7 fun and educational apps to extend your preschooler’s play

Posted in Entertainment and Technology.
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While nothing beats the fun – and benefits – of creative, open-ended play for littlies, we’re lucky enough to have technology at our fingertips to enhance educational opportunities too.

Baby holding iPad or tablet

Skill-building screens

Experts tell us that small screens can be the perfect playtime partner for preschool children, if you choose the programming and apps they’re using carefully – and adhere to sensible screen time guidelines.

“Screen time is here to stay for young children and we can’t stop it,” speech and language development and co-author of Your Successful PreschoolerAnn Densmore, Ed.D told Harvard Health.

Ann says the key to positive screen time is selecting great apps and chatting to your child about the games they are playing.

“Good apps or games should facilitate conversation between parents and children during this play. The goal of a child’s interaction with screen-based games should be to help him or her learn a concept, to formulate and organise ideas, to help with communication, or to develop basic preschool skills,” Ann explained.

With this in mind, we’ve curated some excellent choices for parents who want to get the most out of kids’ screen time, curating apps that focus on education, creativity, cutting-edge design and ease of use – for mums, dads and kids!

Two girls playing with tablet

Here’s seven great places to get started:

7 fun and educational apps for preschoolers

1. Play-Doh TOUCH

For iPhone, iPad and Android devices
$Free
Age range: 3 to 7
Download for iOS or Android

Combine your child’s real life Play-Doh creations with this awesome app, and see them come to life in the virtual world too!

From the trusted brand we all grew up with, Play-Doh TOUCH helps your child shape, scan, adventure and explore via a bunch of innovative and educational games.

2. Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings

For iPhone, iPad and Android devices
$4.49
Age range: 5 and under
Download for iOS or Android

This helpful and fun game from PBS Kids helps very small children to identify and learn more about feelings through a series of games and songs.

It’s part of the hugely successful Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood suite of games and is jam packed with delightful activities.

Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings app

3. My Very Hungry Caterpillar

For iPhone, iPad and Android devices
$7.99 (for iOS), $4.99 (for Android)
Age range: 5 and under
Download for iOS or Android

Your child can hatch, play with, feed and care for their very own My Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Inspired by the much-loved book by Eric Carle, your kiddo will love the cute adventures this app has tucked away.

Tuck your caterpillar into bed, push him on a swing, grow flowers and fruit for him … You can even take him sailing, which is a rare joy for caterpillars!

My Very Hungry Caterpillar App

4. Marco Polo Weather

For iPhone, iPad and Android devices
$Free
Age range: 5 and under
Download for iOS or Android

This science-y app explores weather in a super-engaging way – and could help you raise your very own meteorologist!

DIY your own rainbows, create thunderstorms, unleash blizzards – and learn more about the everyday world of weather with some cute characters as co-pilots.

Marco Polo Weather app

5. Toca Nature

For iPhone, iPad and Android devices
$4.99
Age ranges: 4 and up
Download for iOS or Android

This bewitching app is beautiful to look at, and heaps of fun to play with too. Grow a forest, shape a river, create a mountain, even.

Your child can have fun exploring, collecting berries and nuts, feeding animals and making friends with a fox. It’s all bit magical, we think!

Toca Nature app

6. Alphatots Alphabet

For iPhone, iPad and Android devices
$4.49 (for iOS), $3.67 (for Android)
Age ranges: 5 and under
Download for iOS or Android

This great app takes 26 action verbs and illustrates and animates them to help toddlers learn the alphabet. 

B is for ‘build’ robots, D helps us “dig” for treasure and z has us”zapping” alien spaceships. You get the picture.

It’s basically heaps of ABC awesome for the kiddo in your life – and builds literacy skills in between all the fun.

Alphatots Alphabet app

7. Beck and Bo: Toddler First Words

For iPhone, iPad and Android devices
$4.49 (for iOS), $4.29 (for Android)
Age ranges: 5 and under
Download for iOS or Android

Gorgeous characters Beck and Bo use animation to help children become familiar with the everyday world and build vocabulary.

Go on a train trip with their beloved dog, swim in the ocean with a giant whale, visit the jungle and meet amazing animals or visit a theme park, learning and playing all the way!

What are you waiting for?!

Beck and Bo app

 

Have you and your child played with any of these apps? Or perhaps you have other firm pre-school favourites? We’d love to hear more about them.

(This post is sponsored by Play-Doh – buy in store or online at KmartTargetBig WMr Toys or Toys R Us)

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