As more and more Latino families turn to technology devices to access the Internet, it’s important to know which apps are available, and which ones are safe and beneficial for your child. So we’ve done the legwork for you, and have found apps that are actually fun and educational. We’ve started by focusing on early education and have listed below our seven favorite PBS apps from PBS KIDS that help you and your young child understand key concepts and skills necessary for their academic success.
1. PBS KIDS Video (FREE)
CORE • You’ll need an Internet connection for this app, which allows your child to choose and watch their favorite videos of various PBS KIDS series, including Curious George, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, SUPER WHY!, Sesame Street and Wild Kratts. This is a great app for the car or anywhere you need to keep your child engaged and busy for a short length of time. It is best suited for children ages 3 and older.
2. PBS Parents Play & Learn HD (FREE)
Math & Literacy • The first bilingual app designed specifically for parents with young children. The focus is on helping prepare children for school by developing their pre-literacy and early math skills. Parents will find ideas for creating teachable moments in 13 everyday situations: while at the grocery story, at a restaurant, in the car, and during bath time, for instance. Each of these 13 categories provides one interactive game for your child to play independently or with you, as well as ideas for hands-on activities that parents can do with their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Created for parents and their children ages birth to 5 years old.
3. Play at Home with Daniel ($1.99)
Social Development • Based on their newest series for preschoolers, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, this app helps toddlers and preschoolers explore some of the everyday situations they experience in real life. From trips to the doctor to bedtime and bathroom routines, your child learns to be comfortable with each situation. This app is best suited for children ages 2 to 5.
4. SUPER WHY! ($3.99)
Literacy • If your kids need help developing their literacy skills, check out this app. It’s actually a collection of four interactive literacy games that revolve around the four main characters from the hit series, SUPER WHY! As they play the games, your kids will practice the alphabet, rhyming, spelling, writing, and reading. It is best suited for kids ages 3 to 6.
5. Wild Kratts Creature Math ($1.99)
Math • This super fun app is based on the popular PBS KIDS series, Wild Kratts. Kids practice simple addition and subtraction problems to feed the animals and create more habitats for them. I love how the math difficulty automatically adjusts as my kids become more skilled at answering the problems. My children love that they are making new habitats for animals and earning badges. Your child will not only get to practice math skills, but learn ecology concepts at the same time. For kids ages 4 and older.
Read Related: The Best Apps for Reading in Spanish
6. The Electric Company Party Game: Lost on Prankster Planet (FREE)
Math • This is a fast-paced board game filled with physical challenges, silly brainstorms, and math questions. Up to four players can play this game. You choose the Electric Company character you’d like to play, and your goal is to find your way back to your rocket ship on Prankster Planet. But watch out because Francine and her crew have created some tricky obstacles to throw you off course! For children ages 8 and up.
7. Cyberchase 3D Builder ($1.99)
Math • Best suited for children ages 6 and older, this app introduces children to geometry concepts by requiring them to create 3D shapes from 2-dimensional ones. I love that there is a lot of conceptual thinking involved in this game, and that it gets progressively harder the more shapes you complete. The player cannot go on to the next level, until they’ve completed the current one, but each level prepares the player for the next. By the end of the game, over 70 flat 2D shapes transform into 40 3D structures. It is a great app for developing engineering and other STEM skills.
