Take a trip around the world, learn Spanish, or go on a math adventure. The 26th App Report brings the latest news and product announcements from the Moms With Apps network. I have a number of notes this week. First, this edition marks the sixth month of the App Report, and I’ve listed hundreds of apps and news items from this great group of developers, reviewers, parents and teachers. I’m still amazed by the diversity and choice every week. Thanks so much for following along.
Second, my wife and I would like to announce our latest app and invite you learn flags and geography while taking a trip around this amazing planet with World Flags, Geography and Anthems.
Third, BabyFirst Encyclopedia has emerged from an Appbackr campaign, supported by many of the Moms With Apps members, and is better than ever. Look for the smiling octopus below.
OK, let’s see what else we have this week!
Apps for Little Ones: ABCDESK teaches letters and words in English and Russian and lets parents create their own lessons. LH Animal Alphabet uses alliterative animals to teach your child all about the alphabet. Toddlers can learn about healthy eating with EduKitchen, or they can do puzzles with Kids Trucks: Puzzles. Finally, kids can catch fish while learning about numbers, letters and colors in the Trunky Fish Game.
Fine-Motor Skills: Tablets are great, but what about when it comes time to hold a pencil? Chalk Walk helps young kids practice the classic thumb and finger grip and helps them prepare for pencil-and-paper tasks.
Books: Learn all about boats with “Boats – Byron Barton” from the great folks at Oceanhouse Media.
Geography: Explore the world with our very own World Flags, Geography and Anthems.
Math: StudyPad is back with the next installment of their popular Splash Math series, now covering 5th grade. The Math Mage promises to transport kids to a magical version of the Middle Ages where their math skills can save a village. Montessori Bead Facts Plus Minus uses Montessori techniques to teach basic math.
Languages: Learn Spanish with the Little Blue Jackal.
Games: Unearth the origins of Backgammon with eoz games’ Roman Backgammon.
Parents, please take a moment to read the iTunes app descriptions, and to screen the apps you download, to fully understand the features and elements in the app. If you find an app you like, remember to write a review.
– Garry Froehlich | Jellybean Tunes
Books
 |
Boats – Byron Barton by Oceanhouse Media: Children can interact with many different types of boats in this exciting new transportation omBook! From rowboats to ferryboats, fishing boats and workers, many objects can be moved around with the touch of a finger. Realistic sound effects and brightly colored illustrations will delight young readers and keep them coming back for more! iPhone and iPad – $0.99 (introductory price) |
Education
 |
World Flags, Geography and Anthems by Garry Froehlich: One of the most colorful ways to learn about the world! Learn flags, learn geography, hear full anthems and see images of our amazing planet through exploration and three different games with this elegant and beautiful app. iPad – $0.99 (introductory price) |
 |
The Math Mage by RGH Games LLC: The Math Mage is an adventure that transports you back to the Middle Ages, where a Magic Spell has unleashed monsters in your village. Only YOU can defeat all the monsters thanks to your math skills! Explore 6 amazing levels including a bushy forest, dark mines, the town of Wearie and more before facing the ultimate monster! Practice your Math Skills against a range of monsters made out of weed, smoke and stone! More than 200 math equations to solve and 4 difficulty levels. (Watch Video) iPad2 or newer – $1.99 |
![5th Grade Math: Splash Math Worksheets App [HD Full]](https://i0.wp.com/a2.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/092/Purple/v4/c6/04/de/c604de66-aa32-32e8-526d-520a97522317/mza_81509165753442657.175x175-75.jpg?resize=75%2C75) |
5th Grade Math: Splash Math Worksheets App by StudyPad, Inc.: With lots of worksheets and virtually infinite problems spanning across 9 chapters, Splash Math Grade 5 covers the entire 5th grade curriculum. It is by far the most comprehensive math workbook in the app store. All of the included problems are aligned with common core standards for 5th grade. Covers algebra expressions, fractions, decimals, geometry, division, multiplication and more. iPad – $9.99 |
 |
Learn Spanish: Little Blue Jackal – a bilingual storybook by Niyaa by Kunal Desai: 3 Levels of Spanish learning in this unique story based approach. Learn 50+ Spanish words, 25+ conversational phrases and entire story includes 700+ words in Spanish. Little Blue Jackal is a classic animal story with a moral. Story created in collaboration with professional children’s book authors and illustrators. iPad – $1.99 |
 |
ABCDESK by Articul Media: Includes illustrated alphabets and puzzles in both English and Russian. Children match letters or compose words in a problem solving mode. But there are two really exciting features in ABCDESK. First, it allows parents to create lessons (or puzzles) by themselves – using their own pictures, voices and imagination. Second, parents can then exchange lessons with other others on the marketplace. iPad – $2.99 |
 |
