123 Tracing App Review

Learning to write is a very important thing for a child to learn. I remember when Noah tried to scribble and say he was writing. That is a normal thing to do of course. Noah started writing at age 3.  He still has handwriting issues.  He is very smart but for some reason making letters and numbers properly is somewhat of a challenge for him. It takes a lot of practice for kids to learn how to properly write their numbers to be able to read what their answer is. Noah’s handwriting is not where I would like it but he is definitely improved.  His math work is correct but sometimes I have to have him rewrite the numbers again. I have started him on a new educational app called 123 Tracing to help him practice writing his numbers. 123 Tracing is made by Kid's Academy. They have so many fun apps. When I taught at a Montessori preschool, one of the things we did with the kids was have them trace letters and numbers by practicing writing them in sand.  123 Tracing reminded me of doing that. I think it is important to trace with your finger because it helps you not only practice making the number but to also feel it.  There is a difference between using a pencil to write it and feeling it and watching your finger make the number.  I think there is definitely more of a connection.  I didn’t tell him that it is an app to practice writing his numbers but just a new game he should try out.  He loves it.  He loves to collect the fireflies too! 

Here is more about the app from the developer:

123 Tracing is an action-packed app that teaches kids numbers with engaging game that keeps them glued to the screen. Your little learners will have tons of fun learning their numbers in the interactive app loved by kids and parents alike.

This math game teaches fundamental math concepts critical for preschoolers: identifying numbers; one-to-one number correspondence; reading number symbols; associating symbols with quantity etc. Appropriate hints are provided to support your child as they practice and build their math skills. Not only can they discover numbers through initial independent play, you can also play collaboratively with your child. 

FEATURES

* Game that make learning numbers a blast!
* Kid-friendly navigation
* Frequent repetition designed to help children learn numbers and their sequence
* Fun surprises and verbal encouragement that keep kids coming back for more
* Curriculum developed and reviewed by preschool education expert
* A rich, exploratory environment filled with surprises
* Audio instructions
* Kid-tested appropriate game

Why you'll love it:

* Active learning: children learn by "doing," completing a fun activity for every number.
* Strong educational content: playtime turns into productive learning, keeping children occupied while teaching them the numbers they need for math.

123 Tracing with its unique graphical styling, beautiful music, and interactivity is designed to engage, entertain, and educate your kids.

123 Tracing is available in iTunes for iPad.

It is also available in the Google PlayStore for Android users.

Learn to Speak Spanish with Gus on the Go App Review

Noah has always been interested in learning different languages. Even when he was three and four years old, he wanted to learn them. He is really interested in other countries and cultures. I think that is a great thing. When I was growing up, I learned basic Spanish, from afterschool classes in elementary school. It wasn’t the same when I was younger, of course people spoke different languages but it was more something you did when you were in high school.  I don’t really remember much of the Spanish I learned in elementary school, besides what my Spanish speaking cousins taught me. They lived in Texas so I didn’t really see them very often, until they moved to Indiana when I was older.  When I was in high school I took two years of French. We really didn’t learn much the first year because my French teacher was out a lot, and when she was there we watched Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  I think it is important that kids learn different languages at a young age, because it enriches their lives. It also helps them communicate with other people who may not speak English.  Noah has wanted to learn everything from Spanish to Japanese. One of his Kindergarten teachers is from Japan, which was just pure luck. He already wanted to learn before he met her.  One of my best friends, that I have been friends with since daycare, took Japanese in high school.  

 I think that since there are so many different shows where they speak different languages now, it has sparked a revolution. When I was little, all there was Muzzy and that was always insanely expensive.  Since Noah is an appoholic, I was so excited to learn about Gus on the Go.  It’s a foreign language learning app for kids. I know when I was a kid, listening to cassette tapes of someone speaking where you are supposed to say and repeat, wasn’t really fun.  I am so glad that Gus on the Go was developed by two loving parents from toojuice, LLC, Yono and Alice have dedicated themselves to helping children embrace their native language and other languages through fun and educational apps. There are 14 different languages including Spanish, French and Hebrew.

