KinderTown Blog | Educational App Reviews, Activites, and More!

Futaba Classroom | App Review & Activities

Futaba Classroom comes highly recommended as a multifaceted game to use with your family or in your classroom. Completely customizable for what you want kids to learn and play. One of the few apps designed completely for social play.

Either play with the provided content or create your own. Up to four players sit around the iPad. Tap “start” and the game begins. One game might have the center showing a picture of 10 stars. The first player to tap the number 10 on their panel scores a point. Win three rounds and the child is awarded a Futaba which is a small seedling.

Futaba comes with several learning sets, but what makes this app exceptional is the fact that you have complete control of the content. Design your games by using the camera on your device. Add your own text. The latest update provides an option to use Dropbox to upload images. The amount of customization allows both parents and teachers to get creative. The options seem limitless.

Activity 1: Chalkboard Calculator

What You’ll Need:
• Chalk
• Stones

With the chalk draw a series of boxes that resemble a calculator. You want to include numbers from 0 to 9 and the symbols your child is familiar with (+, -, x, /, =). If you have a young child who does not know math symbols yet, leave them off.

The first player tosses the stone on one of the numbers. The player reads the number and jumps on corresponding squares to create that number. Based on your child’s abilities with numbers, the game can look a little different.

For example, The stone lands on 6.

• The child who know addition and subtraction might jump on number 7, then -, 1, = and finally landing on 6.
• The child learning how to construct numbers might jump on number 2, then 4 and finally 6.
• The child just learning to count can start at one and count and jump one square at a time until landing on 6.
• The player gets to keep playing until they either step on a line or make the wrong equation.

Activity 2: Mismatch

This a great game for families and kids to play together. The objective is to get kids paying attention to their surroundings, comparing, contrasting and using active memory.

Choose a room in your home to play in. Gather everyone in the room to look around. If you have a big group of people playing you will want to break up all the players into two teams. For smaller groups, everyone can just take turns.

To start the game, one group leaves the room. The remaining players change five objects in the room. There are lots of things you can do: flip couch cushions, switch shoes with another player, move objects from one side of the room to other. When done making the changes, bring the other team back into the room. Their job is to identify the mismatches. Anything they don’t find equals one point for the other team. Take turns making and finding mismatches. The player or team with the most points is the winner.

FETCH! LUNCH RUSH | App Review & Activities

It’s amazing what PBS has accomplished by blending technology with creativity and movement. Great educational value plus movement and team play which translates to inside fun on a hot summer day!

The objective of FETCH! LUNCH RUSH is to serve lunch to Ruff’’s hungry movie crew. Your children will need quick wits, room to move and game pieces.

Start by printing off the “augmented reality” PDFs. The pdfs can be sent via email from the app or found on the PBS Kids website. Cut out the pieces and place them around the space where you are playing (yes, you can put them on people too).

Children fill sushi orders by searching for the game pieces with the correct number. We love the AR (augmented reality) feature of aiming the iPhone or iPad and seeing the sushi pieces emerge on the screen. Just tap on the screen to solve the given problems. Be quick about it, the timer is going!

FETCH! LUNCH RISH can be played with 1-4 players, making it a great app to use when friends come to visit. There are five rounds containing addition and subtraction problems. Our parent review team found lots of ways kids outside the suggested age range can play too!

Activity 1: Kid Olympics

What You’ll Need:

• A good plan of how you are going to set up the event.
• Active music that is good for kids to move to.
• A place to keep track of all the new world records your kids will set.

Olympics themed fun can be part of your active play for the month of July and August. Get ready for this awesome event that starts at the end of July by setting up your own kid friendly olympics. Planning is going to be important for this. After setting up a few events I bet your kids will get the idea and be inspired to come up with their own events.

Here are some of our ideas to inspire you:

1. Long-Distance Running: Encourage physical movement and math by encouraging your kids to race across your country or state. Start with a map of the country you live in. Write down the miles/kilometers across your country or state. Set an amount of how many miles/kilometers earned for walks around the block, dancing to a song or doing laps across the backyard. Tally your activity over the week and map it to see how far your kids went. Note: this event also really works well with cycling too!

