Favorite Learning Apps

Guest Post by Tricia @Thislifeofours

Another school year is over and summer has arrived. June I love to spend mornings at the park, bike rides in the afternoons and evenings at the pool. But then comes July. The heat. Oh, the heat! We retreat inside come July. Books, crafts, movies and, yes, iPad time. We use both Android and iOS devices in our home, so all the apps I chose are available for both systems. I also chose apps that are fun — not just fun for the kiddos to play but fun for me to play or fun for me to watch them play. Screen time is often interactive & family time, so I want to enjoy the apps as well.

DragonBox {Ages 4 and up}

When I first saw DragonBox, I was confused. It made no sense to me. I trusted the friends recommending it to me, so I decided to take the plunge anyway. I opened the Algebra 5+ app and started playing. I was hooked. By the end of the game, I was blown away. The method of teaching…it made so much sense but it was totally outside of the box thinking. We have since gone through Algebra 12+ and Elements (geometry) and we have enjoyed them all. As my daughter went through pre-algebra & algebra, we often went back to the ideas in DragonBox when she was stuck on a concept. My daughter is taking geometry in the fall, so we’ll see if we use ideas from Elements during it. The price is high compared to most apps we purchase…but they are worth the price! {Bonus: They have a great blog! They write well-researched & supported posts on the topic of math.}

Tower Math {Elementary}

From the creator of the popular Stack the States, Monster Physics, and Presidents v. Aliens, Tower Math is the most-asked-for game on our iPad. It’s also the only game we have that just does not make sense to me! Kids, as they often do, understand apps more intuitively than adults and this game is no exception. Kids can practice the four basic areas of math while they defend the castle towers. While most apps with multiple levels of play make you choose one level for the entire round of play, Tower Math lets you choose different levels within the game. So kids that are strong in addition but weak in subtraction can choose appropriate levels. My kids love to play this one together.

Endless Apps {Toddler — 9yo}

For the younger crowd, the Endless app series is one of my favorites. We grabbed Endless Alphabet when it first came out about five years ago. It was an immediate hit with my young preschool-aged boys. Through beautiful illustrations and animation, Endless’s interactive apps will leave memorable visuals that aid recall. From the youngest levels of Endless Alphabet & Endless Numbers up through Endless Wordplay and Math Tango for elementary students, these apps are a delight. While I don’t enjoy playing them as a parent, the colors and sounds are pleasing to see/hear, unlike many apps! That’s a win in my book. {Prices vary and there are in-app purchases to get the full versions. Check out the bundle offers if you are using iOS in order to save $$.}

Inventioneers {Ages 4–12yo}

As I was putting the final touches on a physics unit, I popped into the app store to look for fun apps for the kids to practice the concepts from our unit. Inventioneers was the first app I chose…and the only app from that unit that they still play! While the game is really about…you guessed it, inventions, there is a certain amount of physics involved with angles, Newtonian laws, magnetism, etc. My boys have competitions to see who can come up with the tallest/longest/curviest/whatever invention and then dissolve into giggles as they watch their inventions come to life. {There is a free version as well as a paid version.}

CDC Outbreak {Teens}

App stores are overrun with learning games for the preschool & elementary age. Come the teen years, though, they can be much harder to find. Solve the Outbreak, a FREE app from the CDC, is perfect for this age. Teens play the role of an Epidemic Intelligence Service agent in charge of evaluating an outbreak and determining how best to contain and solve it. With outbreaks of various sizes and across the world, your teen will learn about epidemiology while practicing with logic and detective skills. The player will also learn a bit about medicine & geography. While this game doesn’t capture our attention for long periods at a time, it’s perfect for 10–20 minute spurts. {There is also a web-based version of the game.}