations
• Interesting
• Interactive
• Fully narrated

The bad

• Not universal. iPhone and iPad versions are separate purchases even though there aren't any special interface elements for the iPad version.

The bottom line

If you have kids, they are sure to enjoy learning about ladybugs with Ladybug for iPhone and iPad. It's easy to use and has fun interactions. And you never know, you may learn a thing or two yourself that you never knew about ladybugs!

• $1.99 for iPhone - Download now
• $1.99 for iPad - Download now

Minnie Bow Maker is a fun app for little kids where they get to be involved in Minnie's Bow-Tique from the Minnie Mouse Bow-Toons series on Disney Junior. It features three stories, a bow maker, and a runway show to show off the bows made by your kids.

Minnie Bow Maker includes a story about Daisy getting ready for a picnic with Donald, a tale of Millie and Melody preparing for a party, and a quest to help Cuckoo-Loca perform at her concert. In each story, you get to use Minnie's bow maker to create the perfect bow for the occasion.

If you want to make a bow without a story, you can jump right into the bow maker and design a bow for yourself or Minnie. If you make it for yourself, you get the choose (or take) a photo and put the bow on yourself.

Once you've read all the stories, you can show off all the bows you've designed in the Big Bow Show, a runway fashion show that features your bows!

The good

• Three all-new stories inspired by the Minnie’s Bow-Toons series
• Play with lots of possible Bow-Maker customizations
• Personalize your own photo and share it with your friends
• Enjoy a 3D Bow-Show featuring your creations
• Features music and voices from Minnie’s Bow-Toons
• Uses famous phrases from the show, like "there's no business like bow business!"

The bad

• Pause between scenes in stories is a bit long
• Most graphics aren't Retina
• Does not support iPhone 5's larger display

The bottom line

If you have a little boy or girl who loves Minnie Mouse and has an interest in fashion, then Minnie Bow Maker is sure to be a big hit.

• $3.99 - Download now

If you own a printer, Foldify will make it fun again. If you don't own a printer, Foldify will make you seriously consider rushing out to get one. The reason for that is Foldify's ability to project itself from the iPad, where the app runs, to the real world, where the app's results live. The idea is remarkable simply -- draw one pre-defined templates, then print them out, fold them up, and enjoy real, touchable, arrangeable models of what you made. The execution is even more remarkable, because the developers managed to keep the app as simple as the idea, and that's no easy feat.

Launch Foldify and you'll see some examples of what can be done with it: Superfolderman, yellow car, tree, forlorn mushroom, bleeding box, house, red bus. Tap the + button and you get the blank versions of all those forms: box on a stand, cube, tall box, mailbox, pyramid, pyramid on a stand, car, D&D die, bus, and house. Tap the shape you want, and you're on your way to art.

The work view is where Foldify is really clever. You see a spin-able 3D render of the model on the left, and the open paper form on the right. As you work on the paper form, the 3D model updates in real time. It takes a moment to figure out which plane on the paper form corresponds to which plane on the model, but once you do figure it out, it provides excellent spatial placement for what you're drawing.

Tools are bread-and-butter. Thin pencil, thick paintbrush, stamps (eyes, noses, mouths, mustaches, hands, arms, eyeglasses, car parts, house parts, fruit, leaves, and patterns -- and more you can buy via in-app-purchase), eraser, color picker, under, redo, and restart (from blank). You apply the tools with one finger, move and rotate the canvas with two fingers. It's no more or less intuitive than any other, similar art app on iOS, though there are some collisions at times when the same two fingers are required to rotate stamps.

Once you're happy with your creation, you can exit the work view, which saves it, you can print it and get to folding, or you can share it to the Camera Roll, Twitter, Facebook, over email, or with the Foldify universe.

If you share it with the Foldify community, you'll be able to see it -- and like it -- in the online gallery, alongside everyone else's shared creations.

As mentioned previously, you can get additional extras via in-app purchase. Currently there's a Christmas Time pack with 26 elements available for "free" (as in you get it if you share the app via Facebook or Twitter, a coupling of which I'm not overly fond). There's also accessories, clothes, horror, and stickers. Each pack is $0.99. I bought them all, and I hope -- and believe there will be -- more over time. (Not everyone is artistic, so letting people use the app, coloring-book and Mr. Potato Head style, regardless of artistic talent, is really smart and greatly increases accessibility.)

Overall, Foldify is a brilliant idea turned into a brilliant app, and the developers seem intent on improving it at a rapid pace. Whether you simply want to make your own, hand-crafted set of Avengers, Justice Leaguers, Star Trek bridge crews, or Star Wars characters to set on a shelf, or you want to enjoy an incredibly fun activity with your children, Foldify is the way to do it.

Grab it now on the App Store and save 50% during their launch-time sale.

• $2.99 - Download now

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Wildlife Count Along is a fun app for kids based off the popular Disney Junior show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. In this app, your child will join Mickey and his friends on a road trip around the globe to get to Mickey Beach. As you travel through different places, you'll learn about wildlife habits while counting groups of animals and taking their pictures. Early math concepts including sequencing, size, and numeral matching are constantly reinforced in the various activities and play-along games.

To begin the journey, you must first help Mickey and his friends pack up their stuff and get in the car. Once they're all loaded up, it's time to head to the beach, but Mickey doesn't follow the signs and ends up in the Desert instead. He makes this mistake over and over again which takes the crew to a lot of different locations. Mickey and his friends stay positive, though, and take advantage of enjoying the wildlife that are native to each habitat, finding groups of animals with a specific number of animals, and taking their pictures.

At each habitat, there are a few different types of animals that the Clubhouse members get to count and take photos of.

Once you've taken photos of groups of animals, you can help Mickey put together a scrapbook by arranging the photos by the number of animals in each picture. For example, on one page you'll be asked to put a photo with 7 animals and on another page you'll need to place a photo with 3 animals.

The good

• Activities aimed at counting and sequencing numbers 1-10
• Hands-on practice with key early math concepts of more than and less than, and group to numeral matching
• Match over 20 different animals to one of five fascinating habitats!
• Character voices from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and exciting sound effects!
• Original artwork and animation as well as fun effects such as Tap, Shake, and Tilt!
• Story extension activities for parents and caregivers
• Great graphics
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• No iPad 1 support

The conclusion

If you have a little one who's a fan of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, they are bound to love Mickey's Wildlife Count Along. They get to interact with all their favorite Clubhouse members and learn about counting on the way. My daughter is just a little over 2 years old and thus a little too young to fully understand the goals of the game, but she still has loads of fun identifying animals, repeating numbers, and saying "cheese" when it's time to take a photo. In fact, writing this review became rather difficult when she discovered that I was "playing" with one of her favorite apps.