2. Volleyball: Blow up a balloon or grab a beach ball for this event. Set a timer and see how long the gaggle of kids you have over at the house can keep the ball from touching the floor. Records the times and names of the teams to see who can set the new “world record.”

3. Gymnastics: I spent many hours of my childhood making up dances with my sister so this is one of my favorite suggestions. Let your child pick their favorite song. Use garageband or the record feature on your iPhone to take a small clip of the song. Your child who loves to dance, choreographs a “floor routine” during the day. Host the gymnastics event after dinner that evening. Moms and Dads you should probably get ready to create your own routine too!

Activity 2: Encouraging Confidence

Learning happens all the time. Our kids are like little sponges, they pick up on everything. I would have to challenge you to not having your child asking questions, discovering or role playing during the day. Keep that excitement to learn, which is so natural in our little ones, by playfully encouraging and challenging them with the questions you ask.

We suggest using the strategy of positive motivational language. In addition to providing the choice language of “can you…?” try language that shows your child that you know they can do it. Prompts like “Show me you can…” or “Let me see you…” tells your child that you know they can do something. It also lets your little one “show off” which is usually not an issue for young children.

DIY App | App Review & Activity

DIY App

We don’t very often rave about an app that at first glance lets you do one thing – take a picture. By recommending DIY App we hope to make you aware of both a website and community full of invention and inspiration. The app houses the camera for capturing your child’s projects. These pictures become a portfolio of projects which can be shared with family and friends. Even featured in the greater DIY community to inspire other kids.

The DIY community taps into some of the best parts of technology. The ability to share with people around the world. Wonder and improve upon the ideas of others. Receive instant feedback from family and friends. Make new friends with similar interests.

We recommend parents head over to the DIY website and find a way to tailor the experience for your families needs. Here is our short list of ways to get started with DIY and DIY App.

• Explore the projects other kids have created to inspire your own.
• Set up an account for your child to share with family and friends online.
• Use the stickers and rewards to motivate a reluctant inventor.
• Use the camera to take pictures of your child’s projects and create a portfolio for them to go back to at the end of the summer.

There are lots of ways to create the experience you want for your child. Learn more on the info for parents page. When you are on the homepage of the website, click on the picture at the top and drag it around to see some amazing artwork.

Activity: Host Your Own Family Science Day!

The annual event of Family Science Day is something that we all look forward to each year. Over the last few years it has evolved to include more than just family too. It usually is a fun day for kids, parents, family and friends to get together for laughing and learning. We have been doing this a while so it has evolved into quite an event, but we hope that it sparks some inspiration for you to start a family event of your own.

Be ready for anything to transpire on Family Science Day. This year we had our first controversy over who won. My husband’s team is claiming their rocket was never found because their launch went into orbit. So we are adding a new rule: All rockets must be found. I do acknowledge they are the first losers and since I am writing this blog, the Fat Lady has Sung!

Have I peeked your interest yet? Want to learn more?

Here are few guidelines, revised over the years, which have helped make our Annual Family Science Day a huge success.

The teams are set before everyone arrive. We use a whiteboard to display teams and keep track of points accumulated. Four to six people per team are assigned with age (we include all kids over 2), careers and personalities taken into account. The teams are announced at the “Opening Ceremony” where the schedule and instructions are given out. The spokesperson/judge for the day might sound something like this:

“There will be two events. Teams will remain the same for both. Each team must elect a President who then selects a spokesperson and trade representative. The spokesperson and trade rep must be under 18. Prior to the start of the each competition, the spokesperson will present their teams design and how the process was approached. The judge will also select a Best in Show. Everyone is assigned a work space and no one can leave that room except the trade representative. This will be strictly enforced!”

Each team is given a box of items for them to use. The contents in each box are not the same, making trading very important. You can only use items from your own box or items that your “trade representative” trades for. If there are any trade dispute they will be brought to the WTO (yes, we have our own World Trade Organization) to determine a remedy. Any components you use in the first event can not be used in the second event. The second mission is announced after the first mission has been completed.

