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Welcome to Apples and Apps. In old school style, we used to bring apples to the teacher. Now bring the teacher to you. As a Mom, I'm Keeping You Up-To-Date on the Latest Educational FREE and On SALE iPhone & iPad Apps. Why educational apps? Just like you, I have kids. And although they love Angry Birds, I'd like to see them learn something as well. And no, I have absolutely NO affiliation with Apple or any of its products… although I am writing this on a MacBook.

Sep 7, 2012

We've Moved!

We've moved… but we're still offering the same great tips on free and fabulous educational apps.

Visit us at www.applesandapps.wordpress.com

See you there. Happy learning!

Left Right Pup - Free App of the Day

Left Right Pup
Left Right Pup for iPad

"Learn left and right directionality while training a pointer puppy in the park, or guiding a young surfer at the beach. Encourages social skills of leadership, cooperation, and following directions by modeling the fun of turn-taking.

Features:
  • Friendly 3-D Pup and Surfer model cooperative turn-taking
  • Beautiful collage backgrounds of textural cork, vinyl, terry cloth, tempura and stitchery.
  • Patient pace gives young learners time to consider "left" or "right" response
  • Then player's use quick reflexes for catching such items as flying frisbees, pop-up dragons, or regal princesses in our rethink of pretend "hide & seek".
  • Characters model self encouragement and self affirmation
  • Auditory, Visual, Symbolic, & Written clues are designed to empower young players
  • Gentle music, chirping birds, and lulling waves enhance thoughtful environments.
  • Offers practice discriminating speech sounds from other auditory sounds
  • Charming outdoor park and beach themes encourage childhood active play
  • Whimsical puppy-powered fruit cart offers surprise and healthy treats.
  • A reset setting offers players a whole new start for their collections if desired.
Left Right Pup - KBooM Games



Sep 6, 2012

Cool to be Clever - Free Book App of the Day


Cool to be Clever: Edson Hendricks
It's Cool to be Clever: the true story of Edson C. Hendricks, the genius who invented the design for the Internet.
Bullied as a child, Edson Hendricks went on to create the forerunner to the Internet. IT'S COOL TO BE CLEVER tells the true story of an inquisitive schoolboy in the 1950s who is bullied because he is so smart. He finds comfort in an imaginary world where he has machine parts, and no biological organs or emotions. Years later, Edson's strange capacity to "think like a machine" helps him create a way for computers to communicate. His "connectionless" network design is used in today's Internet.

Includes intriguing illustrations, story by Leanne Jones with narration by Edson Hendricks, and an original musical score. Read the latest info on preventing bullying at school. Loads of pre-Internet emails, anecdotes and other computer science archival material, 12 video interviews with Edson Hendricks and 3 audio interviews of author/composer Leanne Jones, exploration of the "genius" and "inventive" mind, predicting the future, first email virus, advice to programmers, the origin of tektites, and so much more.

Ideal for all ages, especially clever children 6+ and anyone with an interest in Internet history and inventing. How was the Internet really invented? The inspiring true story is revealed for the first time.

Featured in articles in Quill & Quire, Victoria Times-Colonist, Vancouver Province, Ottawa Citizen and other news outlets.

FEATURES
• a true inspiring story written by a former primary school teacher (now a private investigator), suitable for "chapter-book" reading level
• the latest information about preventing schoolyard bullying from the Red Cross, and The Council for Exceptional Children
• "teaching children of genius" advice from Leanne Jones
• "How my mind works" and "people who are different" interviews with a genius
• Hendricks' unorthodox insights into the origin of Earth's water and tektites
• "Evolution of a Virtual Machine Subsystem", the 1979 IBM Systems Journal article by Hendricks and Hartmann chronicling the technical development of VNET into a world-wide network years before the Internet was launched
• dozens of anecdotes about creating VNET and meetings with Vint Cerf and other scientists
• trip reports, internal memos and documents detailing IBM's bungled opportunity
• 160k log of pre-Internet emails between scientists debating standards.