$1.99 - Download Now

Bugs and Buttons for iPhone and iPad and Bugs and Bubbles for iPhone and iPad are a pair of beautiful, entertaining, and educational games for kids that each feature 18 different games and activities with intriguing game play that progressively adapts to the player's skill level. Each activity also offers visual instructions making it easy for young players to understand the goal of each activity.

Bugs and Buttons/Bubbles become fun right at the start with their interactive home screens. You can pop bubbles, poke bugs, and have a trail of bees follow your finger. From the home screen, you can either hit start to begin playing through all the activities back-to-back, or you can head to the Explore screen to selectively choose which activity you want to play or visit your sticker collection.

Both games features 18 different unique games. In Bugs and Buttons, each game has bugs and/or buttons and in Bugs and Bubbles, each game has bugs and/or bubbles. The games are designed so that they start are very easy (borderline boring for adults), but as the player succeeds, the game becomes more difficult. In some of the of the activities, if the player fails at a level, they will just fall back to the previous level instead of immediately losing.

I'll spare you the pain of reading through a description of all 36 different activities, but here's a short list of the types of games include in Bugs and Buttons/Bubbles:

• Fling bees at a target flower
• Remove and sort bugs infesting the button production
• Catch buttons falling off Uncle Bob's button truck.
• Catch colorful fireflies in a jar
• Pinch and collect bubbles from an experimental bubble garden
• Trace letters on a foggy window with a green fly

The areas of learning that Bugs and Buttons/Bubbles focus on include counting, fine motor skids, path finding, patterns, sorting, tracking, shapes, letters, colors, balance, and more.

The good

• Gorgeous graphics
• 18 games and activities
• More than 45 minutes of beautiful music
• More than 36 achievement stickers to earn
• Automatics game play with graduated stages
• Advance multi-touch interactions
• Visual instructions
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• Bugs and Buttons does not support multiple user profiles

The conclusion

Both Bugs and Buttons and Bugs and Bubbles are great apps for kids. The graphics are simply gorgeous and the game play is entertaining while still being educational. I highly recommend both of these games for anyone with younger kids -- they are especially nice on the iPad and iPad mini.

My Little Pony fans rejoice! Twilight Sparkle and friends have made their way to iPhone and iPad in My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic. In this game, Nightmare Moon is set free after being locked away in the moon for centuries, and now is spreading night across Ponyville. It's up to Twilight Sparkle and her friends to bring friendship and light back to Ponyville, and it's your job to help them rebuild the town and complete quests.

My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic features all your favorite ponies include Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack. You must help the ponies make Ponyville the most magical place in Equestria by completing quests and playing games. My Little Pony is a real-time based game (like Farmville, Smurfs' Villiage, etc), but Gems and Bits will help you progress through the game faster. As with all games of this style, you can purchase Gems and Bits with real money as in-app purchases ranging from $1.99 to $99.99.

There are several members of the Mobile Nations Staff with young girls who are already hooked to My Little Pony -- what about you?

Free - Download Now

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a children's book for the iPhone and iPad based off the the classic Halloween Charlie Brown story. In the book, Linus and Sally wait for the Great Pumpkin, a fantasy similar to Santa Claus that Linus believes in, while Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang to trick-or-treating and attend Violet's Halloween party. In addition to the story, The Great Pumpkin also lets you create an avatar that looks like a Peanuts character, dress him/her up in a costume, carve pumpkins, and more.

The book included in the Great Pumpkin has a great design and has the look and feel of an actual book. For each scene, there may be several sections of text to read and instead of showing all the text on the book at once, the text is displayed at the bottom of the screen and you can turn pages of text without turning the entire page. The original voice of Charlie Brown, Peter Robbins, narrates the story as you read along.

Each page in the book has great illustrations that can be mildly interacted with. Most things you touch will wiggle and many of the characters will repeat their lines from from the story. If you tap falling leaves, they will grow in size and move to the "front" of the book. Sometimes there are other interactions available, like playing piano with Schroeder or bobbing for apples.

In addition to the story, It's The Great Pumpkin also lets your child create a custom avatar that looks like a Peanuts character. You can choose between different skin colors, hairstyles, head shapes, clothing, and more. All of the Halloween costumes must be purchased with coins or candy. You can buy coins as in-app purchases and candy is earned by completing achievements. For example, when I tapped on enough leaves in the story, I earned 6000 pieces of candy.

There is also a section of The Great Pumpkin that lets you carve your own pumpkin. You child will be really excited when s/he sees their personal pumpkin appear in story mode.

The good

• Choose from over 1 billion creative avatar and costume combinations to create your own Peanuts character
• Go trick-or-treating with Charlie Brown and the gang
• Carve your own pumpkin, bob for apples and play Schroeder’s piano
• Touch and drag objects to make them “spring” to life or tilt to watch them slide and move
• Objects magically pop out of the page to delight little and big kids
• Jump to any page in the book with the handy table of contents bookmark
• Educational features such as word and note highlighting to help improve reading and musical skills
• Hear individual words spoken with the tap of a finger
• Original dialog from the 1966 animated classic
• Captivating narration by Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown
• Charming soundtrack featuring music and sound effects from the original holiday special
• Earn candy to buy costumes by complete achievements
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• Page turning sometimes isn't responsive

The bottom line

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a great childrens book to read with your kids this Halloween. It's fun, interactive, educational, and funny. The bonus of being able to create an avatar and carve a pumpkin makes the app more than just a book and is sure to provide your kids with a lot of Halloween fun.

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is currently priced at $2.99, 40% off.

$2.99 - Download Now

Sakura Quick Math is an educational iPhone and iPad game for children and adults that drills your basic arithmetic skills by having you race against the clock and input your answers by simply writing them on the screen. It's gorgeous, innovative, and fun.

Sakura Quick Math has 5 different modes: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and mixed. Each mode also has 3 different levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. All these modes and levels makes Sakura Quick Math great for kids in grades 1-5.

To play the game, you simply answer each arithmetic problem that comes up by writing it anywhere on the screen. If you get it wrong, you have to keep trying until you get it right or you can choose to skip the question. The goal is to get through all the problems as quickly as possible, however, so skipping a question will result in a time penalty.

When you complete a round, your time and penalties will be calculated and displayed on a graph. This lets you keep track of your progress to see if you're getting better. Since a faster time means you did better, you want your graph to decrease over time, not increase!

