Kiddie tech: 4 educational apps and games for kids

Jan 27, 2011 4:11 AM by Lauren Fairbanks

Posted in Living / School & Education

Cool Educational
Apps And Games

Technology isn't just for adults and teens anymore. Each and every year, we see more and more technology rolled out to engage kids -- and not only with video games. Tech companies and startups are creating kid-friendly apps, social networking sites and interactive games that teach children everything from how to safely represent themselves online to intermediate math and science. There's no doubt that kid-friendly technology is a trend that will continue -- likely even into the classroom. Here are four educational apps and games for kids.

Kids playing with ipad

This is still a widely developing new niche market, but in the meantime, here are some of our favorite kid technologies that are geared towards educating our youth.

Zoodles "Kid Mode"

Zoodles is a free app you can download onto your computer, tablet or smartphone so that your kids can play with your devices without accidentally stumbling on non-kid-friendly content. It sets up a separate identity for children so they can log in to the device by clicking on their picture. After they're logged in, they can browse through kid-appropriate content like games and other learning apps without fear of accidentally surfing onto a website that isn't suitable for young eyes.

PBS Kids Interactive Whiteboard

PBS has branched out from just producing television. While not a super-new division, the PBS Kids Interactive brand has been rolling out interactive online games for kids, as well kid-friendly apps for the iPhone and the iPad, many of which are based on popular PBS kids' shows. Kids can log in to the site to access games like "Between the Lions: Alphabet Soup" and "WordGirl: HuggyDance." The subjects range from language arts to math and science and are suitable for children in Pre-K through eighth grade, though most of the games online are geared towards the Pre-K through second-grade range.

Virtual Nerd

Virtual Nerd is a virtual tutoring app that works on your smartphone, tablet and even your television if you have Yahoo Connected TV. It focuses on math and science and offers video-based tutorials that are interactive in nature for students in grades seven through 12. The subject list for Virtual Nerd is vast, featuring hundreds of tutorials in pre-algebra, algebra 1, algebra 2 and intro to physics. The educational app is a paid service - pricing ranges from a $5 (24-hour) pass to a three-month subscription for $129.

Kiwi and Pear's World Adventure App

Kiwi and Pear's is a storybook app geared towards preschool-age children that teaches them about world geography using music and other interactive components. In addition to the storytelling aspect, the app also has three games -- Fruit Catch Game, World Map Game and Matching Game -- that help kids learn their countries and states.

More educational tips and tools for kids

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Comments

Comments on "Kiddie tech: 4 educational apps and games for kids"

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