Time frame usually looks like this:

1:00: Start time instructions.
1:15: Start building.
2:00: Event 1. Each spokesperson will explain how they developed their project before their team project is tested. Points are then awarded.
3:00: Start second project.
4:00: Event 2.
5:00: Awards ceremony.

EVENT 1: A Bridge to Somewhere

Using the items in your box you must build a bridge that is 54” in length. We made bridge requirements 54” because that was a distance we had outside between 2 stationary walls. Oh’yeah, you can not use glue. During the competition you must place a 3×6 flat piece of wood that the judge will provide for the weight to be tested on.

Points Awarded for:

• Bridge standing on its own.
• Each 100 grams it supports (up to 300 grams).
• The bridge that supports the most will get a bonus points.
• 2 bonus points for most visually appealing.
• Additional points for best presentation.

EVENT 2: Speed Kills

Your job is to build the fastest car possible. The car must meet the following criteria:

• Wheel base must be less than 12”
• Overall length must be less than 18”
• Overall width must be less than 10”

The car will race a total of 7 times (our ramp is 16 feet). Repairs can be made only with the items that were on the car during the first race. Preliminary Round: Each team will face each other team. The winner gets additional points. The top 4 teams will move into elimination round. The Final Four bracket then takes place. Points are awarded according to first, second, third or fourth placement.

Remember they should not be identical. This makes trading representative an important position. You should use your imagination here as this will allow creative thinking among group members. It’s important to have lots of items as this allows for discussion and innovation among team members.

• A lot of balsa wood.
• Wheels (we often use standard Derby Racer wheels).
• Tape (no glue).
• Measuring stick.
• Hammer.

I hope you find some inspiration for your own family event. Maybe science isn’t your forte, so don’t be limited by our passions. Family Music Day or Family Reading Week just might fit your family and friends better. The best part of the day is the memories it creates and learning that lasts a lifetime.

Favorite Picks for Father’s Day Gifts

Handy Dad: 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids

Handy Dad is a great resource for gathering ideas for projects to do with your kids. Dad-friendly directions increase the success of building and constructing any of the 25 projects. Make sure to log on to DIY.org and download the DIY App to let your child keep track and share these projects they create together.

Craft: Homemade Father’s Day Picture

Get crafty this week by making the special men in your life a heart-warming picture. Start by going to the local craft or hardware store for pre-cut letters and shapes. A touch of paint, camera, and frame, and a fun photo of the two of you make delightful pictures that will surely put a smile on Dad’s face.

Books to Prepare Kids for Father’s Day

A Perfect Father’s Day by Eve Bunting

A young girl wants to spend Father’s Day with her dad doing all the things he loves. Instead, they do things she loves and like any good father, he pretends they are his favorite things too.

Little Critter: Happy Father’s Day by Mercer Mayer

A fun book to read with Dad and the whole family. Lift the flaps and discover what surprises the kids have for Dad and Grandpa. Mercer Mayer is a favorite author of the KinderTown team!

Little Critter: Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer

Perfect for the 2-5 set and as your child gets older this book will also make a good beginning reader. While many would assume this is about a father and son, there is no language to say so. Only blue overalls give any hint of gender. We think this book will work well for daughters.

The Night Before Father’s Day by Natasha Wing

Rhyming story based on the poem “The Night Before Christmas”. Two young children help Mom prepare a special Father’s Day surprise. We like how this book shows the act of service as a gift. Contains a lot of great ideas that Dad will appreciate without costing money.

I Love My Daddy by Sebastien Braun

This book focuses on many things a father and child do together. It has simple short sentences for the beginning reader and yet profound enough to emphasize and strengthen that relationship.

Conquer Summer Learning Loss with Apps & Activities

We recently asked KinderTown parents for their thoughts on summer learning loss. The responses were thoughtful and varied, but one thing remained consistent: kids are going to be learning this summer. Here is my summary of the ways parents are planning on encouraging their child’s growth this summer:

• Playful, exploratory activities.
• Continuation of the household routine for many homeschooling parents.
• Communication and activities supported through emails with their classroom teacher.
• Lots of iPad and iPhone apps for entertaining and motivating educational play.

As always, we want to help. Throughout the summer we are going to post new apps and ideas for using them for fun learning play. Here are a few to get you started!

