We know, we know. No screen time before the kids are 2 years old. But in those moments when you just need to keep your toddler occupied, these apps on your phone will be the ultimate lifesavers.
Baby Phone Games for Babies
Platform: Android
Cost: Free
Babies ages 6 to 18 months can learn numbers, animal sounds and music by exploring through touch. The application layout resembles a cordless touchtone phone, ironically out of place for the user set. Bonus: Parents can add their own music selection to the soundtrack – great for maintaining sanity if baby is playing close by.
Toddler Kids Puzzles Puzzingo
Platform: iOS
Cost: Free
Part jigsaw puzzle, part vocabulary builder, Puzzingo is made for parents to play with their toddlers and preschool children. Puzzingo supports English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese variants, so is well-suited for bilingual parents who want to expose children to a second language. Its tactile nature appeals to children with autism and special needs as well.
Animal Sounds for Baby
Platform: Android and iOS
Cost: Free
This is a digital update to Fisher-Price’s classic See ‘n Say. The app helps kids learn animal names and their corresponding sounds. A touchscreen interface replaces the pull-string of generations past, but the idea rings true just as the cow says moo. Young children (6 months to 1 year plus) are able to engage the animals by touching, shaking or tilting the device.
Duckie Deck Collection
Platform: Android and iOS
Cost: $2.99
Duckie Deck packs six mini-toddler activities into one application. Themes range from zoo activities to a magician’s tricks. Kids learn spatial skills and matching shapes through familiar role-playing exercises. The best part? No links or ads.
Toddler Flashcards
Platform: iOS
Cost: Free
Toddlers learn basic words by touching pictures and listening to audio playback. Categories range from food to animals to household objects to shapes and colors. For an extra 99 cents each, parents can add one of 13 available languages.
