Kids Iphone App Review
Our kids test them, we review them!

Pinocchio HD By So Ouat is like the other books we have reviewed by So Ouat, very well animated, well performed, and interesting.

The story of Pinocchio is familiar, but the way the book is performed is a big factor in the success of an app. Pinocchio HD By So Ouat does an outstanding job of telling the traditional story of Pinocchio.

The written word is done really well in this book, but it does not give the option to click on individual words. My daughter rarely uses that feature, so I do not care so much, but it is a nice feature of other apps/books.

The animations and books is where Pinocchio HD By So Ouat really shines. The animations are just great. They make the book seem like a still movie.

My four year old was not excited to read the book again since she had been through it a few times. Once we got the app going and she got into the story she finished the book again. I can see her reading this many times over the coming years.

Attention – 4
Fun – 3
Learning – 2

Total – 9

iTunes Link

Of course we have our ipad covered with the Big Grips iPad2 frame and stand. We love that think!

Where’s My Water? By Disney is must have app!

Simply put it is an interesting and fun version of Angry Birds that is appropriate for kids and challenging for everyone. My four year old loves the app and even though she cannot figure out how to pass a level, she loves to watch when I help her out. It puts a bit of thought into the Angry Birds game (I have passed all levels of Angry birds with a 2 star or above and realize some thought must go into getting three stars in that game too).

The point of Where’s My Water? By Disney is to get your poor alligator his water for a bath. Some of the pipes are broken, there is ooze in some places that will contaminate your water, there is moss growing and sometimes many pipes and levers to figure out.

The graphics are very appropriate for a young child and the challenge can go all the way up. It is a puzzle game made fun by the ease in which your chile can start over if they try something that does not work. The game encourages trial and error. We really like Where’s My Water? By Disney in our house and it is a front page, must have app.

Attention – 5
Learning – 2 (it is not a learning app necessarily!)
Fun – 5

Total – 12

iTunes Link!

Remember that we always have our iPad in the Big Grips Frame for iPad2. We love the Big Grips Frame and we are sure you will too. It makes the iPad easy to handle for Dad, Mom, and our four year old.

Check out the video of our four year old getting the water to her alligator.

Animals Coloring by theColor.com is a very simple and straight forward coloring app that shines in the variety and simplicity of the app. Animals Coloring by theColor.com has the usual features that allow the artist to pick a crayon, save a picture of the artwork, zoom, and stay within the lines very easily.

The choices of things to color is very extensive. I haven’t counted, but there must be over a hundred different pages to color in the app. Of course you can color a single page over and over again, but choosing which page to color is half the fun!

My four year old had no trouble with the app and enjoyed the experience a lot. I think the app is really suited for a younger audience, but it should span all the way up to a 5 year old or so. Sometimes it is more fun to actually swipe your finger to color, but other times you want an app like Animals Coloring by theColor.com that just uses the paint bucket to do the dirty work!

Attention = 5
Learning = 2
Fun = 2

Total = 9

iTunes Link

Be sure to check out the video for the whole experience and as always note the Big Grips iPad Frame. We took that case to a restaurant the other day, to a gymnastics competition, and over to grandma’s house. We love it!

ZOOLA Opposites By Best kids Apps certainly lived up to expectations. I needed a simple app that would teach my four year old opposites. My four year old attends pre-school and was recently sent home with a report card. The report was good, but pointed out some things that we as parents had forgotten to teach our young human. The first was opposites (she has sarcasm down pat).

So I opened up the iPad and searched for an opposites app. I ran across ZOOLA Opposites By Best kids Apps for 99 cents. I spent way too long on the decision and purchased the app. Ten minutes later my four year old can name several opposites. Did the app work? Yep.

How long did my four year old spend on the app? Probably 10 minutes a few times in a row. Is it a single use app? Yes it is. Does it do a good job at its single task? Yes it does.

Attention – 3
Fun – 0
Learning – 5

Total – 8

iTunes Link

Monster Chorus By ReignDesign took a while to figure out. I suppose I should have read some instructions or followed through a tutorial, but I didn’t. It took some time to get used to the new app, but it soon revealed itself to be very entertaining. How entertaining is the question.

