This document provides summaries of 20 apps for kids in 20 minutes. It describes apps that teach letter and number recognition, spelling, handwriting, speech, weather, life skills, coding, science, and reading. Many apps include educational games and activities to help kids learn in an engaging way. The document also lists free digital magazines and ebooks that can be accessed through the library.

1. 20 APPS FOR KIDS IN 20
MINUTES
Melissa Brisbin
Cherry Hill Public Library

2. Question: What is an app?
Answer: A self-contained program or a piece of software
designed to fulfill a particular purpose; an application, esp. as
downloaded by a user to a mobile device.
Image Credit: http://cameratradersltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/kidsapps.png

3. iTrace
•Designed for ages 3-7
Practice handwriting, letter
identification, and spelling
Users learn upper case and lower
case letters, numbers, words, and
how to write names
Print out work sheets
Featured in the App Store as one of
the best new apps for education
Users can earn over 600+ rewards
Supports multi-players
Information and Image Credits:
http://itraceapp.com/
$3.99

4. AlphaTots
$1.99
•Ages 4 and up
2012 Parents’ Choice
Award/Common Sense Media 2013
ON for Learning Award
Uses 26 action verbs to teach kids
the alphabet
Geared to a younger audience with
sing-a-long songs and easy
navigation
Audio-visual cues to promote
associations between sounds and
words
Informational and Image Credits:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alphatots/id436142340?mt=8

5. Speech with Milo: Verbs
$2.99
•Ages 4 and up
Used in therapy for children with
special needs, such as: Autism /
Asperger Syndrome, Down
Syndrome, developmental delays,
cognitive delays, speech and
language delays*
Verb is spoken and then Milo
depicts action (feature can be turned
on/off)
Listen to verbs used in a sentence
Other editions: Sequencing
Informational and Image Credits: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speech-with-miloverbs/id405441288?mt=8

6. Kids’ Reading (Preschool)
Free
•Ages 4 and up
Children learn to blend sounds into
words, form and read simple (3/4
letters) words
Prior knowledge on the sounds of
all letters in the alphabet needed
Other options:
Kids ABC Letters teaches letters
Kids ABC Phonics teaches sounds
Kids ABC Trains teaches letters
and phonics

7. Kid Weather $1.99
•Ages 4 and up
Use real-time weather conditions
and forecasts to learn about
meteorology
Includes math and science along
with S.T.E.M for greater
understanding
Trivia: fun facts, safety tips, and
extreme rather reports. Learn a new
fact for each day of the year
Fahrenheit to Celsius calculator
Graph daily weather: Elements of
S.T.E.M. graphing
Informational and Image Credits:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.justinweather.kidweather

8. Alien Buddies-Preschool
Learning Activities
$1.99
•Ages 3-7
2012 Parents’ Choice Award
Teaches:
MATCHING: color, shape, letter and
number recognition (audio and visual
modes)
PUZZLE: problem solving, shape
recognition
DOT TO DOT: sequential counting, fine
motor skills
STICKERS: creative free play, fine motor
skills (over 40 stickers and 8 landscapes

9. Count TV
$1.99
•
Teaches how to touch the screen
and count with the Count, Ernie,
Cookie Monster, and more
Uses IDEO: Human-centered
design and innovation firm ranked
independently among the 10 most
innovative companies in the world*
Teaches decision making, number
recognition, and counting
Informational & Image Credits: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/counttv/id369229779?mt=8

10. DragonBox Algebra 5+
$5.99
•Ages 5 and Up (Also, 12 and up version)
Gold Medal: 2012 International Serious Play
Awards/Best Educational Game: 2012 Fun and
Serious Games Festival/Best Serious Mobile
Game: 2012 Serious Games Showcase &
Challenge/App of the Year/GullTasten
2012/Children’s App of the Year:GullTasten
2012/Best Serious Game:9th International Mobile
Gaming Awards (2012 IMGA)/2013 ON for
Learning Award:Common Sense Media
10 progressive chapters, with graphics and music
Also, great for parents looking to improve algebra
skills
Covers basic algebraic concepts:
Addition
Multiplication
Division