DIY App

Suggested ages: 6 and up.

What it helps your child learn: Science (Investigation), Art (Creativity) and much more!

One day, while I was working at my community garden, I saw a dad, young girl and boy come out onto the neighboring soccer fields with great excitement. The kids were bouncing around chattering in high voices. The dad was carrying something quite large in his arms. I stepped back to watch what was going on to discover that they were about to launch a homemade rocket! Within a few minutes the rocket had launched into the air while the kids looked on with shrieks of joy. I, too, was in awe as the rocket soared into the sky.

What does this story have to do with the DIY App? Well, the app not only gives you and your children a place to gather ideas for projects. It lets your child keep track and share all the projects, creations, and inventions they make this summer. Perfect for the budding engineer, artist or inventor in your house. There is so much value in this app, which is linked to a fantastic website and is FREE!

Dora ABCs Vol: 1, 2 and 3

Suggested ages: 3 to 6.

What it helps your child learn: Language (Letters and Sounds, Letter Writing, Phonics, Rhyming, Word Play)

For more formal learning this summer look to the Dora ABCs series of early reading apps.

Dora ABCs Vol 1: Letters & Letter Sounds

Getting a child ready for preK or kindergarten next year? Have a child who can identify the letters in their name and is ready for more formal letter learning? This app reinforces letter knowledge through tracing and repetitive letter sounds voiced by Dora.

What to do off the app: Follow this app up some finger painting. Sit alongside your child and practice forming letters with colorful streaks of paint. Don’t want the mess? Add paint to a ziplock bag and form the letters by pressing down on the outside of the bag. With these activities parents get to be Dora, reinforcing the letter sounds and talking about words that start with each letter.

Dora ABCs Vol 2: Rhyming Words

Rhyming and other wordplay activities are not only fun for kids but will help them be stronger readers as they get older. This app has kids identify pictures that rhyme with a given word and picture. A very simple game, but one kids really enjoy playing.

What to do off the app: Rhyming is not a quiet or silent activity. Your child needs to say the different words and pictures in the app to hear the rhyming pattern. Take rhyming off the app. Start a game of “round rhyming” in the car. One person starts with a word and you go around the car making up real and pretend rhyming words until you stump someone.

Dora ABCs Vol 3: Ready to Read

Add the beginning sounds to words to label the given picture. All the letter sounds and rhyming you practiced in the first two apps get applied here. This is also one of a few apps that asks kids to change the beginning sounds in the words to make new words – another valuable phonics experience.

What to do off the app: Looking for a way to add more word building experiences into everyday play? Stock up on notepaper and fun writing tools. Cut papers into different sizes, pair the paper with a cup of colored pencils, pens or markers and leave these two items around your child’s favorite play area. You will see lists, notes, drawings and all kinds of “print” (written communication) emerge during their play.

Pip and Posy: Fun and Games

Suggested ages: 3 to 5.

What it helps your child learn: Social Studies (Social Skills), Math (Logic Games)

This app is really fun. Short early learning games are paired with cute images from the favorite Pip and Posy books. Match pairs, put together puzzles, play spot the difference and color on a variety of coloring pages. Our favorite is the face making game. Match the given emotions and faces by watching your own face mirrored in the app.

What to do off the app: We do not doubt that all these in-app activities are similar to box games you have in your playroom. Balance the screen time with the similar games you have in your house. Also, plan a trip to your local library to pick up the Pip and Posy books for your family reading time.

Numbers League | App Review & Activities

Numbers League is an amazing math game that has all the elements for learning in disguise. It has a cartoon feel from yesteryear, great music, heroes, villains, missions and more. The dramatic plot: as villains lurk in the streets, the Number League must assemble a team of superheroes to use the sum of their incredible powers and devices to capture as many villains as they can.

The game can be played independently or have as many as four users on a single iPad. When your name appears in the headlines it is your turn. Custom levels allow for a tailored learning experience using addition, subtraction and/or multiplication.

What is exciting about this app is how it gets your child beyond memorizing math facts and truly thinking! Parents and teachers have given us rave reviews. We also have it on good authority that kids love it too. One of those few apps that you will be vying with your kids for “your turn” on the iPad.