The idea behind Monster Chorus By ReignDesign is that your child will interact with the monsters by pressing on them, singing with them, or recording their own voice. The app ends up growing on you and starts to become fun. The voices are very well done and seemed very interesting to my four year old.

How long will it last? So far I haven’t encountered my four year old picking the app from the usual choices and jamming away. Usually just after introduction any app will get some play time and so far that isn’t the case with Monster Chorus By ReignDesign.

The app feels like it has a lot of potential and has been top app in the music category according to the publishers, but I just do not see it. I am going to add it to the list of apps to revisit.

Attention – 2
Fun – 2
Learning – 0

Total – 4

iTunes Link

Awesome Chicken By Dennis Logan is simply an addicting and fun app. I think I saw a rocket type version of this same app with a pig or something a year or so ago, but the challenge of that game couldn’t compare to the appeal and challenge of Awesome Chicken By Dennis Logan.

The game is funny for kids to play because the chicken is so helpless and loses so many feathers. It is easy enough early on for your young child to get the hang of the swiping of the chicken to get the movement going. It gets to be pretty challenging, but my four year old (in the video) and my ten year old both love the app and play whenever the mood strikes them.

I cannot tell you my high score, or how many levels I have made it to myself because to me that isn’t the point. It is a fun time waster that is really addictive for young and old alike. Will your child learn something? Perhaps not, but some games are just really well done, with awesome graphics, simple and effective physics and a lot of fun. Awesome Chicken By Dennis Logan is one of those apps!

Fun – 5
Attention – 4
Learning – 0 (it is not a learning app!)

Total – 9 (totally fun and addictive).

Of course we protected our iPad using the Name Your Link and we love the case/cover. Be sure to click the special offers just below the price to get the stand and case for a discounted price.

iTunes link

Angelina Ballerina’s Bubble Pop! By Callaway Digital Arts, Inc. is a simple and fun app for kids. The idea is that Angelina thinks of a bubble color and your job is to pop only that color bubble. It is pretty challenging once you play for a few minutes. There are also special bubbles you can click which give you additional chances (lives).

Angelina Ballerina’s Bubble Pop! By Callaway Digital Arts, Inc. has a simple interface that is easy for a small child to navigate. Your child can start the game from the back seat of the car, play a few games and move on to the next game when they are ready.

Will Angelina Ballerina’s Bubble Pop! By Callaway Digital Arts, Inc. teach your child anything? Like most games your child will learn some hand eye coordination, they will learn to pay attention to a changing environment, to listen carefully to instructions, and they will have some fun too!

As usual we have the Angelina Ballerina’s Bubble Pop! By Callaway Digital Arts, Inc. surrounding our kids’ iPad2. We love this cover and sincerely recommend it! Do not forget to pick up the stand too!

Fun – 4
Attention – 4
Learning – 2 (this is a fun app, but you learn a little)

Total – 10

There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! – Dr. Seuss is another fun story book from Oceanhouse Media and Dr. Suess. Your kids are certain to enjoy the funny rhymes from Dr. Suess and in an iPad format it is all the better.

My four year old likes to have the book read to her “by the iPad” and can click on the objects in the story to hear them sounded out and see how they are spelled. The book has a lot of areas to explore and the graphics and color, which are classic Dr. Suess, are perfect on the iPad.

Fun – 3
Attention – 5
Learning – 4

Total – 12

Check out the video below and of course we have our iPad wrapped in the Big Grips Frame for iPad 2 – Pink

JumpStart Art Studio By Knowledge Adventure is a great coloring app for kids up to probably age seven. Be sure to watch the video where you will see my four and a half year old navigate the app easily, pick colors, erase mistakes and have a bit of fun. Of course be sure to check out the Big Grips Frame for iPad 2 – Pink that we love and never leaves the edge of the kids’ iPad.

This app is really free style drawing, which is tougher for some kids, but others are sure to find it more rewarding than a more guided with a stencil. There are a lot of options in the app however, so your child is sure to explore the app for a while.

My four year old got into it more when she realized there where stamps and backgrounds she could use, so a bit of guidance is probably a good idea when starting out. This is the case with most apps.

Overall a great drawing app. No crashes or problems locking up, easy to navigate for lots of fun.

Fun – 4
Attention – 4
Learning – 2 (it is a drawing app, not a learning app)

Total- 10