One of the most useful devices to have out here on the road is my tablet. I received it as a gift a long time ago for my school textbooks, but I think it has had more use as entertainment for my little guy than it ever did as a textbook holder. It compacts books, puzzles and games for my little guy into on nice handheld device which saves huge amounts of space. He'll play with it for hours (although I try and restrict it to nights, early mornings and whenever he needs to settle down), and the great thing is as the little one gets older they need less and less supervision while using it. I can now leave him alone with it for long periods of time without any concern of whether he will break it. He also knows where to go to find his games and books, and not to touch Mama's apps. It really is amazing how quickly they learn it all.
What apps have I found great?
Sego Mini
Sego Mini is a small company that has produced several apps. Some are free others cost about $1.99. There are also occasional deals that allow you to get the paid apps for free. The apps vary on skill level so I would recommend reading the info on each app before downloading it. The "Sound Box" app is great for beginners.
Tiny Hands
Tiny hand is another great company. Their apps also have no advertising and designed in a way that require some calculations in order to get access to the adult section of the program (purchasing/settings). Tiny hands apps are slightly more expensive coming in at around $3.99 an app, but they are more developed and the game more unique. The games are also given a level according to the ability needed by the child to use the app.
Phone for kids
The initial app is free and comes with a few free games, but after purchasing the full app your little one will have a large variety of different games with different skill levels. Despite there being a number of games for the babies on here, the app itself was not well designed and it is very easy for a baby to exit out of the game and get into the wrong area. I have had this app from early on and only now at 20 months is my little guy starting to really enjoy it.
Farm Animals
A puzzle app great for 18 months and up depending on your child's fine motor control skills and problem solving ability. It has a number of free boards, but for the price of $3.99 is well worth getting the full app which has hundreds of puzzle boards, with sounds, music and animal names.
Hairy Maclary kids book apps
If you are not from New Zealand you might not be familiar with Hairy Maclary, but the various stories follow a number of different pets in a neighborhood and the antics they get up to. The book apps are great. You can read them to your little one, or the the little one can have the book read itself, it has a sign language option and also allows them to color the pages. They can also touch the pages and listen to the animal sounds. A bit pricy at $4.99 each, but well worth it.
What apps have I found great?
Sego Mini
Sego Mini is a small company that has produced several apps. Some are free others cost about $1.99. There are also occasional deals that allow you to get the paid apps for free. The apps vary on skill level so I would recommend reading the info on each app before downloading it. The "Sound Box" app is great for beginners.
Tiny Hands
Tiny hand is another great company. Their apps also have no advertising and designed in a way that require some calculations in order to get access to the adult section of the program (purchasing/settings). Tiny hands apps are slightly more expensive coming in at around $3.99 an app, but they are more developed and the game more unique. The games are also given a level according to the ability needed by the child to use the app.
Phone for kids
The initial app is free and comes with a few free games, but after purchasing the full app your little one will have a large variety of different games with different skill levels. Despite there being a number of games for the babies on here, the app itself was not well designed and it is very easy for a baby to exit out of the game and get into the wrong area. I have had this app from early on and only now at 20 months is my little guy starting to really enjoy it.
Farm Animals
A puzzle app great for 18 months and up depending on your child's fine motor control skills and problem solving ability. It has a number of free boards, but for the price of $3.99 is well worth getting the full app which has hundreds of puzzle boards, with sounds, music and animal names.
Hairy Maclary kids book apps
If you are not from New Zealand you might not be familiar with Hairy Maclary, but the various stories follow a number of different pets in a neighborhood and the antics they get up to. The book apps are great. You can read them to your little one, or the the little one can have the book read itself, it has a sign language option and also allows them to color the pages. They can also touch the pages and listen to the animal sounds. A bit pricy at $4.99 each, but well worth it.