We realize that Numbers League is too advanced for many KinderTown kids. Here are two apps to help your child develop the math skills needed for Numbers League:

• Happy 123 HD
• Math Evolve

Excited about this app as much as we are, but don’t have an iPad yet? Get the card game.

Activity 1: Teaching Power of Setting the Table

There are also many activities you can do around your house to prepare your child with a strong foundation in number knowledge. One place in the house that is filled with math learning is the kitchen. The simple act of setting the table yields a tremendous amount of math thinking. Here are two little things you can do to increase the learning while setting the table:

1) Share with your child how many people will be sitting at the table for dinner. Leave your child to collecting the dishes and preparing the table. For dinner for 4, your child might grab 3 spoons, 4 forks and 5 knives. Don’t correct her but watch her figure out what it looks like to have “more” and “less” as she positions the silverware at each place.

2) Surprise your “little assistant” with needing to change your dinner plans at the last minute. Tell him one more person is coming to dinner and you need his help to change the table. Leave him to it and see what he does. Another night set your table with one extra and then reinforce “less” but encouraging him to take away one place setting.

Activity 2: Why Do I Need to Learn This?

You know this is going to be a question you will get as your child gets older. Keep math relevant and applicable to your child’s world with this fun activity that will keep adults on their toes.

What You’ll Need:

• Your device’s camera
• Family, friends and neighbors who will participate

Start by asking your child about why they study the math at school. You will get a sense of what her teacher tells them, how your child sees math around them, and probably a few “I don’t know”s. Get a good idea of your child’s knowledge about “math in the real world” by seeing if she can tell you what kinds of jobs use math or how you use Math in your job and day-to-day experiences.

If your child shows interest in this line of discussion. Let her know that you would like to find out how people are using math too. You might ask the question, “I wonder if we can find 4 people who use math in their jobs?” Offer up the idea of creating a video with your child doing interviews of people in your community to see how they are using math. A quick email to family and friends is a good idea – you don’t want “Auntie” surprised when her niece shows up with the iPhone camera asking questions.

Even if you don’t make a video, there is value in talking about how you appreciate the things you learned in school (even if it wasn’t math – everyone has experiences in school they treasure). Make connections between what your kids are learning about and how to use it as an adult. Model that the math they are working on now will help them when they go to the grocery store, plan for a trip or learn to drive the car.

Note: This kind of activity you might think your child would not do without persuasion. Be there asking guided questions and sparking ideas with small suggestion. You just might be labeled the “cool” parent who lets their kid create videos!

Swapsies Jobs | App Review & Activities

Swapsies Jobs

Swapsies Jobs introduces children to ten different community helpers, their uniforms, professional items and vehicles. Choose from 6 characters to navigate the activities which are organized in a playful child focused experiences. Three games include:

• “Mix Up” gets kids swiping through pieces of uniforms to make a match. The reward is getting to play through an experience that community helper would do.
• Learn about each helper by answering questions and following directions in the “Quiz Me” section. The bonus round is a colorful seek and find!
• Tap the circle in the upper right hand corner to “spin the arrow” and get to play the games from the “Mix Up” section.

This is an app to have for playful learning about all the important jobs that people do in our community. Great for both the classroom and at home. There are no levels or parent information in the app, largely due to the gameplay being so intuitive you don’t really need it. We love how Swapsies Jobs inspires increased sophistication in imaginary play as kids are easily able to mimic and try out the roles of these 10 jobs in their playtime.

Activity 1: Prop Boxes

After spending time on Swapsies Jobs your child will enjoy some time organizing their various toy cars, dress up clothes, and toy box items into prop boxes. The objective of this activity is to gather objects that support make-believe play.

What You’ll Need:

• Boxes – shoe boxes, copy paper boxes or paper grocery bags.
• A space in your child’s room or play room to store the prop boxes.
• Time over the week to go through toy boxes and maybe a trip to the dollar store.

Brainstorm with your child what jobs they may want to create prop boxes for. Start with trying to remember the 10 community helpers from Swapsies Jobs. Choose 2 or 3 to build over the week. Label each box with the name of the job and add a picture to help for easy identification. Encourage your child to think about items would go in each of the prop boxes.