More information from the developer:

Little ones can take off on a language learning adventure, discovering new words through engaging vocabulary lessons and reviews, with Gus on the Go on Android. Featuring adorable animations and fun exercises, Gus on the Go teaches children the basic concepts of 14 languages with exciting visual and auditory lesson on numbers, colors, shapes and more.  Any child can now master a second language through a fun, multi-sensory journey on any tablet or smartphone.

Gus on the Go on Android is the latest edition of toojuice, LLC.’s popular Gus on the Go series of second language learning apps. Gus, an animated traveling owl, guides children on an interactive series of 10 vocabulary activities. After completing each lesson, Gus playfully encourages them to unlock the next adventure by reviewing what they have learned. Delightful animal noises, transportation sounds and vibrant animations motivate children to see, hear and touch objects in a simply creative way. Most importantly, Gus on the Go helps children improve their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and basic vocabulary proficiency.

Gus on the Go features

- New games, unlocked by completing lesson reviews

- Fun interactive animations and sounds

- Access to country and city maps

- Trophy room to track achievements

- Native language audio speaker

We had the opportunity to try out the Spanish app out. It is really cute. Noah finds it very entertaining and I think that is great for him. I can tell he is really learning from Gus on the Go. He has started to grow out of Dora and Diego, where he was learning some Spanish so I am so glad to have Gus on the Go.  Noah really likes that he isn’t just repeating what someone is saying, but he is learning Spanish through games and rewards.  I love that there is a native speaker, because it helps with exact pronunciation. I think it’s important to know exactly how you are to say it, because a change in a syllable can change the whole meaning of what you are saying.  I also think it could be considered disrespectful depending on whom you are speaking to. Noah and I use this app together as a family. I would love to learn more Spanish.  I will also use the app by myself, if I need extra practice. We will probably also try out the French app and some of the other ones. I hope they create a Japanese app soon that would really put a smile on Noah’s face.

Be sure to check out Gus on the Go Spanish and the 13 other languages too! 

Gus on the Go on Android is available for $2.99 on the Google Play Store  HERE

Hamster Chase App Review!

 

It is no secret that I am attached to my iPhone. I even sleep with it next to me. I really enjoy playing games on it, especially when I am waiting to do something, or riding in the car with my family. Checking your email, forums, Twitter and Facebook can be boring. I don’t always have texts to respond to so I have apps to play with. I recently had the chance to learn about an app called Hamster Chase.  Hamster Chase is a fun game where you have to move the hamster through different puzzles to reach their bed or food. Sometimes you have more than one hamster; sometimes there are holes that you have to avoid falling in to. The worst thing is the cat. I don’t like the levels with the cat because, it’s hard. Especially when you have to knock the cats out with the punching glove, but I am determined to beat each level no matter how long it takes.  Hamster Chase is really addicting and so much fun. I had Noah try it too. He tried to use his finger to move it, using your finger will not work, you have to tilt the device.  I really like that you have to tilt it because when I try and click on something on websites I tend to miss what I am trying to click on and click on something else.  Noah thinks that Hamster Chase is so much fun and he asks to play it all the time, or when I am playing it, he will ask for a turn. Of course I can’t resist his smile so, it is an app we play together.   

Here is some information from the developer:

This top-down, accelerometer-driven puzzle game has players guide four cute cartoon hamsters (Sasha, Goldie, Snowflake, and Ting-Ting) home through 100 levels filled with deep holes, flying balls, spinning tops, vacuums, and even a nasty pussycat--the ill-mannered Sour Puss. Hamster Chase also includes a fully-interactive, virtual Hamster Cage that allows players to watch hamsters run on their wheels, play hide and seek, tell jokes, and much more.

Hamster Chase was created by Christopher Haag, a multi-talented designer/programmer/producer and sole founder of Gamieon.

                     Features:

·         Colorful graphics: all the “cute” you can take in one sitting!

·         100 levels, including challenging boss fights against Sour Puss

·         Gold coins are awarded based on how fast players clear each level

·         Skip harder levels by spending coins

·         Includes a virtual Hamster Cage

·         Facebook and Twitter integration make bragging on the street a thing of the past

·         Compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and most Android smartphones and tablets

Hamster Chase is now available for iOS and Android!  There are free and paid versions of Hamster Chase. The paid version is only $0.99 and worth every penny.

