Top 8 iPad apps for kids

Is an iPad Good for a Child?

With the vast selection of creative tools, educational apps, and games, iPads are useful for kids as they can entertain them, and they can also learn at the same time. Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop sponsored research and found that some apps may improve the math and vocabulary skills of children. Also, they found out that you can boost the social interaction and language of your kids through cognitive display iPad apps.

However, even though the iPad is suitable for children in many ways, it should be in moderation. Too much screen time should always be a concern to you when it comes to iPading for kids. According to a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, too much screen time can result in conduct and attention problems in children. So, although iPad apps for kids may benefit them, it does not mean you should allow them to stick the screen on their face or us the device for hours un-end.

Additionally, keep in mind that other face-to-face social interaction, creative free play, games, toys, and physical activity should not be displaced by iPad use. Now that you know that an iPad can be useful for your tween, at what age should you hand it over to him.

What Age Should a Child Have an iPad?

When it comes to iPad use for kids, the guideline that the American Academy of Pediatrics has set as regards screen time can be your best bet. It would be best if you did not allow your ward to have access to digital media and screen time until he is between 18 months and two years old. Even if you let him/her watch digital media at such age, it should be with you and not alone. However, if your child is around 2 to 5-years-old, you can start allowing a screen time of 1 to 2-hours per day. Also, according to some studies, 3 to 4 hours of screen time per day is ideal for pre-schoolers, and about 7-hours screen time per day is good for 8 to 18 years old kids.

Top 8 iPad Apps for Kids

1. Laugh & Learn Shapes & Colors

This is one of the best apps available for kids on iPad to learn about shapes, colors, action/reaction, and first words. The Laugh & Learn Shapes & Colors does not come at any price as it is free to download and use. Children can learn by interacting with engaging sounds and animation. The age rating of this app is 4+. The main features are:

• Two sing-along songs and five sung ditties that your child can dance along with.
• Two levels of play

2. Thinkrolls Space

You can offer your children a play experience that marries puzzle-solving logic dexterity tests with the Thinkrolls Space app on iPad. This app is 4+ age ratings and costs 3.99USD to play. Thinkrolls Space is suitable for leaning as it enhances perseverance, strategic thinking, memory, logic, and problem-solving. The main features are:

• 108 hard level for 8-year-old kids and above
• One hundred ten easy levels for ages five-plus.
• More than 200 mazes are set across seven unique planets.

3. Endless Alphabet

This app is suitable for kids to learn words and their definitions. The cost of the app is $8.99, and it comes with a 4+ age rating. The main features are:

• One hundred words are available on the app for your kids to learn and play with.
• Endless alphabet

4. Pango Musical March

Is your child a musical bent? Then the Pango Musical March is one of the best kids’ iPad app for him. The app is recommended for children four years old and above and will cost you $2.99 to download and use. The main features are:

• Forty different instruments and allows you to arrange marching bands according to your preference.
• Four musical styles
• Parental control
• Music speed change

5. Sizzle & Stew

Here is a cooking game for kids on the iPad. It is perfect for kids four years old and up, and it will cost you $2.99 to download and play. You can play this game anywhere as it is full of fun costumes, tasty ingredients, and hidden surprises. The main features are:

• No Wi-Fi or internet is needed
• Variety of tools and appliances
• Collaborative play with 2 player split-screen

6. DinoTim

This is a free educational game for your kids between ages 3 to 8 to enjoy and learn geometric shapes. It is also suitable for children to enhance psychomotricity, concentration, attention, and speed. Kids can also learn a foreign language like Italian, French, and Spanish in a fun way. The main features are:

• Different geometric shapes
• Teach some foreign languages
• Teaches letters, vowels, and consonant

7. Toca Nature

The app is useful for learning about nature. The price of this iPad app for kids is $3.99, and its age rating is 4-plus. The main features are:

• You can plant trees, raise a mountain, shape nature, and watch it develop.
• Kids can also grow a forest and collect nuts, mushrooms, or berries and feed animals.

8. Sago Mini Village

This app will be an ideal option for kids who love to build. You will construct a new community for gnome using the hundreds of interactive blocks featured by the app. All it takes is to drag, drop, and build. With this iPad app for kids, you can develop your child’s motor skills, resourcefulness, and creativity skills. It will cost you $3.99 to download and play this game. Also, it is appropriate for four years old and up. The key features:

• Surprises and fun animations
• Over 100 interactive and unique building blocks
• No internet or Wi-Fi is required

How do I Make Kids’ iPad Child-friendly?

1. Choose educational apps – if you are going to give your child an iPad, ensure to select educational and age-appropriate apps. Make sure your kids get something out of every app you download for them.

2. Keep devices away during bedtime and mealtime – prevent your tween from focusing on his/her iPad during mealtimes. Also, turn off their iPad two hours before bedtime to prevent the device from interfering with their sleep cycle.

3. Enable restrictions –

this is done by going to Settings on the iPad, selecting General, tapping Restrictions, selecting Enable Restrictions, and setting a passcode. Here, you can adjust what your kids are allowed to do, protect their privacy, manage what is watchable, and more.

4. Use FamiSafe –

using a parental control app like FamiSafe can be the sure bet to keep your kids safe while using iPad. FamiSafe features App Usage & Blocker that allow you to block unhealthy apps and also find out how much time your kids spend on each app. It also comes with Screen Time that will enable you to reward time to your kids and set a smart schedule. The app also has a Family Locator that helps you track the real-time location of your kids, know the locations they have been to, and also get alerts when your child walks into unsafe places.

Wrap up

If you are going to offer your offspring an iPad, ensure you take the right steps to keep them safe. Some of the steps involve using a reliable parental control app like FamiSafe and picking the educational iPad apps for kids where they can learn and have fun at the same time.