our favorite apps for the babe in your life.

miles and i try and keep screen time, whether tv, iPad, or iPhone to a minimum, as do most parents. in small doses though, we don't see any harm. something we do try to incorporate into anything electronic is trying to pick & choose apps or television programs that are interactive & educational. before L was first born, we read all types of articles that said "absolutely no screen time before the age of two!" yeah, that one went out the window real quick...we were so peculiar, and, at times, completely ridiculous about the types of activities we would never let our child partake in. as time went on, and we became a little more seasoned, we loosened up a bit, and found that some things are simply unavoidable. now, i'm not advocating you use the television as your babysitter, but a little bit of the tube here and there, under your supervision, certainly isn't going to ruin your children. i remember taking lu to his 20 month appointment and reading a questionnaire that asked "do you put your child in front of a tv or any other electronic device?" i felt so guilty, i'm ashamed to admit, but i lied checked no! and then i pulled the whole "so i have a friend who let's her kid watch a little tv sometimes & even play with an iPad, but she is totally cautious & frugal about it, is that a total no-no?" she looked at me, half laughing, and said "chelsie, it's totally fine if luca watches a little sesame street, just don't overdo it." "oh, ok, i'll let my friend know, thanks," i said sheepishly & annoyed.  i was so embarrassed! i was also completely relieved, but mostly just embarrassed. but i got over that little bind, and stuck with the "everything in moderation rule," and it hasn't proved me wrong yet. if something changes, i'll let you know, but in the mean time i've listed a couple of our family's favorite apps below.

peekaboo barn: this game is a perfect game for an introductory app. it teaches children the names and sounds of animals all the while playing the timeless favorite game for babies, peekaboo! it's been so amazing to see luca grow with this app. he was only able to tap the barn doors when we first downloaded it, and now he can identify & say each animal by sound or name. it's grown with him & we even purchased the expansion pack (the safari edition) because lu so enjoyed the barnyard version. 

sago mini toolbox is one of the newer apps i've purchased. i took a risk in buying it since the description wasn't super informative. i thought the little photo was cute, and that ultimately swayed my purchase, but we're happy about it because it's such a fun & colorful little app that has your little one cut with scissors, hand sew, use measuring tape, and so much more! i like that at the end of the activities, you get to see what you created whether it be a boxcar or a seesaw. luca is still getting the hang of it, but he has the drill and hammer down! the rest, he just hands off to me, but luckily i think it's pretty fun too! i'm really happy we stumbled upon this little gem.


drawnimal is a really fun interactive hybrid app that brings together art & education. lu loves watching me draw all the animals of the alphabet onto a paper turning my phone into a cat or elephant. this is a great app for involving both the parent and child while using fine motor skills. i find myself doodling around with this app when i'm at work sometimes & six or seven animals in, i realize luca isn't even playing with me!


storybook rhymes (volume 1) if your little one is into music, you have to download the free storybook series! there's a couple different volumes, although lu likes the original volume best which includes "the itsy bits spider" & "one, two, buckle my shoe." i like that he can have the app read to him, while he flips the pages, like a book, or have the app sing to him the original tunes. the adorable fisher price dog makes an appearance throughout, and short animations illustrate the different sections of the song, helping your baby to better understand what the lyrics to the song mean. the wood family loves us some music, even if it falls in the form of nursery rhymes!

are there any children apps that you love? do you have any favorites i should know about?! do share!