To ask for your best toddler apps

[Stuckonthebaby]

I don't want to get in to a debate as to whether you think it's ok for toddlers to use iPads or not, but what I do want to know is what you recommend as the best educational apps for toddlers 2/3+ yrs. My 3 yr old has been really learning the sounds that letters make from playing a game on my iPhone, and I'm keen to find similar things to keep him entertained in the car rather than reruns of peppa pig!

[Whatevertheweather]

Tozzle and monkey preschool are popular with my 2yr old

[tassisssss]

Funny you should mention peppa as there's a peppa app that saved our sanity on many an occasion!

[tryingtocatchthewind]

Duplo have a series of free ones which are great considering they are free. Cbeebies is good, the alphblocks game is good

[Helish]

We have one called toddlerFish that DS loves, good for counting and matching shapes

[NerfHerder]

YABU to dictate responses to your thread.
YABeven more U to allow your toddler screen time. This is MN, not NM!

[SisterMoonshine]

They're a little bit of money, but that PoissonRouge website now has a few apps.

[katienana]

we have a wheels on the bus app that has some number games on. ds prefers the driving game though!

[Peppaismyhomegirl]

I'm considering buying my nearly 3yr old a tablet for Christmas. It goes against what I believe, but I'm thinking he will have to be tech savvy, it's just the way of the world nowadays and the lessons he could learn playing games on the apps could be really good for him. If it is limited time-wise, I think I'm coming round to the idea. I'm marking my place out of interest. I'm guessing your children enjoy playing with them then?

[slightlyglitterstained]

Cut the Rope was recommended on here. You can get a free version, then pay for no ads.

Though it has made me think about really reducing DS's access to the tablet as he got really hooked on it - threw massive strop when I took it off him. Haven't let him see it for a couple of weeks now.

[slightlyglitterstained]

Funnily enough, Steve Jobs's children weren't allowed iPads.
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/no-apple-a-day-for-steve-jobs-children--who-were-not-allowed-ipads-9727555.html

[MrsTerryPratchett]

YABU. My child is only allowed to do heuristic play with found items from the environment, such as pine cones and chestnuts. She is allowed no screen time at all and frolics in the sprinklers wearing a tutu and wellies.

PBS have some good ones for us.

[DirtyWeeRascal]

My 3 year old loves the 'toca boca' games, a lot of them are free too

[melonballer]

Morris Lessmore flying books one is lovely. Endless alphabet is fab and Nosy Crow do some amazing fairy tale apps which my daughter loves. We play the latter ones together as she does need some help but it's time well spent for us as she loves the one to one time. I think the whole screen time versus ....x..... Is a rather outdated debate given what apps can now enable preschool kids to do. I'd have loved these sorts of apps when I was little!

[lemonpoppyseed]

There is a lovely Miffy app, and the Spot ones are good too. There is also an excellent hungry caterpillar app which has different levels of games.

[ShadowStar]

DS1 (3) loves the Duplo train app. The cbeebies ones are good too, they have a storybook app now as well as the playtime one with the games. We also got an app called my playhome stores when it was the free app of the day that DS1 likes, it's a bit like taking a paper doll family round different shops.

[Idontseeanysontarans]

Look for Giggle Gang. Irritating music but good fun
YY to cbeebies and Wheels on the Bus.

[Paisleychick]

There's an Eric Carle one that's great. You do have to pay for it but they can do colouring in and a maze and the music is so calm.

[Nanny0gg]

Any Lego apps and the ones by Busythings are brilliant.

[FinDeSemaine]

The Sago Mini apps are brilliant.

[Bardette]

Anything by Tocca is really good.

[BornOfFrustration]

Zoodles is good, it locks down your phone or tablet so they can't get out of the app and start ringing people, I think there is a free version but I get the full version with my phone.

[BornOfFrustration]

I've just checked, it might actually be free after all. It's called zoodles kid mode.

[Dinosaursdontgrowontrees]

Sago mini ocean swimmer is amazing! Whole family love and dd (2) played it for hours on an airplane recently.

[Mandatorymongoose]

Not really educational but SparklePaint (or paintsparkle? one of the two ) is very popular here.

Warning may lead to constant repetition of the word 'purple' in a bizarre American accent