kids

The iPad is a kid's dream toy. It plays games and movies, and is a finger-painting easel waiting to be tapped. So there are dozens of apps that allow children to tap, dab, and paint the screen to their heart's content. Picture Buddy is yet another of these apps, and while it doesn't bring anything new to the table, its cute presentation and simple interface are perfect for a young child.

The app is very simple, and you just start it and tap to get going. There will be a palette of colors and a slider to … Read more

The Swipea line of Tangram puzzle apps is impressive. These apps, including Swipea Tangram Puzzles for Kids: Transport, manage to take a very popular puzzle game that children have been playing for decades and transform it into an engaging, colorful mobile experience that takes full advantage of the features of the iPad and touch screen controls. While the lack of clear labels can be confusing as you get started, once the game is underway, your children will have a blast.

One thing that makes Swipea Tangram Puzzles for Kids: Transport so much fun is that nearly everything in them is … Read more

Apps for the iPhone have revolutionized how a lot of things are done. Name an everyday task and it's likely you'll find an app that makes it easier. For parents of young children that are constantly visiting each others' houses or sleeping over, Kid Notice is designed to make it easier to interact with fellow parents on your iPhone from a secure, private interface. It's a particularly great tool for parents with busy schedules.

Upon installation, you'll be required to create a new account with Kid Notice -- including your name, username, and password. From there, … Read more

Who needs cards or puzzles when you have a smartphone to help your child learn? Baby Learns Pairs 1kids will help your child learn matching, colors, and other vital skills. The games, however, are repetitive, annoying, and overly cute. That means you're bound to hate it, but it could very easily become your child's favorite game.

As the name implies, this game is designed for young children. That means it's chock-full of simple games and cute characters. More often than not, the characters are almost too cute. They make goofy noises and do silly gestures as repetitive … Read more

Fetch for iOS is a touch adventure game that plays like an animated movie, letting you explore a strange world as a young boy in search of his lost dog.

Made for children, but fun for adults, too, Fetch combines a great-looking artistic style, rich sounds, and mysterious environments with tons of touch-screen interaction as you set off on your adventure. The story revolves around the disappearance of a little boy's dog named Bear and the lengths he must go through to get him back. Quickly, he finds out that dogs are being stolen around the world, and he … Read more

Finding a discovery engine that is actually useful is rare. In my experience, they either spit out vague, useless recommendations or they return results so predictable as to prevent discovery. Thus, it was with trepidation I approached TasteKid. Turns out that underneath its odd name, TasteKid boasts an engine that successfully occupies the fertile ground between pointless and predictable.

Head to TasteKid.com and try it for yourself. Front and center, you'll find a search box and seven tabs, six of which let you narrow your search to music, movies, TV shows, books, authors, and games. You can also … Read more

Kitchen gadgets are ultimately designed to do one thing; namely to turn (or help to turn) ingredients into food. That being said, there are levels of complexity involved that depend upon the desired final result. Usually, the more delicious the goal, the more complicated the actions. However, sometimes, with food and with gadgetry, simplicity is key. And fun for the kids, too.

The delicious substance known as peanut butter is surprisingly easy to make. Don't bother reading the label on the average jar found on the supermarket shelf; all that is really needed is peanuts, salt and oil in … Read more

It's always a bit frustrating when you're trying to get your child to pose for a photo and they won't even look at your iPhone, let alone smile for it. In the past I covered GroupShot, an iOS app that combines multiple photos to ensure everyone is looking at the camera in the final shot. A great app, but it doesn't solve the problem of actually getting your child to smile.

Instead of jumping around, making noises and embarrassing yourself, let the iPhone app Picasound make animal sounds for you.

Using the app is very easy:… Read more