As with anything that uses handwriting recognition, it's easy to be skeptical and think "does it really work"? Sakura Quick Math is off to tremendous start with their handwriting recognition. It's definitely not perfect, but works pretty darn good. It will sometimes misread my 2's and 5's and mistake them for 8's and 6's. My husband also runs into an occasional hiccup. Unfortunately, since Sakura Quick Math is a game where speed is everything, this can be rather frustrating. But my guess is that young kids won't be bothered by this as much.

The good

• Beautiful design
• Input your own handwritten answers
• Modes for addition, subtractions, multiplication, division, or a mixture of all
• Beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels for each mode
• Great for 1st-5th graders, pre-algebra students, or anyone who needs brush up on their arithmetic skills
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• No stress-free non-timed mode for general practice. This would be great for young kids who just need practice and don't want to feel rushed.
• No support for multiple users
• Recognition of 2's and 5's is sometimes wrong (could just be my handwriting)

The bottom line

Sakura Quick Math is a fun way for adults and children to test their arithmetic skills. It does occasionally make mistakes with handwriting recognition, but overall, Sakura Quick Math is a great educational app. In fact, I'm highly considering reserving my school's iPads and having my students compete against each other during class sometime this semester -- I think they'd have a lot of fun.

$1.99 - Download Now

Curious George's Dictionary is an educational iPad app for kids that teaches the meanings of nearly 600 words through illustrations, sentences, stories, and more. It features charming illustrations for each word as well as an example of a sentence that uses the word. In addition to swiping through letters and learning new words, Curious George's Dictionary also includes stories about Curious George using is dictionary and sections dedicated opposites, numbers, quantities, and colors & shapes.

On the main page, you'll find four sections Alphabet, Shop, Stories, and More. In More, there are sections for Numbers, Quantities, Opposites, and Colors & Shapes.

The Alphabet section is much more than simply the alphabet. For each letter of the alphabet, there is a cute illustration that includes the letter, something that starts with the letter, and George. Each letter also has many words associated with it. Some letters, like J, only have a few words, but other letters, like B, have as many as 40 words. Words with multiple definitions, like "wave", are included twice to illustrated both definitions.

Just like the letters, each word also includes a cute photo, but many (not all) of the words also include a sentence that uses the word. Curious George's Dictionary has a narrator that says the letters and words out load, but unfortunately, he does not read the sentences.

The Stories section of Curious George's Dictionary includes four stories: George's Birthday, George's Friends, George at the Beach, and More Words. Each story is narrated and in each one, George uses his picture dictionary to help understand the meaning of words. The words and pictures in George's dictionary are exactly the same as the ones in the Alphabet section the app.

The numbers, Opposites, and Color & Shapes sections of Curious George's Dictionary are similar to the Alphabet sections with words and illustrations that teach their respective topics. The Store includes descriptions of all the the other Curious George apps available on the iPad with links to the App Store.

The good

• Lots of words for each letter
• Multiple definitions for many words. For example, the word "can" is used as both noun and verb.
• Cute illustrations
• Nearly 600 words
• Also includes numbers, quantities, opposites, and colors & shapes

The bad

• Narrator does not read the sentences included with each word
• It would be more appropriate for the Shop to be on the secondary page, especially since this is an app for children

The bottom line

Curious George's Dictionary for iPad is a great learning tool for young readers. It provides a fun, interactive environment for learning the alphabet, the definitions of nearly 600 common words, sentences, numbers, and more. If you have a young learner in your home who also loves this adorable little monkey, Curious George's Dictionary is great to add to your educational apps collection.

Curious George's Dictionary is currently on sale for $1.99.

$1.99 - Download Now

Letters with Pooh is an educational app for the iPhone and iPad by Disney to help kids identify and write letters of the alphabet. Your kids will join Winnie Pooh on his quest for honey by tracing letters, collecting letter balloons, finding missing letters, and more. Letters with Pooh is very interactive and even lets you personalize the experience by allowing you to record all the leters of the alphabet in your voice.

Letters with Pooh begins with a quick little backstory about how Winnie the Pooh has a rumbly in his tummy and that instead of focusing on his busy day ahead, he will first let his rumbly tummy lead the way. Each chapter will progress through Pooh's story, making the whole experience more interesting for young learners.

The first chapter teaches about the basics of tracing and has you trace simple shapes like lines and circles in a way that directly helps Winnie the Pooh during the story.

In the second chapter, Pooh needs balloons to reach a beehive for honey. To help him, you must trace letters -- each letter you trace gives Pooh another balloon. Letters with Pooh does not require you to get the tracing job perfect in order to progress which is great for early learners who will probably struggle with staying in the lines. At the end of each letter tracing, a word that starts with that letter will be said and a picture associated with that word will be displayed. You then have the option to record your own voice saying the name of the letter.

As you progress through the letters, the game will periodically check in with Winnie the Pooh to see if he needs more balloons. Each time, Pooh says he needs to get a little bit higher and is floating off the ground with a growing handful of balloons that slowly brings him higher off the ground with more balloons. Once you've successfully traced all the letters, Winnie the Pooh will get high enough to reach the honey.

In the last chapter of Letters with Pooh, Winnie the Pooh must help Tigger find the letters that have fallen out of his book, Piglet with his paint-by-letters picture, and Owl with catching letters.

As you progress through the game, you'll hear the narrator congratulate you on earning more stickers that can be used in the Stickers section of Letters with Pooh. The section is all about having fun and includes stickers for characters and letters.

The good

• Practice tracing and writing upper- and lowercase letters to help Pooh find honey
• Record all the letters of the alphabet in your own voice
• Play fun, character-driven activities that reinforce letter identification
• Create your own Winnie the Pooh scenes with interactive stickers
• Guided skill instruction for up to four players
• Comprehensive parents' section with content leveling and progress monitoring
• Whimsical Winnie the Pooh artwork
• Professional narration, music and charming sound effects
• Universal for iPhone and ipad

The bad

• If you trace letters in the "wrong" direction, it doesn't really work right
• Must lift your finger to start the next part of the letter tracing. For example, to trace the letter W, all four sections of the letter are different and if you don't lift your finger between each section, your tracing will not be registered
• iPhone version doesn't support the iPhone 5's larger display, yet

The bottom line

Letters with Pooh is an excellent alphabet learning app for iPhone and iPad. Disney did a great job with its design by making it interactive, fun, and by including the voices of the characters from Winnie the Pooh. If you have a child who's learning his/her alphabet and loves Winnie the Pooh, you can't go wrong with Letters with Pooh.

