Status: Beta reviewer

Categories of apps she/he wants to review: Books - Education - Entertainment - Games - Lifestyle - Photography - Productivity - Utilities - Other

iDevices she/he owns: - iPad3

Description: I am a mother of four active kids who works from home full time and also homeschools all four of my children. I use the Ipad on a daily basis to reinforce lessons for school work as well as allowing time for creative play with apps. I am always on the look out for the newest and greatest app.

Profile categories: Can test apps with kids ages 3-5 - Can test apps with kids ages 6-10 - Teaching kids ages 3-5 - Teaching kids ages 6-10 - Homeschooler

Date when her/his profile was validated: 2012-10-01

User who invited him/her: Jean-Eudes L.

Total review Karma: + 9     ?

Her/His app reviews

Little House Decorator v1.0 [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	My kids had a lot of fun with this app. They thought it was neat to pick their own house to decorate and to have the moving truck drop off the boxes. The kids enjoyed decorating all the rooms with furniture, as well as people. It was also fun for them to move on and decorate other houses.
Improvements	The kids mentioned a few changes they would like to see. First, they would like the people to move and be able to sit or lay down. Next, they didn't like that some objects became too small when added to a room. It would be nice to have the ability to manipulate the size of objects. The last thing they would like to see is the ability for the people to get in the cars and drive to the other houses to visit.
General review	Little House Decorator is a fun, engaging app that allows young children the opportunity to be creative. Once your child chooses which house they want, they will have fun picking out furniture to fill every room in the house. Once they are done, the child can take a picture of the finished house, and move on to a new house to decorate.

Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	I enjoyed reading the book and progressing through the app. It was nice to see the interaction between the brother and sister in the story and them working together to solve the mystery. The graphics were beautiful and really made the story. The extras at the end were a great addition as well and really turn this into a learning app.
Improvements	I kept waiting for more interactivity. While it was fun to click on elements in the story, it would be more engaging for some of the elements to include links to activate a learning component. Maybe clicking on the map and then a maze popping up for the user to find their way through in order to get to the next city would be fun. I know that younger children may not be able to complete such components, so maybe they could be turned on or off under settings.
General review	Congratulations to the developers of Treasure Kai and the Seven Cities of Gold for another great adventure. My sons age 8 and 9 loved reading this story. As a parent, I am always looking for apps that are fun and educational. I love that the app is an interactive book and also offers activities at the end for comprehension and spelling.

The Ant and the Grasshopper v1.1 [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	This is my first 3D pop-up story book and I must say, I was excited. It was as if the book came alive when I turned to the pop-up page. My children loved this feature as well and couldn't wait until the next pop-up page. The interactive feature of gathering candy and food was fun for my children.
Improvements	In a future version, I would like to see the interactive elements on the pop-up pages increased as well as explained better. For example, when gathering candy, you could tell the children "bring the grasshopper some candy and snacks" so they know where to take it. Also, you could have a feature that would count the items as they are brought and then tell them how many more items are left to bring.
General review	I felt that "The Ant and the Grasshopper" was a fun pop-up story that told a good lesson for kids. I think with a little more added features, this would be an excellent app that would involve learning and play. Overall, I would recommend this app to the 3-5 age group. Great job to the developers and keep up the good work.

Wubbzy's Train Adventure [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	This is our first Wubbzy's app. The kids liked the fun characters in Wubbzy's Train Adventure and the interactive features throughout the story. The popup games were also an added plus for the kids. They also enjoyed the coloring pages after the story.
Improvements	What we did not like about Wubbzy's Train Adventure is that the story didn't really have a point. In fact I thought it was a little scary for kids. Talking about a train that first is broke, then is going to fast, and lastly can't stop are not exactly kid friendly topics. The main frustration was the videos. Each and everytime we tried to watch, the video played half on the screen and half off (I am using an iPad 3). Then at the end of the video, the app would freeze up and not let you do anything else. I had to delete and reinstall the app 3 times to finish the review.
General review	I think the app could use some upgrades as far as the story goes. It should be more kid friendly. It would be nice to have more games to play along the way, and more to do once the characters reach the Kooky Karnival. Most importantly, fix the videos. I would not pay $1.99 for this app as it is.

Worlds: Tracing App - LITE v1.0 [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	I thought Worlds: Tracing App Lite v.1.0 was a fun app for little children who are learning to write. I like the idea of having different scenes to tap on and unlock words. Naming each item in the scene allows the child to associate the letters with a picture and begin to read words instead of just tracing them.
Improvements	The following is what I would like to see changed or updated in a newer version of this app: 1. I don't like the sad stars a child receives when they attempt to trace the letters too many times. 2. I would like to see arrows telling the child which way to trace, to eliminate the guessing. 3. I would like to see the app provide not only the letter name but also the sound when traced correctly. 4. Last, I would like to see a picture shown after the word has been traced and said out loud.
General review	All and all I think this is a good beginning app for children to learn to trace letters. My child enjoyed tapping on each word and tracing it in order to complete the whole scene. This app allows children to learn letters and begin to read words.

PhotoGridPro v2.1 [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	I thought PhotoGridPro was a fun app that allows me to quickly edit pictures that I take from my iPad before sending to friends and family. I was surprised by all the options in the app itself. The app offers so much more than just a simple crop. I also love the collage options. The many features it offers reminded me of using photoshop or other high priced editing software.
Improvements	There are only a few things that I would change or add to future updates for PhotoGridPro. The first being to add more stickers. A lot of the stickers are no ones I would use while editing pictures of my children. Next, I would like to see different backgrounds, such as for holidays or seasons. The last thing I would add is more text fonts.
General review	I think PhotoGridPro is a must have app for anyone who takes pictures using the iPad. You will no longer have to download the pictures to your computer and edit before sharing with friends. This app has all the features you will need built right in. Simply open the app, pick the picture you like, edit using lots of different options, and share. Easy and fun.

