Ale's Top 5 Free iPhone/iPad Apps

(Daddy recommends)

As often as the wifey & I try not to use the iPhone or iPad as a nanny - let's face it - there're trying times when these devices provide a win-win situation for both kids and parents alike.

Because truth be told, there are really some good and educational apps out there which appeal to my monkies. Not to mention they can keep them enthralled long enough for us to regain our sanity.

Ash has since outgrown these educational games, and he prefers those role-playing and simulation type of games nowadays. No thanks to me, heh. Ayd loves puzzle games and he can be at it for ages. So that leaves only Ale - with an attention span as long as a hobbit given her age now, it is imperative that the apps offer an interesting enough playing experience to captivate her for a good amount of time.

So here are 5 FREE apps, in no particular order, that the Diva is currently going ga-ga over:

1. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally appisode (iPad)

This one is a sure-fire winner to allow parents to finish their meals in peace. Ale managed to sit through the entire story, while even Ash & Ayd strained their necks to watch as well. I think the part which Ale loved the most was the sound recognition feature, which allowed her to talk to and answer Mickey's questions.

For more information, click HERE.

Another note-worthy FREE Disney app to check out is the Jake's Never Land Pirate School.

2. Agnitus (iPhone/iPad)

If you only want to download one free app - for whatever reason - this is THE app!

Agnitus has 6 curriculum-based games covering Colors, Shapes, Letters, Counting, Memory and Shape Sorting. It also tracks how the child does and increases the difficulty based on their progress. There is a parental dashboard that tracks study time and indicates what the child is getting right and wrong.

Ale loves this app to bits, and even I am VERY IMPRESSED by how much ground this app actually covers. No third party ads and no in-app purchases - I'm still wondering why this app is free in the first place.

For more information, click HERE.

3. Toca Kitchen Monsters (iPhone/iPad)

The 3 monkies love Toca Boca apps - okay me too! - because they are just so fun to play with! There are no rules, no high scores and no time limits to grapple with so kids can really just play in whichever they want to.

And in this Monster edition of Toca Kitchen, kids can cook and play with food for two hungry monsters. Pick from 8 different ingredients and slice, boil, fry, cook, microwave or mix them. Serve it to the monsters and wait for their response.

For more information, click HERE.

Other FREE note-worthy apps from the Toca Boca series include Toca Hair Salon - Christmas Gift and Toca Doctor Lite.

4. LEGO® App4+ (iPhone/iPad)

I'm always a sucker for all things LEGO, so this charming little game for kids aged 4-7 has me even wanting to snatch the iPad away from Ale! I can build my own truck or helicopter, then drive or fly my cargo to its destination, and collect coins to earn more parts! KIDS can build their own truck or helicopter, then drive or fly their cargo to its destination, and collect coins to earn more parts!

For more information, click HERE.

Other FREE note-worthy apps from LEGO include LEGO® DUPLO® ZOO, LEGO® Creationary and LEGO® DUPLO® Farm Friends.

5. Open Wide Snap (iPhone/iPad)

This storybook app is one of the better ones around and it isn't difficult to see why. This title is very lightly animated with a nice educational & interactive feature that shows the name of everything pictured on each page with accompanying voice-over. The app also has two mini games, a memory match card game and three small puzzles.

For more information, click HERE.

The other storybook app that Ale is crazy over is Little Bella's - I Close My Eyes. It used to be free but it's US$0.99 now.

So there you have it - 5 kids-centric apps to keep them occupied. And they are all free at the time of writing. Hope that you will find them useful!