$1.99 - Download Now

Animal Puzzle for Kids by Play Toddlers for iPhone and iPad is a fun app filled with up to 24 animal jigsaw puzzles. The puzzles are very simple and clearly targeted toward young children. You can choose the difficulty of the level (number of pieces) based on the skill of your child. Animal Puzzle is not only adorable, but a lot of fun and if you play with your kids, you can teach them about animals and the sounds they make at the same time!

The free version of Animal Puzzles comes with 7 puzzles (lion, zebra, alligator, hippo, giraffe, monkey, and pig). Each puzzle has three difficulty levels to choose from. Level one turns the picture into a 4 piece puzzle, level two uses 6 pieces, and the third level uses 9 pieces. While playing with Animal Puzzle, there is fun, bouncy music playing in the background that every child is sure to love. My 2 year old daughter dances every time she hears it.

When you finish a puzzle, the leaves in the background will swing back and forth as if they are dancing and cheering you on. I think it would be great if the appropriate animal sound was played upon completion as well, but I could see how that might be difficult for animals like the crab and octopus.

For just $0.99, you can purchase 17 more puzzles to have a total of 24 puzzles. These puzzles include a donkey, sheep, cow, chicken, duck, snow leopard, reindeer, St. Bernard, seal, polar bear, penguin, crab, octopus, fish, whale, sea horse and starfish.

The good

• Fun animal puzzles with fun music
• Includes 7 puzzles for free
• Can choose to have 4, 6, or 9 pieces in the puzzles
• Purchase 17 more puzzles for only $0.99 for a total of 24 puzzles

The bad

• No animal sounds

The conclusion

Animal Puzzle for Kids by Play Toddlers is a fantastic little jigsaw puzzle app for young children. My favorite feature is actually the fact that it lacks a bunch of features. If a toddler app has too many features, then the young user can easily get lost and accidentally perform functions they didn't mean to. The simplicity of Animal Puzzle makes it a perfect app for little learners.

This is my body - Anatomy for kids is an iPad app that teaches the principles of human anatomy in a playful and engaging way. It features informations about all important aspects of the human body in a beautifully designed and illustrated app package.

Since Anatomy is designed for kids, all of the screens are fun animations and everything is narrated by a young girl. Before you start, you get to choose from 8 different characters. There are four girls and four girls to choose from. Anatomy does make a point to mention that how you look doesn't have an impact on how your body works and that all bodies function the same -- every human is unique, yet we are all very similar.

After choosing your character, there are nine different modules to explore: Growing, My Skin, My Senses, I am Hungry!, Breathing, Heartbeat, My Muscles, My Nerves, and My Skeleton. At each section, you can tap and interact with different elements of the screen to learn about body parts or to participate in actions like putting a bandaid on a cut.

At the top and right of the screen of the main page of each section of Anatomy, you'll see ribbons. Pulling the top ribbon down will navigate to the next module and pulling the right ribbon to the left will move to the next page of the current module. There are multiple pages with each section that provide a lot of great information. For example, in the Growing module, there are five pages that discuss uniqueness vs similarities of people, fingertips, pregnancy, hair and fingernail growth, and more. Some pages can be scrolled up for even more information. If you tap on a block of italicized text, the narrator will read it to you.

Anatomy does mention that we originate from an egg cell that is fertilized by a sperm, so if you're not ready to answer the questions your child may ask when learning this fact, you may not want to have your child use This is my body quite yet.

When swiping down to navigate between modules, you are essentially removing layers of the body. Your character will start fully clothed, then just tank top and underwear, then to being in only underwear or completely naked, then different screens for digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. Next, the skin will be removed to show the muscular system, then the nervous system, and lastly, the skeletal system. From the Settings app, you can choose whether the My Senses module will show your character completely naked (with genitalia that can be identified) or in underwear only.

The good

• Engaging and fun for young users
• Educational
• Tap text to have it read to you (for the younger ones who are still learning to read)
• 8 characters to choose from
• Option show character in underwear or nude for My Senses module

The bad

• Anatomy mentions the the app's settings in the parents section, but doesn't make it clear that they are in the Settings app and not in-app

The conclusion

This is my body - Anatomy for kids is a fantastic way for children to learn more about their bodies. It is very engaging and fun for all young learners and makes learning about the human body fun and exciting.

$1.99 - Download Now

Nick Jr Draw & Play is an iPhone and iPad by Nickelodeon that lets kids can team up with Dora the explorer, Diego, Team Umizoomi and the Bubble Guppies to create amazing artwork -- and have fun! It features an easy to use interact with 8 different brushes for drawing and painting, 60 animated stickers, effects such as fireworks and magic wands, parental controls, and more.

One of the things I really like about Nick Jr Draw & Play is that when you draw on a coloring book page, it forces you to stay on the lines without also automatically filling everything in for you. For example, in the screenshot above, once I start coloring in Dora's hair, all of my strokes made (without lifting my finger) were kept inside the outline of Dora's hair, even if my finger went outside of the lines. This is such a great feature for kids since staying in the lines when coloring on an iPad is much harder than with coloring with real crayons on real paper.

Nick Jr Draw & Play is packed with many different artistic options for your kids. The mediums they can draw and color with include chalk, crayons, markers, pencils, spray paint, and paint brushes. There are also stickers, animation buttons, greeting cards, and more for your child to get creative with. They can also choose to start with a blank canvas or one of the drawing from the coloring book that feature many Nickelodeon characters from the shows Dora the explorer, Diego, Team Umizoomi and the Bubble Guppies.

When you child first plays Nick Jr Draw and Play, s/he will be guided through a animated tutorial that teaches them how to use it. Personally, I think it's not necessary as everything is pretty intuitive, especially for kids. Luckily, there's an option to skip it. Unfortunately, even if you skip the tutorial, it will start over the next time you launch the app and there isn't an option to disable it in the settings.

The good

• Easy to use interface with 8 different brushes for drawing and painting
• Colors stay in the lines when you color
• Dora the explorer, Milli, Geo and Bot of Team Umizoomi, and the Bubble Guppies coloring pages
• 60 Animated Stickers
• Fireworks, Splatter Tops, Magic Wands and Surprise Blocks to create amazing effects in your pictures
• eCards
• Picture ideas to help jump-start your child's imagination
• Animated Tutorials
• Airplay
• Sharing for parents via email and Facebook
• Parental Controls

The bad

• Tutorial cannot be disabled and plays every time you launch the app
• Separate purchases for iPhone and iPad instead of universal
• Can only undo one action

The conclusion

Nick Jr Draw & Play is a great iPhone and iPad app for kids to draw, color, and create with their favorite Nickelodeon characters. At first I was skeptical that it was going to be a little lame because Nickelodeon knows that kids would ask for it because of the characters, but I realized very quickly that I was wrong. Nick Jr Draw & Play is filled with features that are sure to keep your child entertained over and over again.

