Welcome to the 15th installment of the App Report featuring family friendly apps made by the developers belonging to the Moms With Apps network. Once again, we’re going to group the apps by objective and then list them by their app store categories to make it easier to find the app that fits your needs.
Early Learning: Build word recognition skills with Card Match. Play vehicle themed games with My First App Vehicles. Play with digital stickers and create stories with Buildo Museum Sticker Book. Practice foundational math skills with SimpleSort:Counting.
Literacy: Read about The Adventures of Robin Hood or Rainbow Crow. Practice chinese with easy chinese writing.
Math: Practice basic math skills with Balloon Blast Math.
Apps for Older Kids: Electric Eggplant asks, “Who are my real friends?” in Middle School Confidential 2. Create custom messages with pictures and animation with Doink Express.
Entertainment: Play with sound using BeBob’s Sound Contraption.
Click on the links to find out more about each app and to determine if it is suitable for you. If you find an app you like, remember to write a review.
– Garry Froehlich | Jellybean Tunes
Books
 |
The Adventures of Robin Hood by So Ouat (Chocolapps): In England, a long long time ago, Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham were starving the people with their heavy taxes. Robin Hood a loyal servant of King Richard the Lionheart was outraged by this injustice and became the legendary outlaw of Sherwood Forest. With the help of his band of merry men and Maid Marian, he saves Richard the Lionheart and restores order throughout the Kingdom. iPhone, iPad |
 |
Rainbow Crow by Emantras Inc (Punflay): This Native American story is all about beauty, sacrifice, and courage. It tells the story of Rainbow Crow who was chosen to go to the Creator and plead with him to undo the creation of snow. But was it possible for it to be undone? What did the Creator say and what happened to Rainbow Crow’s beautiful feathers? Read the story to discover Rainbow Crow’s courageous mission. iPad |
Education
 |
Buildo Museum Sticker Book by JAJDO AB: The Buildo story continues! The Buildo Museum app is JAJDO’s attempt to turn your kids into cultural monsters. Watch ’em play around and create their own stories with more than 100 stickers in the Buildo Museum sticker book! iPhone and iPad |
 |
SimpleSort:Counting by KidsAndBeyond, LLC.: Ms. Clever Cloud is back! This time, she needs help counting, sorting, adding, ordering, and comparing numbers! Can you use your math skills and help her? iPad |
 |
Balloon Blast Math by Boden Software: The goal of the game is to answer as many problems as you can in 60 seconds. The more you answer correctly, the higher your score! But be careful, if you answer a problem incorrectly, you lose points. The higher your skill level, the more points you can earn! iPhone |
 |
ABC Phonics Butterfly Long Vowels by Abitalk: ABC Phonics Butterfly Long Vowels includes five different long vowel sounds: A, E, I , O , U. Your child can pick any two long vowel sounds to play. There are two flower pots that represent two different long vowel sounds. The butterfly carries the heart with the word on it and finds the matching vowel sound flower pot to drop the heart. iPad |
 |
Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind by Electric Eggplant: Middle school social drama can flare up without warning and turn your world upside down. At times like this, you may wonder, “Who are my real friends?” Based on the second book in the award-winning Middle School Confidential series, Real Friends vs. the Other Kind follows Jack, Jen, Chris, Abby, Mateo, and Michelle from the first app as they forge friendships and navigate tough social situations. They run into relationship issues such as making friends, resolving disputes, and dealing with gossip, exclusion, and cyberbullying. iPad |
 |
easy chinese writing by Uniproducts Company Ltd: easy chinese writing is an app designed to show users how to write Chinese characters stroke by stroke and direction by direction. The app is suitable for any beginners from kids to any age who is new to Chinese learning as well as for those who want to enhance their Chinese-writing techniques. iPad – Traditional Writing, iPad – Simplified Writing, Lite |
 |
Card Match! by Sabi: Card match games have stood the test of time as being fun. The game tests both word recognition (matching words) as well as word understanding (matching word with a picture or color). The child builds confidence in word recognition and understanding through play. iPhone |
Entertainment
 |
BeBob’s Sound Contraption Pro by Gemstone Technologies, INC.: Includes spooky sounds, cartoon sounds, robotic sounds, whacky sounds, instruments, laughs, screams, sirens, and more! Use BeBob’s Motion Warp to make fun variations of any of the sound effects just by moving your device!! The possibilities are endless! iPhone |
Games
 |
My First App Vehicles by appp media: My First App Vehicles includes three games featuring lots of vehicles (police car, truck, horse carriage, loader… ). No language skills are required. Navigate the app by selecting symbols – even preschool children can play without help. Choose from puzzle, matching, and pinball style games. iPhone and iPad |
Photo & Video
 |
Doink Express – Messaging with Photos, Animation, Drawing & Sound by DK Pictures, Inc.: Doink Express is a fun, creative way to add life, interest and excitement to short messages using animations, drawings, photos and sound. There are endless ways to create unique custom messages using photos from your camera roll, your own custom art or animations, Doink art “props”, and sound. Then share your “doinks” with friends, family and the world! iPhone |
App News
| Beware Madame la Guillotine, A Revolutionary Tour of Paris by Time Traveler Tours, LLC: now fully bilingual (French and English) iPhone |
| Signing Numbers & Colors by Rosemary Sanford: updated with new graphics, more pages, and new ASL videos. Interactive Touch Books online bookstore (requires a reader app for iPhone and iPad) |
| Word Wizard by L’Escapadou: one of the top 500 apps as chosen by the Sunday Times iPhone and iPad |
| Rat Disection by Punflay: one of the top 500 apps as chosen by the Sunday Times iPad |
| AB Math by Nicolas Lehovetzki: now available for Android, Lite |
| Super Speller: Create Your Own Spelling Tests by Quiet Spark: updated with new word search puzzles, a new chalkboard theme, and support for iOS 5’s built in dictionary. iPad |
| Stack the States by Dan Russell-Pinson: now available for Windows XP and Windows 7 |
Hi Garry,
Thank you for including Signing Numbers & Colors with ASL videos in your App News. Here is the link to my Interactive Touch Books online bookstore.
http://store.interactivetouchbooks.com/books/rosemary+sanford
Rosemary
Hi Garry,
Thanks for including Doink Express. We love seeing the endless ways users of all ages can be creative with photos, drawings, animations & sound. Our app can be used for Storytelling http://www.doink.com/clips/richard/1915872/hiking-in-florida Entertainment http://www.doink.com/clips/Karen/1904889?slug= To create messages http://www.doink.com/clips/Melinda/1891863?slug= and custom e-cards http://www.doink.com/clips/Karen/1918333?slug= If interested, here’s a short demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sfp4Do2Kag We love being a member of Moms with Apps!
Thanks for including BeBob’s Sound Contraption in your App Report! Everyone can learn more about BeBob and see some examples of the app in action on BeBob’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/BeBobSound
Also, I am running a Facebook contest to give away free copies of the app via multiple drawings to people who Like BeBob’s Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/BeBobs-Sound-Contraption/263190187052354
Full details are on BeBob’s Facebook page.
Thanks again for including my app! It’s been great being a Moms with Apps member!
I have not been able to download any of the three discounted to free apps today; iTunes keeps telling me its being modified and is not available. i am on a Mac and have even restarted. Any suggestions? Thanks as always for great tips and opportunities!
@VLMaples, we hear the problem is occurring with an iTunes Software Upgrade. It’s seems many have had trouble downloading all day.