Cool to be Clever: Edson Hendricks - Agio Studios

Sep 5, 2012

ABA Flash Cards & Games - Free App of the Day


ABA Flash Cards & Games - Emotions
★★★★★ A fun, simple, and easy way to learn to recognize emotions. Love the picture and that its free!

Endorsed by tens of thousands of satisfied parents, teachers, and kids the world over. 

Ideal for Kids 1 - 4 Years Old

Identifying, understanding, and responding appropriately to emotions is a very important skill for every child. In this application we cover over 20 different emotions via gorgeous flash cards and interactive games.

Features:
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

✔ Add your own cards - record own voice and add own pictures!

✔ Includes 200+ gorgeous photographs that are carefully hand picked and selected

✔ Fun & engaging voice artist keeps kids engaged

✔ 8 different play modes to show the flashcards anyway you like. Play modes include (image only, word only, flashcard only, word then flashcard, word then image)

✔ 8 unique game modes including find the item, listening, and reading games

✔ Fully customizable font size, font color, spelling (upper case, lower case, etc.)

✔ Unique continuous looping feature so you can go through hundreds of flashcards automatically

✔ Customizable speed - you decide how fast to go from flashcard to flashcard

✔ Infant mode - includes ability to select extra large font size and red font color (ideal for babies less than 12 months of age)

✔ Don't want to teach your baby a given word? No problem, just delete the card

✔ Multi-sensory learning tool - combining audio, voice, and written words

ABA Flash Cards & Games - Emotions - Innovative Mobile Apps

Sep 4, 2012

DialSafe Pro - Free App of the Day


DialSafe Pro
Teach your child proper phone usage and safety with an app that lets them actually practice it! DialSafe is designed to teach these critical skills in a kid friendly manner through the use of animated lessons, skill building games, practice sessions, and even a realistic phone simulator. DialSafe helps provide a comprehensive learning experience in a safe environment where the child can both explore and learn.

DialSafe is used by teachers, police officers, and parents.



DOES YOUR CHILD KNOW:
• To press Talk (the green button) when dialing?
• How to hangup and recover from misdialing?
• In case of a fire, call 911 from a neighbors home?
• What to say if a stranger calls?

IMPORTANT FEATURES
• Animated audio lessons on phone basics, 911, and strangers.
• Memory game to progressively learn phone numbers.
• Realistic phone simulator that operates like a real phone.
• Built-in real world dialog for key numbers (even wrong numbers).
• Custom phone numbers.
• Record custom audio.
• Guided practice sessions for step by step learning.
• Unguided challenge sessions for evaluating.
• Did we mention a simulator that works like a real phone? :)


DialSafe Pro - Little Bit Studio, LLC.

Aug 30, 2012

Clockwork Brain - Challenge your Mind with Fun Puzzles! - Free App of the Daypu


Clockwork Brain - Challenge your Mind with Fun Puzzles!
Train your brain and challenge yourself with A Clockwork Brain!

Discover a series of ingenious mini-games especially created to test various cognitive abilities such as visual, spatial, logic, language, arithmetic, and memory.

Explore a unique mix of innovative puzzles alongside twists on well-known conundrums!

Everything in the game has been lovingly hand-painted with influences from Victorian Steampunk and Mayan art.

Sprocket, the robot, will be your guide! Let the games begin!


FEATURES
★ Enjoy four free, addictive mini-games!

★ Get challenged with bite-sized, fast-paced gameplay full of brain-training goodness!

★ Collect tokens as you play and unlock special Upgrades!

★ Train every day and win even more Tokens with Daily Rewards!

★ Compete with others on OpenFeint and Game Center and collect great Achievements!

★ Sharpen those verbal skills with nine languages! (English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Italian, Greek)

★ Expand your brain-games collection by purchasing premium game packs!

★ See how long you can survive in the fiendishly difficult Insane Round for even higher scores!