$3.99 for iPhone - Download Now

$6.99 for iPad - Download Now

If there's one thing that all kids love to do, it's to color. They also love cute monsters. Put the two together -- and you get Monster Coloring Book! This iPhone and iPad app will allow your kids to color and paint without the mess or risk of markers making contact with your carpet or one of the other many disastrous things that can happen to your home when your child decides to express his artistic side.

Monster Coloring Book includes 175 different monsters to color, giving your child a plethora of options to choose from. They are separated into 7 different categories: starters, swimmers, sleepers, creatures, flyers, grab bag, and hairies.

Once a monster is chosen, you can select between nine different brushes and a wide selection of colors. For the younger kids who haven't mastered the skill of coloring inside the lines, they can use a paint bucket that automatically fills in the regions with the selected color. In addition to colors, Monster Coloring Book allows you to select between many different patterns. These patterns work nicely for clothing or the background or whatever your kid may decide! Lastly, a coloring book isn't complete without stickers, so Monster Coloring Book also includes stickers of hats, speech bubbles, balloons, glasses, hair, monsters, and more.

To use a sticker, you must activate it. When you first select the sticker, it will be automatically activated, but if you place it, you must hold your finger down on it to re-activate. When activated, you can adjust its size and rotation by pinching to zoom and rotate.

While coloring your monster, you can tap the magnifying glass to zoom into the picture. Intuitively, you may want to use two fingers to scroll around the picture when zoomed-in. Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Instead, you must tap the arrow buttons to scroll. I do understand why this may be favorable for small children because they might accidentally scroll with multitouch, but there are plenty of children who love to color that are old enough to understand the concept of multitouch. At the very least, there should be a setting that let's you decide what kind of scrolling will be best.

When you're done coloring your photo, you can save it to the in-app gallery where you can print your masterpiece, share it via email, turn it into a puzzle with the Monster Puzzles app, or export to your Camera Roll.

The good

• 175 different monsters
• Wide selection of brushes, colors, patterns, and stickers
• Fun, classical music
• Ability to activate a Child Lock to disable promotional messaging, sharing, and printing
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• No undo button
• Have to scroll with a button -- no multitouch scrolling
• No sharing to Facebook or Twitter

The conclusion

Monster Coloring Book is a great iPhone and iPad coloring book for kids. Well, I keep saying it's for kids, but as an adult, even I find it enjoyable and relaxing!

$2.99 - Download Now

Discovering Colors - Animals is a coloring book for the iPhone and iPad that aims to teach young children (ages 2-5) about matching colors in drawings of animals. In each drawing, different sections are marked by a colored circle indicating which color should be used there. To color the picture, the child simply needs to tap the section with the correct color. When the drawing is completely colored, it will animate.

Although Discovering Colors - Animals can be easily be used by a child without the help of an adult, the folks at Frogames recommend that you sit down with your child and play with them. There are many different ways you can interact with your child, including talking about the animals featured in each drawing and identifying the name of the colors.

The free version of Discovering Colors - Animals comes with 4 different drawings and the paid version comes with 16 drawings (4 of which must be unlocked). The paid version of Discovering Colors - Animals is on sale for $0.99 for a few days.

The good

• Fun music
• Cute drawings
• Children can play alone, yet there's plenty of opportunity for parents to offer more play through interaction
• Change difficulty settings
• Drawing animates when completely colored, bringing the animals to life

The bad

• Would love to see more than 12 drawings included

The bottom line

Discovering Colors - Animals for iPhone and iPad is a great app for young children even as young as two years old. Some may complain that this coloring book doesn't actually say the names of the colors, but I actually prefer it this way. If an app does all the teaching, my daughter usually has no interest in interacting with me while playing, but Discovering Colors - Animals allows me to offer more to the experience by playing with her. This is a huge plus in my book.

Sid the Science Kid Read & Play is a new app by PBS Kids that is designed to develop early science exploration. It features two story books, jokes, games, sing along music videos, coloring pages and more!

There are two different stories included with Sid the Science Kid: The Trouble with Germs, and What's That Smell. For each story, you can choose to read it yourself, have it read to you, or set it on Auto Play.

In The Trouble with Germs, Sid's dad has a cold, so when his mom and dad tell Sid that he needs to keep washing his hands to prevent himself from also getting sick, Sid wants to know more about germs since he can't see them. When his mom shows him a picture of germs from a microscope, Sid gets really intrigued and tells his friends at school which then invokes an impromptu lesson about germs from his teacher.

In What's That Smell, Sid is disgusted by his baby brother Zeke's diaper and is intrigued about the fact that he can smell Zeke's diaper even though Zeke is down the hall and in a different room. Sid's mom reminds him that Zeke's diaper is not the only smell that he can smell from far away, but also other things like his dad's famous pancakes. Again, Zeke takes the topic to school and his teacher teaches the class about smell and molecules and how they interact with the wind and our noses.

Other sections of Sid the Science Kid includes Sing Along Music Videos, a Coloring Book, a game called I Sense to practice what you know about senses by identifying traits of different objects based on how they feel, smell, sound, and look, a Sticker Book, and a Spot the Difference game.

I've spent a little time with Sid the Science Kid and am impressed. The stories are fun and interesting. On Auto Play, the pages turn nice and fast. If your child is a fan of the show, I definitely recommend picking this one up. If you do, let us know what you think!

$2.99 for iPhone - Download Now

$3.99 for iPad - Download Now

Lola's Math Train is an iPhone and iPad app designed to help children 3-7 years old develop basic math and arithmetic skills. The difficulty level ranges between simple number recognition, basic inequality (which number is bigger), and elementary arithmetic. Lola's Math Train turns learning into a fun experience and has a positive impact on kids' puzzle solving skills.

Lola's math train has three different difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. The easy level is focused on identifying numbers, solving puzzles in the shape of numbers, identifying which boxes have the most squares, and ordering groups based on smallest to largest.

These are great games, but I'm not happy with the feedback given when an answer is wrong. For example, in the above screenshot, the child is asked to identify the symbol that is not a number. If s/he chooses 4, Lola says "four" and the incorrect sound is played. I think it'd be better if Lola said "This is the number four. Which one is not a number"? This tells the child not only the name of the symbol, but that it's classified as a number. It also repeats the question for children who may not be able to read, yet.

Level two features more questions about connecting numbers with the number of items in a box, puzzles in the shape of two digit numbers, counting, arranging from smallest to biggest, and identifying the largest number in a group of numbers.

