It’s summertime again! Which means, it is time for that family vacation. Whether you’re going to the beach, or the mountains, it usually means hours in the car. Hours in the car with varying amounts of small children has the propensity for chaos. During these potential chaos times, apps can save lives. Now, this may seem overdramatic, but when you’re stuck on I-95 and have only moved 2 miles in as many hours, apps may be the way. Now whether you let your little one on your phone or tablet, or if they happen to have their own, there are a number of options available to you!
My son’s personal favorite is ABC Mouse.
It’s teacher designed and approved, inexpensive ($59.95/year), and is a fun, educational learning program for children ages 4 to 8. ABC Mouse makes learning fun again. The program has games in several subjects including reading, science, math and art. They have thousands of activities, and it is a guided curriculum that mirrors the subjects your child is learning in school. This program helps prevent summer regression and provides hours of educational screen time over the summer. Subscriptions can be purchased here. Also, the app is available across multiple platforms.
Ansel and Clair is a learning game from Sylvan Learning Center.
They are a pair of adventurers (one’s an alien and the other is a robot) who want to take you with them and learn about the environment. There are several adventures to choose from (dinosaurs and Africa are two examples). Each adventure is a little pricey, with each costing about $12.99 and having a couple of hours of gameplay. It isn’t a steal like ABC Mouse is, but there is a free demo available in the app store so you can test it out before you buy. The adventures are educational and interesting, and the graphics and storylines draw in the user, offering a video-game like interface that users find easy to navigate.
Related Post – Questionable Apps for Teens
Netflix now allows users to download titles for offline viewing.
These titles expire, so you don’t have access indefinitely. These titles rotate, so the selection of titles available for download is constantly updating. This is brilliant for the child that is currently obsessed with Ninjago or Minions. Netflix is free to download, but requires a monthly subscription.
Weirdwood Manor is a mystery novel that is laid out as though it is a game.
It is so well written the player doesn’t even realize they are reading a book. The book is interactive and imaginative. It is age appropriate for those over 7 and is complex while keeping the player enthralled with the story line. There are six “books” in the game, and the first two are sold together, with each subsequent book being sold through an in app purchase. The prices vary from $2.99 to $11.99 for each purchase.
Hopefully these apps can keep your little one entertained during the long drive to your destination, but if not, let us know! What app saves your sanity in the car?