For more information please visit Gamieon

ATTN: Parents with Tablets...

If you are a parent that owns a tablet, an iPad, or even a smart phone, you will want to take special note of this post. Remember it read it often, this is important.  I like most parents, let my five year old use my tablet, to play games, take care of his fish, and draw. I always am monitoring what he is doing, with him right next to me, but I am usually on my laptop doing work related things. I am not 100% watching what he is doing every single second, but make sure that he isn’t doing something he shouldn’t. Not that he would purposely do something he shouldn’t that would endanger him, come on he is five.  It is part of our daily ritual for him to ask to use my tablet to check on his fish and play the plane game.  I of course can’t resist his smile especially when his cheek dimple is present. I am putty in my five year old's hands.  He has an allotted amount of tablet time each day, if he misbehaves that is the first thing to go. 

You can of course purchase games, apps, coins and credits for certain things. I had some extra money left over so I thought, hey I will let Noah upgrade his plane game and get him some coins and bucks for his fish game.  I wasn’t going to attach it to my bank account because I had this fear, I don’t know if it was because I remember when my old best friend’s son got a hold of my phone and downloaded a few ring tones, that I had to pay for. It was only like 5 or 6 bucks no big deal.  I was not under any circumstances have that linked to my bank account. So, I had a prepaid credit card that I used.  I am a smart cookie, because I signed on gmail, which is what my Android account is linked to, so I could talk to one of my greatest friends Lee. I never really sign on it ever, unless it is to use gchat. I noticed in my email there were a few extra purchases made. One being one million coins on Tap Fish for the price of $99.99, which was a purchase made by my five year old trying to magically get coins. Either that or he thinks I am made of money.  There wasn't that much left on the card, I think there was like 90 cents. So, it was cancelled, thank God. I used to “magically” get him coins by selling fish at night when he was asleep. He would freak out if he knew I was selling them. I was mom during the day and fish pimp at night.

Here is my important advice, if you have a tablet; it takes literally three taps for your child to put you in financial ruin. You should use a prepaid credit card for this. Seriously, you will thank me later. Never have it linked to your bank account, a normal credit card, or Paypal, if they take Paypal. Now I know it is annoying to go to the store and there is a fee of like $5, but it is so much easier than finding out that adorable child you brought in this world took your hard earned money and fighting the bank and the app people. It is worth your sanity. TRUST ME.

PixeBaby Mobile App Review

I think as a parent, it is normal to take a lot of pictures of your child. I have so many pictures of Noah. I am constantly taking them on my phone. I love to share pictures with friends and family. Most of my family lives in other parts of the country and only get to see us like once a year. So, really we have to rely on phones and pictures to communicate. I love sending pictures on my phone to people but it can get time consuming having to send them one at a time to each person.

I learned about an app called PixeBaby, that takes away some of the work of sharing pictures with loved ones. It will connect all the cameras of your friends and family that also has the app and you can get those precious pictures easily. It would be great for new parents that take pictures of everything like I did. It would be an easy way to show off your new bundle of joy. I know when I had Noah the family members that live far away had to wait until they received the birth announcement to see Noah’s little face. I know it took me about a week after I got home from the hospital to mail his announcements and so my family in California had to wait a while.

I really think PixeBaby is a cool app because I know that I would use it a lot. I would love to see more pictures of my cousin’s kids and with them growing up so fast. My sister and brother in law now live in South Carolina and I know they both miss Noah a lot. You can even create collages with the PixeBaby mobile app. I try and send her pictures of him as often as I can. It would let others cherish those precious memories. I hate being so far away from my family and I look forward to every time we can get together even if it is not that often.

This app is only 99 cents. What a great deal! That is so inexpensive for such a wonderful app. When you invite your friends and family to use the PixeBaby app they can download it for free!

The PixeBaby app is available for Android Phones with the iPhone app coming out soon.

To download the PixeBaby app for Android Phones visit HERE. PixeBaby is also coming soon to the iPhone App Store.