Level three introduces basic arithmetic, ordering numbers, patterns, and picking pairs of numbers that sum to a given number.

When answering an arithmetic question correctly, Lola very quickly repeats the answer and then the equation. There isn't a long enough pause between the answer and the equation. For example, for 1+4=4, Lola will say " four one plus four equals 4" without any pause between "four" and "one". This can be confusing for kids.

Overall, the game is well made, has fun music and sounds, and keeps the attention of my daughter even though she's technically way too young to use it.

The good

• Well made
• Fun for kids
• Interactive
• Engaging
• Great content
• Universal for iPhone and iPad

The bad

• Would like to see more informative feedback when getting an answer wrong
• Lola will repeat some things (like equations) unnaturally with no pausing

The bottom line

Lola's Math Train is a great app for preschool kids to begin learning about numbers and basic arithmetic. Although there are a couple things I'd like to see changed, it's still a good app in its current state and is bound to not only be fun for you child, but also very educational.

$1.99 - Download Now

When Apple added the new Food & Drink and Catalog categories in the App Store, it showed that Apple was still working on App Store organization, but also highlighted how much work App Store organization still needs to be done. As the mother of a young child, I've been waiting a long, long time for one category in particular -- a Kids category.

Shopping for kid apps is incredibly difficult in the App Store right now. In fact, Google Search provides better results than the App Store itself. Occasionally, Apple will feature a temporary Kids section, like they do for special events and holidays, but it never sticks around for long, and has never been made a permanent category.

Apple markets the iPad as being a great device for children. They show off how iPads help special needs children. They're actively trying to get iPads into schools. They feature children using iPads in commercials and promo videos. They've also recently replaced iMacs with iPads at the kid's table in Apple Retail Stores, and those iPads are filled with kids apps, and nothing else.

The Education category in the App Store is filled with many apps designed for kids, but that only exacerbates the the problem. It doesn't help parents who are looking for general, not education-specific kids apps, like coloring books, games, puzzles, books, etc. And it makes it even more difficult for high school and college students to find what they need in a sections flooded with apps for young children.

The App Store needs a complete makeover. Apple bought Chomp and is making changes to the way search results are returned, but unless this fall's iPhone 5 event brings with it an entirely new, entirely improved App Store interface and discovery experience, more and better categories are one of the few short term improvements we can get.

It would be great to see Apple introduce a Kids category. In a perfect world, subcategories by age and by type would also be nice -- apps for very young children are as different from apps for pre-teens as games are from educational apps. But even a general Kids category would make it much easier for parents to find fun apps for their kids, easier for developers to get attention for their apps, and clean up the current Education category for students who are looking to learn something more difficult than their ABC's and basic arithmetic.

I'm a parent and I want to buy more apps for my child. A kids category could make that much, much easier for me and for all parents.

Motion Math: Wings is an iPad game with the focus of increasing conceptual understanding of multiplication. The goal is simple, tilt your iPad to guide the flying bird to the biggest number.

The catch is that the number isn't typically represent by its normal written form. Sometimes the numbers are presented as a grid of dots, a group of dots, a small group of dots preceded by "2 groups of", and more. There's a total of six different visual forms that a number can take. It's your job to fly the bird into the larger number. As the difficulty increases, so does the speed of the bird and the size of the numbers.

As a math instructor, I can confidently say that lack of conceptual understanding is why so many people struggle with mathematics. Unfortunately, this often starts at a very young age, but games like Motion Math help fill that gap. Instead of just memorizing that four times 6 is 24, players will need to also be familiar with the many different visual forms that this operation can take. The mental exercise will absolutely have an impact on your child's understanding.

Motion Math: Wings may be free to download, but it's by no means free. The free download comes with the first island of 5 different levels of difficulty. These 5 levels can be played as many times as you wish and should be enough for you to decide if you want to purchase more levels. There are three different areas of learning that you can purchase: pre-multiplcation ($1.99), basic multiplication ($2.99), and advanced multiplication ($2.99). Or you can buy all the levels for $6.99.

The good

• Both educational and fun
• Numbers are represented six different visual forms
• Develops conceptual understanding
• 10 levels of difficulty
• players win feathers and twigs to color the bird and build its nest

The bad

• Boring graphics

The bottom line

Motion Math: Wings isn't your typical boring arithmetic game. Instead of sticking with the traditional form of numbers, Motion Math includes many different visual forms to represent numbers which will result in an increased conceptual understanding of arithmetic, versus just memorizing what the outcomes should be.

Free - Download Now

i Learn With - Planet Boing! HD is part of a series of iPad apps that combine learning with fun for toddlers and young children. This particular app in the series is great for the younger players and is the central zone for both parents and kids with a free-play environment filled with lots of bright colors, music, and interactivity.

Before jumping into the fun, bouncy, colorful world, you can customize your character's look. This includes the shape of the torso, head, feet, hands, ears, and more, as well as his or her color. You can also roll the dice for a random customization.

When making customizations, you'll discover some that aren't available. If you tap it, a window will popup tell you how to unlock the item. This typically must be done by completing levels in other apps. This is a great way to motivate your child to play these learning games, but it can also get annoying for the younger kids who don't understand why the window popped up or what it says.

The main part of this app is Planet Boing, the fun world where you take your character to bounce around and gather bubbles that release things like music, shapes, characters, colors, and more. You can drag your character around the world with your finger or flick the character and watch him or her fly and bounce around.

In addition to interacting with your character in Planet Boing, you can also interact with different elements in the world, like trees and flowers, by tapping on them. You can also add more bubbles to the screen by tapping on the magic chest.

One of the fun elements of Planet Boing, is that if you have the new iPad or an iPad 2, you can use the front-facing camera to bring the fun to your world. My daughter thinks this is just hilarious.

In the Parents Center, you can see how your child is progressing in the other "i Learn with" apps and see recommendations of which apps you should get next. (Must register for a free account). These other apps are only $0.99 each and offer a lot of fun, educational content. I'll briefly share some features of i Learn With Boing: Ice Land Adventures! with you.

i Learn With Boing: Ice Land Adventures!

i Learn With Boing: Ice Land Adventures! has three main mini-games: Letters, Phonics, and Words.

In the Letters game, you have to pick the polar bear that's holding the letter shown at the bottom of the slide and guide him down the slide to help him collect all the ice cream balls.

In the Phonics game, you are given a sound, like "ma", and one letter of that sound. It's your job to fling your letter at the penguin that has the other letter on his hat. For example, if you are given the letter "a" and the sound "ma", your goal is to use the slingshot to hit a penguin with the "m_" on his hat.