Meet the Insects: Village Edition (1.0.0) [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	Meet the Insects: Village Edition is a great visual app for young children. The app is educational and fun at the same time. I love the audio details of the insects and the detail provided for each insect. The highlights for me and my children were the observation journal and the videos.
Improvements	I think this app is great and would only suggest a few changes when it comes to the quiz section of the app. First, I would like to see the O and X quiz changed to a checkmark and X. I believe kids identify the checkmark with correct more than they do O. Another thing I would like to see added to the quiz section is a lifecycle quiz. Maybe pick an insect and put the lifecycle in order. This is what they would get quizzed on in school, so it should be a major section in the quizzes.
General review	Overall, my children loved this app and so did I. As a homeschooler, this app teaches my children about insects in a way that it is fun and engaging. Boys and girls alike will enjoy flipping through the insects and listening about the different characteristics of each. As an added bonus, they can explore with the app and record observations in their journal. Worth every penny!

Fuzzy Little Caterpillar [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	The Fuzzy Little Caterpillar is a fun app for children of various ages. All of my children aged 3-9 enjoyed playing this app and learning cool facts about music and caterpillars. I enjoyed that the app teaches the life cycle of the moth and butterfly in a fun, interactive way.
Improvements	The main thing my children didn't like was having to touch the items on the screen in order to fill up the flowers at the bottom and turn the page. They would get frustrated trying to figure out what else to touch. They also didn't get much out of the music section. Having never had any type of music training, it was confusing and boring to them.
General review	I would recommend the app, Fuzzy Little Caterpillar, to parents and teachers who are looking for a fun way to teach about moths and butterflies. This app does a very good job of demonstrating the life cycle of both in a way that children will understand.

Weather and Clock for Kids [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	This app was fun and engaging for my children. They loved clicking on different parts of the world and seeing what the weather was like! I like how the time is shown on both a digital and wall clock for children to learn both ways. I also like the 7 day forecast so they can learn about reading the forecast.
Improvements	I would like to see the 7 day forecast show temperature high's and low's. The clock ticking is too loud in my opinion. It would be nice if when you click on the clocks if they would say am or pm after the time. That way children can begin to learn that there is a difference between 9 am and 9 pm. Maybe even have it say, "9 hours and 21 minutes am, morning time".
General review	My children and I thought this app was fun, entertaining, and educational. Not only can you see the time and temperature where you live, but also explore the same for places around the world. This app is a great learning tool for kids. They will keep coming back to explore.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1.0 [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	What I liked about Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp was the beautiful illustrations. The vibrant colors and details helped make the story come to life. You can tell a lot of detail was put into the illustrations, making them stand out among the words.
Improvements	What I didn't like about Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp was the fact that the book does not have a "Read To Me" option. A lot of children struggle with reading and would need that option to get through this long story. I also didn't like that the book is not very animated. Most children book apps are full of exciting things to discover on each page that go along with the words. This book was boring in that aspect. I also didn't like the use of different fonts. This can become distracting to children.
General review	I found the story intriguing and the illustrations beautiful. I would like to see updates made to this app that would include a "Read To Me" option, and more interactive elements to go along with the story. As the app is right now, it is nothing more than a reading book for older children. Younger children will not enjoy this book.

flippi memo v1.0 [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	Memory card games are a favorite among my younger children. Most memory apps they play provide an exciting element such as sounds or revealing a puzzle picture. This app doesn't provide these elements which was disappointing. My child did enjoy clicking the cards and turning over the animal cards. The pictures were cute for young kids.
Improvements	What I would like to see improved with this app is the following: 1) add sound when matches are made 2) make the matches disappear 3) flip back over the cards if a match isn't made 4) provide clear instructions on how to start a new game ( young kids don't understand to click on the sun card for a new deck)
General review	I think as the app is right now, it should be offered for free. Work needs to be done to make the app more entertaining, engaging, and educational. This app would work for children under age 3 in my opinion. Since this age would enjoy turning the cards over and seeing the pictures. Children over age 3 will not be challenged and the app will become boring very fast.

Fractions+ [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	I like that the app uses a leveled progression approach to practicing the fractions. Each level builds upon the last and teaches the child a new concept. I also like the approach of finding the equivalent fraction circles and testing hand to eye coordination.
Improvements	There are a few improvements I would like to see. First, I think the levels should have more practice time with the fractions and less time with just matching the circles to pop. Also, I would like to see a list for parents and teachers of what each level teaches, so that we will know what the child will learn and when.
General review	I think Fractions+ is a fun, engaging app that will allow your child to grow in their knowledge of fractions. Children will love the gaming atmosphere and not realize they are learning fractions. Each level is a progression, teaching your child step by step how to locate and identify fractions.

The Miracles of Jesus [text]

Link to the App Store

Rating
What I liked	My children and I really liked The Miracles of Jesus. The read to me option has a nice voice narration and lovely music playing in the background. I love that you can change the reading level of the story. The best surprise was all the different activities offered to go along with the book.
Improvements	It is hard to improve on such a good app. The only thing I would add to this app is maybe a question and answer section that the child can fill out, like multiple choice to test comprehension. Also, a vocabulary recap or activity would be a nice addition.
General review	This storybook app is a wonderful addition to our family. The children are able to learn about the great miracles Jesus performed in an easy format. The activities after the story are such a great bonus for the children. This is a storybook your kids will keep coming back to time and again.