10 iPad Apps that my Kids just LOVE

I’ve already written about how the iPad has turned things around for me in terms of portable computing/entertainment/sheer time-wasting.

I love the fact that I can just slide it into my baby bag and effectively browse or blog on the go. That is, when my babes aren’t fighting me for its attention (yup, you read that the right way round).

After seeing how easily they get sucked into the iPad’s vortex, I’ve had to limit their access…pretty hard when Jed swipes like a pro and Ezra’s close to cracking my iTunes password!

Still the iPad’s unbeatable for short bursts, long car journeys or, as happened recently, a 6 hour flight with two wired kids and a TV monitor on the blink (thanks BA!).

Many of the apps I’ve downloaded are free or cheap as chips.

Here are some of the boys’ favourites:

1. Toy Story
The first Toy Story comes to life in this read-along app with optional voice-over and super cool extras including music video, games (Ezra loves the parachuting toy soldiers), colouring pages and it’s all, amazingly, free!

2. Talking Roby the Robot
He spins, he boogies, rub him the wrong way and he knocks his head against the glass. Type out his speech or just talk and hear his robot voice repeat. The babes can’t get enough of Roby, he’s even more popular than Smack Talk (another hot fave). Also free.

3. The Monster at the End of this Book
If you’re a Sesame Street fan then you’ll love this interactive version of their hit tale starring Grover who, no matter what, wants to stop you getting to the monster (guess who?) at the end of the book. Ezra and Jed double up over this one and it cracks me up too. £2.39

4. Air Hockey
Already an App Store classic, what I love about Air Hockey is that I can play it with my stepson (aged 14), my eldest (almost 5) and my youngest (nearly 2) and have a blast each time. And it’s free!

5. Doodle Buddy
You don’t have to be David Hockney to enjoy the thrill of making pictures with your fingers on iPad. This app offers various drawing tools as well as backgrounds, stamps and stickers (the kids go a bit crazy with the stickers). Free.

6. Wheels on the Bus
The creators of this app have several bestsellers including the fab Itsy Bitsy Spider. This was the very first game I downloaded for the kids, and they still enjoy its playful silliness. You can also record your own voice or hear the rhyme in different languages. £1.19

7. Fruit Ninja
I avoided downloading this for ages in case it was too violent for the babes. Turns out it’s slashy and splashy but not at all dangerous. Unless you’re a banana. £0.59

8. AlphaBaby
This free app’s best for teaching letters and numbers to younger kids. You can pinch, drag or flick the characters to bounce them around. That’s about it. Jed loves it.

9. Flick Football
My sons are footie mad and even Mama has fun trying to curve the ball around players or score with my finger. I downloaded this for Ezra but this is probably the app Jed likes best.

10. iRewardChart
I’ve left this app until last although it’s the one we use almost every day. It’s basically a chart where you can add your children, give them tasks and reward them with stars (adding up to prizes of your choosing). You could even set up a chart for yourself with tasks and rewards. Pricier at £2.39 but worth every penny.

Coming Soon: 10 iPad apps for Mamas on the Blog