In the Words game, you are given a word with a blank spot above each letter of the word. This word is actually on the back of a whale, and there are seals swimming in the water with a letter on each of their hats. It's your job to drag the penguins to their corresponding spots on the whale. When you get it right, the whale jumps up in excitement.

The Good

• Colorful
• Musical
• Fun
• Parents section is helpful for tracking kid's learning

The Bad

• Too much nagging to register and download other apps
• The location of the register button on the home screen is in the same location as the home button on the other screens. Young children like to push buttons over and over again, and my daughter hits the home button several times to go back to the home screen, but ends up at the register screen and gets frustrated.

The bottom line

At only 20 months old, my daughter really loves this app. It may seem boring to the average adult, but for a young toddler, bouncing characters around on the screen and seeing bursts of color and shapes provides endless entertainment. She's still a little to young for the educational apps in the series, but I'm sure she will love them once she gets a little older, especially since she's already familiar with the characters.

i Learn With - Planet Boing!, Free - Download Now

i Learn With Boing: Ice Land Adventures!, $0.99 - Download Now

Squiggles! for iPad is an adorable children's game that instructs the child user to draw squiggles on pictures so that they can come to life. For example, after drawing squiggles behind a few cars and tapping "GO", the squiggles will act as springs that push the cars across the screen -- with sound effects and all.

Squiggles! includes an intro video of a little monkey and bunny explaining what a squiggle is, how they can be large, small, colorful and be used to make spaghetti, clouds, cotton candy, or anything to make pictures come alive.

There are six different pictures included with Squiggles! In the one shown above, you are supposed to draw cotton candy for the kids. (In the screenshot, the cotton candy has already been drawn in). You can do it very simple with just some little squiggles on the sticks, or you can get more detailed and add even more to the scene. There's no limit on the creativity. Tapping go on this picture will make the kids float up in the air with their cotton candy.

The Squiggles! includes 4 different drawing mediums and 10 colors. You can also delete all your squiggles at once with just the tap of a button and save your drawings to your Squiggles! gallery. In addition to drawing, Squiggles! also allows user to add cute stickers to their pictures.

The Parental Zone is where you'll find the Squiggles Gallery, options, and ability to share pictures to Facebook, Twitter, email, or pinter.

As if the really fun pictures that come to life wasn't enough, Squiggle's also includes a book featuring Bobu and Miku from the intro video. It's interactive and incorporates squiggles into the story. You can choose to have the book read to you or to read it yourself. If you choose to have it read to you, you still have to turn the page. This is great for kids who want to interact with the story before turning the page, but I wish there was a way to have the pages automatically turn for the younger kids or to share with Apple TV.

The Good

• Pictures come to life with squiggles
• Six different pictures
• Bold, bright, and colorful
• Parental Zone lets you share pictures with Twitter, Facebook, and more
• Intro video is very cute
• Includes a fun book

The Bad

• "Read to Me" book feature doesn't have an option for automatically turning pages

The bottom line

I'm just going to come right and say that Squiggles! shouldn't be free. I'd easily drop $5 on it for my daughter. It's very fun and exciting for kids to see their drawing come to life. Combined with the video and book, Squiggles! is a must-have iPad app for children.

Free - Download Now

The story of Winnie the Pooh's birthday is now available on the iPhone and iPad. Pooh's Birthday Surprise is an interactive storybook aimed to encourage reading and early math concepts.

• Early-learning activities include: identifying and extending simple patterns, problem solving, vocabulary awareness, and story comprehension.
• Narration with word-by-word highlights supporting the read-along experience.
• Special feature taps engage and surprise young readers. Shake to clear away dust, tilt to set clouds in motion, swipe to see flowers bloom, and much more.
• End of book activities provide extended practice with early-learning concepts.
• Learning activities refresh for repeat play and practice.
• Info Page offers story extension activities for parents and caregivers.

Pooh's Birthday Surprise is available on the iPhone and iPad for $4.99.

[App Store link]

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ABC Food is an iPhone and iPad app designed to teach kids the alphabet and learn about food. It's packed with photos, videos, and interactions.

• Enjoy more than 70 delicious foods
• Explore more than 150 beautiful photos and fun videos
• Practice letter and word recognition
• Introduce your child to a world of food

ABC Food is available on the iPhone and iPad for $1.99.

[App Store link]

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Monkeybin Studios' new alphabet learning game, iCan ABC, has hit the App Store.

• Learning methods by pre-school teachers
• Designed by parents
• Developed by parents
• Tested on pre-schoolers
• Soothing music
• Graphics designed for the right ages
• Different gameplay for all stages of learning the alphabet
• Children safe game
• Professional vocals for all letters

I've spent a few minutes with this app and it is going to be a fabulous learning tool for my daughter when she's old enough. I particularly like that the "host" of the game is a Police Officer because it will help give children a positive association with cops.

The good folks at Monkeybin Studios have given us a few promo codes to give away to you, our awesome readers! For a chance to win, let us know who would benefit from you having this app - your son, daughter, niece, nephew, sibling?

iCan ABC is available for for $0.99. Screenshots after the break.

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By now you probably know that I am big into productivity apps and I am always looking for the next big thing. I use a lot of task management apps on the iPad, and there are some great ones for sure. However, I have just come across the ultimate task management app for your iPad; OmniFocus. This is, without a doubt the best app for utilizing David Allen's "Getting Things Done" (GTD) methodology. What makes this app stand out so much are three things: good design, Forecast and Review. But, I am probably getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning. Note, a lot of the features I am going to discuss are not unique to OmniFocus, but I think it is fair to describe them so you know what is contained in GTD and can get a better grasp for how it is used. For this review I literally rebuilt my tasks in the app form scratch except for the made-up Inbox screenshot below. I had to do that since I am already organized :-)

Gather your stuff

The first step in using a task app is to get all of your tasks together in one spot. This spot is known as the Inbox. You can add items to your Inbox by tapping the Inbox icon on he left of the screen. This allows you to enter the basics such as a name and maybe even a description of what it is you are trying to do and a date you want it done by. You can also assign Contexts and Projects, but more on that in a minute. For some people (like my wife) adding a bunch of items in a list with due dates that can recur is enough for you. If that is the case, stop right now and use another task management app. OmniFocus is more robust than that and it would be a shame for you to only use a fraction of its power. Now, it is time to move beyond the Inbox.

Organize

So you now have a lot of individual tasks. OmniFocus helps you out by allowing you to create projects for your tasks. Think of a project as a logical grouping of related tasks. For example, I might have a project to paint the house, which involves several tasks: buying paint and supplies, taping, mixing, etc.