Ask questions like: “What does a baker need to do their job?” “What kind of things to firefighters use to fight fires?” “What did we see last time we went to the doctor’s office?” While thinking about what you want in each box take this time to do some writing. A meaningful writing activity like creating a written list done by both child and parent yields tremendous benefits for your child.

Have a few ideas for each box written down? It is time to start filling the prop boxes. Hopefully you have many of the props in your home. If you don’t, a quick trip to the dollar store will help you find many objects to add.

Activity 2: Helicopter Ride

Helicopter Ride is a great little song and movement activity that kids will enjoy using while running around the yard or the house! Start by showing your child this fun little rhyme. Add some background music and we think you will enjoy this game just as much as your little one.

Tip-toe up, tip-toe down. (Go up on your tip-toes and then back down with the words)

Start the motor and turn around. (Pretend to use a key to turn over the motor and then turn around)

Spread your arms to the side. (Arms spread out wide)

And twist and twist for a helicopter ride. (twist side to side)

At this point your child takes off running!

Now don’t stop with just the helicopter ride. There are many other vehicles you can act out. Here are some ideas to inspire you:

• Ambulance.
• Boat.
• Rocket.
• Race car.
• Firetruck.

Mother’s Day Crafts & Books: 7 Ways to Show Mom You Care

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Time to gather the kids and get some crafting done. You’ll need something to go along with those beautiful diamonds she’s getting from a special someone (hope he doesn’t forget!) We have crafts that your kids will find in a box 15 years later and say, “I made that?” and books you will want to cuddle up and read with your child long after Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day Crafts

Mother’s Day Pendant

This beautiful necklace is simply a fingerprint made in clay from the craft store. It turns out beautiful and is something Mom will cherish every time she dips into her jewelry box. Get the full directions at The Crafty Crow, one of our favorite websites for getting kids craft ideas.

We Love Mommy Because…

I always love this gift because it “says” so much! Make with either foam board or construction paper. Trace your child’s hands for the petals, add a circle on the back, a stem and a leaf. Place a family picture or one of your child in the middle of the flower.

Ask your child to tell you all the things they love about Mom. Write these thoughts on each of the hand petals. It is really special when your child points and tells Mom the reasons they love her. It can also be very funny – one more reason why this gift is so great.

Handprint and Footprint Potholders

I just stumbled upon this craft and think it is very sweet. Simple too. All you need is a plain potholder and some fabric paint. Tap your little ones hands in the paint, press on to the potholder, write a message and you are done! Don’t forget to do the little feet too.

Books to Read on Mother’s Day

I Love You Always and Forever

Young children love this book! I am happy to have a book that does not have to be paraphrased for a three year old. Your child will love the magnificent artwork that makes them giggle and laugh. What makes this story so wonderful is that it is a Dad and daughter story but can easily be changed to be a mother/daughter story.

Little Critter: Happy Mother’s Day!

Little Critter has a special surprise for mom and plans to make Mother’s Day special. Lift the flaps and discover what Mother’s Day wonders are in store. Mercer Mayer is a favorite author of the KinderTown team!

Night Before Mother’s Day by Natasha Wing

This is a great book for 3-5 year olds. The kid’s and Dad are determined to show their mom how much they love her. Kids and moms will love reading this together. You just might find yourself acting out a “Spa Day” in the near future too. I am adding it to my collection of “The Night Before…..” books.

I Like Noisy, Mom Likes Quiet

This is a lighthearted picturebook about a raccoon and her son. Little Raccoon loves noise and mess. One day Little Raccoon makes an effort to be quiet and neat. See how he makes Mother’s Day special.

Tips for Healthy iPad Kids

Just as the the TV remote and phone are saturated with germs, having a healthy iPad is something to pay attention to as well. With kids using our (and their own) devices more than ever, we need to make sure we are thinking about their health. Here are three health concerns to be aware of and some good habits to get into for your health and theirs.

Germs

Thinking about what your phone feels like after your child has a serious play session is…well…just gross. Now this summer when school is out and the kids come over and start creating artwork or doing a scavenger hunt, you are going to want to a good way to clean up your screens.