11. Move the Turtle $2.99
•Ages 5 and up
Winner of the Parents’ Choice Gold
Award
Teaches children the basics of coding
with a colorful, graphic interface
Builds skills: Reuses previous work, plan
complex activities by layering simple
elements
Use sound, graphics and spatial
orientation
Children learn loops,variables,
procedures and conditions used in
various programming
Informational and Image Credits: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/move-turtle.-programmingfor/id509013878?mt=8

12. iTouchLearn Life Skills:
Morning Routines for Kids
Free/Paid
•Ages 4 and up
Each routine must be completed
before moving to the next routine.
Players receive an award for
completed tasks
Reinforces life skills
Includes music, play to speech
therapy, verbal directions and
modeling for children with speech
needs
Pattern activities ideal for children
with special needs

13. ABC Music
$2.99
•Ages 3 and up
English, Spanish or Dual modes
Teaches ABCs and musical
instruments: piano, violin, etc
Visual, video, interactive touch
content, musical sounds
Introductory musical vocabulary
100+ videos

14. Shape Builder—Preschool Learning
Puzzle Game
$0.99
•Ages 3-6
Total of 173 puzzles!
30 Music instruments with sound
effects
21 Fruits & Vegetables
45 Animals - awesome sound
effects!
26 Letters - speech therapist sounds
out each letter in a fun way* etc
5-10 pieces in each puzzle with
sound effects
Build fine motor skills & cognitive
thinking

15. Kid Art for iPad
$0.99
•
Ages 3 and up
Draw and create with 10 various
colors
20 different backgrounds and 3
themes: Under the Sea, At School,
and Animals
Share creations to your camera, add
to texts, emails, etc
Informational and Image Credits: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kid-art-foripad/id364820354?mt=8
Coming
Soon!

16. •Ages 6-10
This Is My Body - Anatomy
For Kids
$1.99
Designed by Drs, educators and
parents
Reviews various systems: nervous,
digestive, skeletal, muscular,
nervous, etc
Text is spoken

17. Bobo Explores Light $4.99
•Ages 4-12
One if the Best Kids Apps of 2011
by USA Today & New York
Times/2012 Apple Design Award
100+ interactive pages about
various sources and applications of
light
Video, articles, trivia, animations,
and touch screen tools
21 topics: Lasers, sunlight,
photosynthesis, colors,
bioluminescence, etc
Informational and Image Credits: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bobo-exploreslight/id463809859

18. Toy Story Read-Along
• Choose read-along mode to
have story read aloud or record
your voice to read to your child
• Includes animations and
surprises on each page
• Color/paint pages
• Sing along with Toy Story
songs
Image and Informational Credits: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toy-story-read-along/id364376920?mt=8

19. Three Little Pigs Lite
FREE
•
Ages 3 and up
Parents/children record voice to tell
story
Additional purchases within app
Informational and Image Credit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/three-little-pigs-liteby/id485518740?mt=8

20. Chatterpix Kids-Free
•Designed for ages 4 and up
Animate pictures: Take a photo,
draw a mouth, recorded a voice
Share creations with friends and
family
Create interesting book reports or
greeting cards

21. Pickle's Paper
Dolls Lite
Build a Train Lite
Queca Dress Up
Paper Dolls
Kids ABC Trains
Game Lite

22. AniMatch
$0.99
•Ages 3 and up
Practice memory by 31 matching
animals
NYT mentioned apps as a good
choice for kids when traveling
Also,
try:
Memory
for
Android

23. Duolingo
Free
• Apple’s App of the Year
2013!
• Learn Spanish, French,
German, English, Italian, and
Portuguese

24. Zinio
FREE
• Borrow digital magazines
with your library card
• OWL, Girl’s Life,
Seventeen
• Titles never expire
• Read on your mobile
device or PC

25. OverDrive
FREE
• Check out 8 titles at a
time (Any combo of
audiobook & eBook)
• Sort by age range
• Return items early
• Renew titles

26. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Gudmundsen, Jinny. USA Today. “Snazzy science apps
explain the unknown to kids.” Retrieved on 01/21/14:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/17/scienceapps-kids/3498581/