On the OmiFocus sidebar located on the right of the screen in landscape or the overlap menu in portrait contains the link for creating projects. Once you tap it, you are presented with a screen that displays what projects you have. If you don't have any, tap the plus sign in the top right. A project can have a few different types: Sequential, Parallel and Single. Sequential means that the project you are about to start follows the typical finish-start task relationship in project management. So, back to my previous painting the house example, you must finish buying the paint before you start to paint the house. Parallel means that the tasks do not have to have a specific order. For example, I have bills due this month, it doesn't matter when I pay them as long as they are paid by the 30th. Last we have Single. Single is used if there really is a single task to your project, or, how  I use it, a general grouping of unrelated tasks that fall under a bigger more general umbrella like "Personal" or "Work". Hmm, let's talk about those bigger umbrellas now.

Once you have projects outlined you can group them together into logical areas of your life. Tap the plus button in the top left and choose folder. Some examples of my folders include: Personal, TiPb and a couple of work-related folders- that's it. Every project, every task in my life can be put into projects within these folders.

Now, to maximize your time completing tasks within your projects, you can use what are called Contexts. Think of a context as a way to virtually group your tasks into a place or method of communicating. For example, I have an errands context I assign to tasks that I need to do while I am out shopping. I have an email context for when, if I am doing email, I can get those specific tasks completed and so on. But what is the best part about contexts in OmniFocus? You can create location- based contexts! For example, I create a location context for Starbucks (where I do most of my writing). I assign that context to tasks I need to get done when I am at Starbucks. When I arrive, I tap on that context and using the iPad's location services, it finds my location and tell me relevant tasks that I have selected that need to be done in this location. Another example might be creating a context for different office locations at work. I need to speak to certain people at a location. I assign that location context to a task and OmniFocus only shows me contexts for that location.

At this point things might start to sound a little overwhelming. I mean, you have a billion tasks with a million projects, even with contexts and due dates, how do you keep it all in order? That is where OmniFocus really shines. Where other task management apps end, the power of OmniFocus really shows it's stuff.

First, you can filter your projects and tasks by seeing only what is the very next action (task) in each project to be completed, see what tasks are available across projects (even items that are on Hold, more on that in a minute), what active tasks are remaining and all of your tasks. You can easily focus on specific projects by tapping and holding on the title. It magically makes the other projects go away so you can focus on the project or task at hand. Using the same method, you can quickly expand all or collapse all to make viewing even easier.

Forecast and Reviews

Forecast is a simple yet infinitely useful calendar/timeline function that shows you dates in boxes for the upcoming week and a box for past and future. Inside of each box is a number representing the number of tasks you have due on that day. When you tap on the day you want, it gives you a list of the tasks due for that day. This is an great tool for people that are looking ahead to what needs to be done and they want to manage accordingly. The Forecast tool allows you to easily tap a task and change a due date for example. Most other task apps simple have a couple filters to do this, the Forecast tool is the best I have used so far.

Review allows you to literally review your projects on a weekly basis. You can change this interval to another time, but I think one week works well. This is so incredibly useful. It acts like a reminder, but without nagging. You can review your project, add tasks, adjust due dates and more knowing that in a week, it will be time to review these projects again. Of course this is something you should be doing anyway, but building it into the app was pure genius.  You can do more than just marking  a project complete. You can change the status of the project to Active (which is the default), On Hold (if you don't know when you will complete it or need more information), Completed (Yeah, it's done. Think if it like you are archiving the completed project) and Dropped (Canceled).

Syncing and conclusion

Of course, it is great to have this data on your iPad, but what about syncing? OmniFocus gives you options. First, they have their own beta syncing service. This is great for folks that don't have another OmniFocus product or don't use another syncing service. You can sync to MobileMe, your own WebDav server or over Wi-Fi with the Mac desktop version of OmniFocus. These services can be used to sync with the iPhone version of this app (no, it's not Universal).

I did not cover every aspect of OmniFocus here (yes, there is more...) but I think you have a good indication of what it does and how well it does it. Oh, and did I mention it's pretty with a cool app icon? Those are great bonuses, but this is clearly leaps and bounds ahead of what else is out there and our patience for this app release has truly been rewarded; thanks OmniFocus. It would be nice if there was a lite version of this app as the $39.99 price might be too steep from some. However, if you use the GTD methodology, then you are probably already hooked.

[$39.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Beautiful, intuitive design
• Workflow to add tasks is painless
• Multiple organization options
• Different sync options

Cons

• Expensive
• No way to sync to the web via a website (like Toodledo)
• No lite version is available for users to try before buying

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(Grinchmas for iPhone Forum Review by cjvitek. For more Forum Reviews, see the TiPb iPhone App Store Forum Review Index!)

Grinchmas [$1.99 - iTunes link] is a Christmas themed game designed by Oceanhorse Media. In the game, you get to choose if you play “Merry Grinch” or “Mean Grinch”. With the mean Grinch, you goal is to throw snowballs at the houses which are playing too much music (and thus bothering you). With the merry Grinch, you through presents at the houses (of matching color) trying to spread Christmas joy.

The games themselves are suitable for all ages, and my daughter had some fun trying them out. However, they do take a little bit of skill – hitting the houses with either the snowballs or the presents depends on your aim as well as the speed at which you throw (swipe your finger). Faster swiping means throwing the item farther (at the distant houses). It takes a little bit of practice to get it down pat.

Unfortunately, that’s where the game ends. The merry Grinch game is based on how many packages you can throw in a certain time limit. The mean Grinch game is based on how many houses you can silence (how long you can last) before your patience wears out. As such, both games are similar to each other. It would be nice to see a couple of different KINDS of games between the two options. In addition, while there is a nice soundtrack (or rather, music and sound effects), there is nothing else enticing. I would have loved to see some cut scenes (maybe from the TV special), some spoken lines to the TV special, some sort of bonus features (maybe Max appears, maybe some houses are worth more, etc). As it is, playing the game a few times is fun, but the novelty wears off rather quickly. The simplicity of the games is both good (easy to pick up) and it’s downfall (gets boring relatively fast).

Conclusion

All in all, the game is nice holiday themed fun, and if you have kids they may enjoy playing the Grinch. For $1.99, the price isn’t too bad, but don’t expect something you will be able to play for a long time, or something that has a high replay level. The game might help you get in the Christmas mood, but if you are looking for a detailed, complex, or long lasting game you will probably end up with a mean Grinch face. Three and a half out of five stars.

• Fun, Christmas themed games
• Suitable for all ages
• Requires some skill when aiming

• Games get a little boring
• No “special levels” or bonus plays
• The two games are not fundamentally different

TiPb Review Rating

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