Besides a healthy routine of washing hands before and after using the device, make sure you keep rubbing alcohol easily accessible. Yes! Just rubbing alcohol and water; no expensive wipes needed. Pick up the $1 squirt bottles from the travel section of Target and mix water and rubbing alcohol together for an easy way to clean all your devices. Just squirt on a towel, wipe and you’re done!

Eye Strain

Eye strain is a tricky one, because we really don’t know how these devices are affecting kids eyes. The good news is that the new iPad’s retina display is supposed to reduce eye strain. For families with heavy device use, I recommend thinking about what is being advised for adults and then make appropriate choices based on your child’s reactions and needs.

Posture

Posture is very important; making sure that your child is building good habits early is critical. When watching app video reviews I’ve noticed how children are often leaning head down, neck strained over the device. Take time to watch your child and see if their shoulders are slouched and forward or upright and back.

Healthy iPad Tips

- Plan a five minute break after your child has played for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, you probably want to put the device away for awhile, but if your child plays for longer make sure they take a break from the device.

Make sure you get your child’s eyes checked every other year, as is recommended by the American Optometric Association (AOA). Ask your classroom teacher when they are doing eye testing at school. If you are concerned about your child’s vision make sure to talk to your child’s teacher and ask for him to do some extra observations for you.

My suggestion? Make sure your child balances time on the device with time running around the backyard, engaging in free play with their non-device toys, or going for a walk through the neighborhood.

A day with a difference | App Review & Activity

A day with a difference

This app plays like an eBook without interactivity while the story is being read to your child. The app seamlessly moves into activities that reinforce what is happening in the story. Fortunately, the app uses simple tap technology and the words “Yes” & “No”, making it easy for younger children to practice early learning measurement concepts. Learn to make comparisons like big/little, same/different/, long/short, more/less and even sorting. To reinforce reading, you can always turn off the volume and read it yourself.

The settings page is a nice feature where you can select the number of questions asked, and select the % of questions to get correct for all the bonus games. Our child testers stayed engaged and one five year old even suggested upping the % they wanted to get right. I found it to be the perfect opportunity to introduce the idea of percentages. The game can be reset and works for more than one child, however it does not save scores.

Activity 1: A Look at Measurement

In 1st grade your child will be:

• Measuring the lengths of objects by laying multiple shorter objects end to end.
• Expected to put objects in order from longest to shortest or tallest to shortest.
• Draw conclusions about objects based on information they have gathered. For example: the penny is shorter than the domino and the domino is shorter than the pen, then the penny must be shorter than the pen.

Support your child learning measurement with this activity:

Give your child a bag of objects, such as a remote, a book, a comb, a toy car, etc. Then give them several pennies. Have them lay out the pennies next to each object. Be careful not to overlap or leave a gap between the pennies.

Activity 2: Stained Glass Sorting

Start your child with sorting activities to give them a strong foundation for measurement later.

What You’ll Need:

• Box of cereal that has different, easily identifiable pieces.
• Muffin tins or egg carton.
• Paper.
• Glue.
• Marker.

Young kids sort a lot in school (or they should be). It is great for the classroom to give kids a bucket of objects and have them sort, but many kids don’t want to repeat those kinds of activities at home. Here is a way for you to encourage sorting in a way that encourages creativity with a motivating product.

Identify a simple image such as a shark, butterfly, flower, or train that your child is interested in. Either draw or print the image on a piece of paper. Using the marker, draw lines in the picture to create a stained glass effect. Do this together with your child, show them how you create the lines so that they can try it themselves later.

Dump out a portion of the cereal onto the kitchen table. Using the muffin tin or egg carton, sort the cereal by color or like pieces. Talk with your child about the differences and similarities in the pieces reinforcing measuring language like: bigger & smaller, same & different, more & less.

Once you are done sorting, start your stained glass picture. Each section of the picture should use all like pieces of cereal. If you are feeling adventurous you can even start counting how many pieces of cereal went into each section, which reinforces measurement of area. When you are done and everything is dry hang the artwork in a window that gets a lot of sun and enjoy the colorful rainbows you will have in your home.