So I've crossed over to the other side -- I am now an iPad user. Let me just say that all the rumors are true, it is life altering. I've been having tons of fun trying out different children's apps to use in storytimes. Here are some of my favorites.
What an awesome way to learn new and exciting words! This app does not just use the standard cat, bat, mat, and sat words that, let's admit, have become a bit droll. Instead, let's learn words like "artisitc", "tangle", "journey", and ""invisible". On top of that, let's learn words in a creative and inventive way with adorable graphics and hilarious sound effects.
Price: FREE!
3 Little Pigs by Nosy Crow
This storybook app is a little too long to read in Storytime, but I would like to try it with kids. The graphics are excellent and the English accents of the characters are very charming. Pllus, the best part, is you get to huff and puff to blow the house down. Literally you blow onto the iPad screen, and it responds accordingly (by using the microphone). Very cool, but be sure to have tissues and sanitizer ready to de-germ your screen afterwards.
Price: $5.99
Don't Let the Pigeon run this app!
It's interesting that this app does not include any of the text of the Pigeon stories. However, you can create your own sotries. Even cooler, Mo himself teaches you how t odraw the Pigeon like a prol.
Price: $4.99
Press Here
Based on the great book by Henre Tullet, I was actually surprised that the app did not contain or even mirror this inventive story. Instead, it is composed of about 12 different colored dot games. This app takes some playing around to figure out what it does, and I have come to the conclusion that I was simply overthinking it. I took it into storytime and a two-year-old just poked and banged on it happily forever. That's probably what it's best for.
Price: $1.99
Puppet Pals HD
I love this app! I have not yet used it for storytime, but had loads of fun with it in our Young Writer's Group. You basically pick your characters and settings, then tell a story. The recording and playback is very intuitive. I love that you can upload your own images of people or places to put in your story. Great applications for writing and storytelling!
Price: Free for limited features; $5.99 for the All-Access Pass (which I highly recommend)
Subscribe to the