INCLUDED FREE MINI-GAMES
★ Scrolling Silhouettes: Trains Visual/Spatial Ability
★ Anagrams: Trains Language Processing
★ Missing Tiles: Trains Arithmetic
★ Chase the Numbers: Trains Memory
★ Size Matters (Unlockable Bonus): Trains Visual/Spatial Ability


Clockwork Brain - Challenge your Mind with Fun Puzzles! - Total Eclipse

Aug 29, 2012

LEGO Duplo Jams - Free App of the Day


LEGO® DUPLO® JAMS
A great starter app for children ages 2-5 who are just beginning to use a touchscreen.

LEGO® DUPLO® JAMS provides an interactive, musical world for your toddler or preschooler to discover the joy of building. Set to upbeat playroom songs that even parents will enjoy, this app lets children build their imaginations by clicking bricks to explore colorful worlds as they sing along to catchy tunes. 

From trains and race cars to zoos and oceans, there's something to engage every child’s interest. Play experiences range from learning the alphabet to simple memory matching exercises. Children can also customize their playtime by adding sounds to put their own creative touch on each world. 

Kick off your child's building career with LEGO DUPLO JAMS. Then, find these songs and other DUPLO JAMS free on iTunes or facebook.com/LEGODUPLO to add creative building fun to your playroom.

Features:

- Five songs and worlds to discover: Barnyard Serenade, Brick Racer, Build With Letters, Sort Out the Blues, Stick Together and a special “Almost time for Bed” Mode.
- Record 3 custom sounds for each scene
- Tap and discover free play
- Simple memory matching game
- Intuitive tap and play functionality matches any child’s ability



LEGO® DUPLO® JAMS - The LEGO Group

Aug 28, 2012

Sprout's Good Night Star - Free App of the Day


Sprout's Good Night Star
Introducing a fun, new, interactive game for you and your preschooler from The Good Night Show on Sprout. 

Your preschooler can practice their bedtime routine with Sprout's lovable character, Star. Brush Star's teeth, wash Star's Face, read a Sprouterrific story to Star and get him ready for bed. Then your Sproutlet can gently rock Star to sleep. You can also sing along to your favorite Good Night Show songs like Brusha Brusha and Twinkle Twinkle. 



iPhone:
 Sprout's Good Night Star - PBS KIDS Sprout

iPad:
Sprout’s Good Night Star HD - PBS KIDS Sprout

Aug 27, 2012

Kids Learning - My First Numbers Counting Game ... - Free App of the Day


Kids Learning - My First Numbers Counting Game ...
Features:

* A great and exciting introduction to learning numbers 1 to 20. 

* Learn to count fingers, quantities (e.g. 5 apples), and learn to recognize your first numbers (e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.)

* Add your own cards - record own voice and add own pictures!

* Includes 100+ gorgeous photographs that are carefully hand picked and selected

* Fun & engaging voice artist keeps kids engaged

* 6 different play modes to show the flashcards anyway you like. Play modes include (image only, word only, flashcard only, word then flashcard, word then image)

* 4 super fun game modes where you either match the picture to the words or the words to the pictures

* Fully customizable font size, font color, spelling (upper case, lower case, etc.)

* Infant mode - includes ability to select extra large font size and red font color (ideal for babies less than 12 months of age)

* Don't want to teach your baby a given word? No problem, just delete the card

* Multi-sensory learning tool - combining audio, voice, and written words


Kids Learning - My First Numbers Counting Game ... - GrasshopperApps.com

Aug 23, 2012

MeeGenius! - Free App of the Day


MeeGenius! Kids' Books
The #1 app for children’s books. Downloaded over a million times by parents across the globe. MeeGenius is the fun, free and easy-to-use library of e-books you and your little ones can enjoy. 