Montessori Bead Facts Plus Minus by MontessoriTech: Receive the benefits of Montessori math materials on an iPad. Teaches addition and subtraction math facts in a visual form, leading to deeper understanding. Great for Montessori and more traditional classrooms — extra practice at home and for homeschoolers. (Watch Video) iPad – $1.99 |
 |
LH Animal Alphabet by Synthcomm sp. z o.o.: It’s as easy as ABC! Learn the alphabet and have fun with your new animal friends. African Antelope, Diving Dolphin, Enormous Elephant, Orange Octopus, and other hilarious animals will introduce your child into the world of letters and words. Every one of those charming characters presents one letter of the alphabet. Your child will learn how to spell it while listening to the funny stories that contain plenty of words using each letter. iPad – $2.99 |
 |
BabyFirst Encyclopedia by BabyFirst Games: Small children can independently explore the world through sight, sound, and touch with BabyFirst Encyclopedia. The charming train-based menu encourages your child to enter into a rich early learning experience. Designed for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, this easy to navigate first encyclopedia is filled with over 100 beautiful, high-resolution images in six educational categories complete with sounds, names, and fun facts – all fully narrated. iPhone and iPad – $1.99 |
Games
 |
Roman Backgammon by eoz games: Roman Backgammon unearths the roots of the classic Backgammon game to deliver a unique experience with slightly different rules and a custom mosaic game board and dice design to take you back in time. Roman Backgammon is a simpler, ancient version of backgammon that is fun for adults and an excellent way to introduce children to the game. It can be played in standard one or two player modes, or you can select an opponent from anywhere in the world using Game Center. Three levels of difficulty ensure a broad range of play and iTunes integration even lets you select music from your own library. iPhone and iPad – $2.99 |
 |
Trunky Fish Game by Upside Down Games: Catch it while you can! In the Trunky Fishing Game, you have to catch all the fish when their mouth is gaping, otherwise you might scare them away! Try the two player mode and play with your friends! In the classic mode (just pure fun), you have to catch as many fish as you can before your time runs out. In the Learning modes, you can hunt for numbers (to practice number recognition), or letters (letter recognition), or colors. The Jumbo Game mixes all of the learning modes for an added challenge. iPhone and iPad – $1.99 |
 |
EduKitchen- Toddlers & Preschoolers Educational Game! by Cubic Frog Apps: Children Love to Play in the Kitchen, So Our No Muss, No Fuss EduKitchen App Delivers Hours of Logic Based, Early Learning Fun While inspiring Toddlers and Preschoolers to Eat Healthy. 18 Different Unique Learning Games And Quizzes Aimed At Preschoolers And Toddlers Ages 2 – 5 Including Sorting, Counting, Matching, Memory, Organizing, Healthy Choices, And More! iPhone and iPad – $1.99 |
 |
Chalk Walk by KBooM Games: The first app to help children to develop the pincer grip needed at school. Many children are coming into kindergarten unable to properly hold a pencil. As time spent drawing on paper or coloring with crayons is swapped for screen time, key fine motor skills remain underdeveloped. But screen time can also solve the problem and prepare kids for the pencil-and-paper tasks they encounter in school. Mrs. Judd’s Games’ new app, CHALK WALK, is designed to fill in the blank: young hands get needed exercise as they use a thumb & finger pincer grip to play this fun, innovative, teacher-designed game. iPad – $3.99 |
 |
Kids Trucks: Puzzles by Scott Adelman: Do your kids love trucks? Do they love puzzles? Look no further. Kids Trucks: Puzzles is a fun animated puzzle game for toddlers , preschoolers and kids from ages 1 to 6. The free version includes four puzzles with the option to unlock the other 8 via in-app purchase. iPhone and iPad – Free + In-App Purchase, Nook – $0.99 (launch special), Amazon – $0.99 (launch special), Google Play |
App News
| Animalia by AppBooks: has added a new game to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Animalia and the release of the commemorative edition of the printed book. iPhone – $2.99, iPad – $3.99 |
| Montessori Letter Sounds HD by Les Trois Elles Interactive: offers a choice of US or UK voice and email links have been moved to the parent section. iPad – $2.99 until the end of April (reg. $4.99) |
| Montessori Letter Sounds HD in French – Le Son des Lettres by Les Trois Elles Interactive: The “French as a Foreign Language” option can be switched on in the Settings. It enables children to listen to the instructions in English, while learning French letter sounds and words! iPad – $4.99 |
| Word Craft DE by JANES Works Co.: adds a scoring system integrated with Open Feint which allows leaderboards, achievements and competition across android and iOS devices. iPhone and iPad – $0.99, Google Play – $0.99, Amazon – $0.99, Nook – $0.99 |
| Chasing Fireflies: A Haiku Collection by Honeybee Labs: Free during national poetry month (April). iPad – Free |
And, Garry, thank YOU for doing this.
I always love reading these reports about the newest apps and their descriptions. Thank you for a most interesting read each and every week. Your efforts are appreciated…
Thank you so much for adding the prices to the description, it saves a lot of time!