PRAISE FROM THE MEDIA

✓ People Magazine “All your kids books right at your fingertips” 
✓ TechCrunch “Awesome, interactive children’s stories” 
✓ Bloomberg TV “The future of e-books”

SMART FEATURES THAT AID THE LEARNING PROCESS

➜ Read-along word highlighting promotes word recognition among young readers
➜ Top-notch illustrations keep kids entertained by letting their imaginations take over 
➜ Read on your own or follow along with expert narration


MeeGenius! Kids' Books - MeeGenius!

Buy.com

Aug 22, 2012

Thomas & Friends: Engine Activities - Free App of the Day


Thomas & Friends: Engine Activities
Tap into the fun of Thomas & Friends with this interactive activity app! Little engineers will be entertained for hours as they play with come-alive puzzles, creativity-boosting coloring pages, and brain-building matching games. Extend the play even further by purchasing additional packs with new puzzles, coloring pages, and collectible match cards. With so much to do, Thomas & Friends: Engine Activities guarantees an endless supply of fun and adventure!

This app includes:

-3 coloring sheets, 3 animated puzzles, and 3 collectible engine cards inspired by Pop Goes Thomas
-3 coloring sheets, 3 animated puzzles, and 3 collectible engine cards inspired by Creaky Cranky
-A matching game that draws from your child’s card collection and helps develop memory skills and hand-eye coordination

Additional activity packs include fan favorites Wobbly Wheels & Whistles, Merry Winter Wish, Rescue on the Rails, Curious Cargo, and Up, Up and Away—each with even more puzzles, coloring pages, and match cards based on these beloved DVDs and characters. Watch for new activity packs available for in-app purchase.


Thomas & Friends: Engine Activities - Callaway Digital Arts Inc.

Buy.com

Aug 21, 2012

The Land of Me: Story Time - Free App of the Day


The Land of Me: Story Time

Gather round children, it’s Story Time – the BAFTA-nominated create-your-own-story adventure from Ladybird Books

**FOR IPAD2 ONLY** 


★ Create your own stories by choosing the hero, the theme and how it ends then see it come alive before your eyes! 
★ Change the words to instantly alter the storyline as it plays out in front of you
★ Designed by child development experts for young children to explore their creativity
★ On-screen hints offering endless ideas for discussion and things to do
★ Listen as Granny Olive, a turtle of indeterminable age, tells tales about wolves, bravery and things that go bump in the night!
★ Be on the lookout for more apps from The Land of Me series!

Storytelling is an invaluable way for your child to develop their language and communication skills. Which of our intrepid adventurers is the hero of the story? What is the story about? How does your story end? Will you be laughing, smiling or down in the dumps? There’s only one way to find out!


The Land of Me: Story Time - Penguin Books

Buy.com

Aug 20, 2012

Bluster! - Free App of the Day


Bluster!
Breeze through vocabulary building with Bluster!

This word matching game develops vocabulary and word understanding for school-aged children, or anyone brave enough to battle the elements.

Shine bright in single-player mode as you learn and practice important word skills. Match rhyming words, prefixes and suffixes, synonyms, homophones, adjectives, and more. 

Collaborate with a friend in team mode. The multi-touch iPad screen allows both players to play simultaneously, so you can work together to weather the vocabulary storm.

Switch to versus mode and play head-to-head for the ultimate test of your lightning quickness. Disrupt your opponent with weather attacks like tornadoes and blizzards - it’s thunderous fun and just might give you the edge you need to reign supreme!

Bluster includes over 800 vocabulary words. Players choose a skill to practice and then try to make matches of three. Ten matches wins a round. 

Features:
• Three different play modes - including two-player action.
• A variety of grade level appropriate content.
• Engaging animated gameplay with sound effects.
• Head-to-head and High Scores tables.
• Plays on the iPad in both landscape and portrait mode.


Bluster! - McGraw-Hill School Education Group

Buy.com

Aug 17, 2012

Creatures of Light - Free App of the Day


Creatures of Light
By the American Museum of Natural History.


This companion app for the popular new exhibition Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence offers a close look at some of the extraordinary organisms that produce light. Enjoy interactive animations, photo galleries, and videos that reveal the beauty of this amazing natural phenomenon, how it works, and how scientists study it. Each chapter of the app, which is adapted from the iPad content featured throughout the exhibition gallery, is set to a symphonic soundtrack composed exclusively for Creatures of Light.

Creatures of Light - American Museum of Natural History

Buy.com

Aug 16, 2012

Touch the Sound - Free App of the Day


Touch the Sound
Touch the Sound is a fun new game that allows your kid to explore the world of sounds one touch at a time.

This app focused on helping kids learn to recognize familiar sounds and match the sounds to the picture. The interface is so simple to use, that even little babies will delight in using this app.

WHY PARENTS AND TEACHERS LOVE THIS APP

✔ The app is super easy to customize so you and adjust everything to your liking
✔ You can turn individual concepts ON or OFF and introduce one new sound at a time
✔ Sounds are grouped into 5 selectable categories (animals, home, music instruments, nature, and transport)
✔ The app is super easy to use for kids of all ages and all abilities
✔ You can add new concepts (emotions, actions, etc.) in one click

WHY KIDS WILL LOVE IT TOO

✔ 300+ gorgeous photos keep kids engaged and wanting more
✔ The app comes with 170+ fascinating sounds
✔ The app if fun, simple, and easy to use
✔ Wrong answers do not interfere with gameplay


Touch the Sound - Innovative Mobile Apps

Buy.com

Aug 15, 2012

Feel Electric! The Electronic Company - Free App of the Day

Feel Electric!** 2012 Parents' Choice Recommended ** 

Are you feeling delighted? Astonished? Anxious? “Feel Electric!” explores all these emotions and more! Part of the Military Families “Finding the Right Word” initiative, this app offers engaging tools that use content and curriculum from The Electric Company to provide opportunities to explore emotional vocabulary and self-expression. Hosted by Electric Company cast members Jessica Ruiz and Danny Rebus, “Feel Electric!” features three fast-paced games, a digital diary to record daily moods, a zany story maker, and more!

** NOTE: Supports iPhone 3GS, iPod touch Gen 3, iPad 1 and later models. **

Features:

▪ 3 vocabulary-based games
▪ A digital diary
▪ A glossary of 50 emotion vocabulary words and definitions
▪ 10 zany story makers
▪ Hosts Jessica Ruiz and Danny Rebus
▪ A library of Electric Company music, photos, and video
▪ Add your own music, photos, and video
▪ Create your own mood dude
▪ Fun point system and scoreboard

Curriculum

“Feel Electric!” empowers children to explore their emotions by building expressive vocabulary skills. 

▪ Introduces 50 emotion words and definitions
▪ Builds emotional awareness
▪ Encourages self-expression



Feel Electric! - Sesame Street

Buy.com

Aug 14, 2012

Let's Name Things - Free App of the Day


Let's Name Things Fun Deck
This colorful vocabulary App has all 52 illustrated picture cards (plus audio of each card text) from the Let's Name Things Fun Deck. Select the cards you want students to see, and have them name items to practice vocabulary, categorizing, and thinking skills. The prompts include statements like, “Let’s name… things that live in the ocean.” and “Let’s name… things you’d take on a trip.”

This App is simple to use — each student looks at an illustration, and either reads the prompt or touches the screen to listen to the prompt. The student then gives a verbal response. After each answer, tap the green (correct) or red (incorrect) button to score the student’s verbal response. Move to the next card by sliding the card currently on the display screen to the side, and the next image appears. Move to the next player by sliding the bar at the top of the screen. When you finish, view the results, and email them to as many addresses as you like.

Let’s Name… Things Fun Deck App lets you: 
• Select all 52 cards or just the ones you want students to see.
• Enter all your students’ names.
• Track correct and incorrect responses for up to five players at a time.
• Email your results at the end of each game.


Let's Name Things Fun Deck - Super Duper Publications
Buy.com