I always wanted to check out Duolingo. I have read about their free language learning programs and apps, but I have not got a chance to actually use it till recently. After I used it for a while, I really like it, not just because it is free, but also how good it is at helping you learn. If you are considering picking up a new language, I highly recommend Duolingo. At least you should give it a try. Currently… Read more

We have introduced several free math apps as teaching tools before. Today we have another free math app to share: Number Pieces. It visualizes the Base 10 concept on the iPad. It is a great teaching and practice tool for home and school. We used Base10 at home a lot. I loved using it with my child to explain the number concepts. The app is similar to the real model. When you open the app, you will see a 100 board that… Read more

I was very excited when I received the Sphero ball. I have seen it on the web and was very curious how it works. Moving a ball around using a mobile device looks so fun. After I did some research about the product, saw how it can help kids learn coding and computer programming, I was even more intrigued to get hands on and figure it all out. I knew most of you – iGameMom readers will be interested in… Read more

With kids starting school, many of us are busy getting kids ready for the new school year: school supplies, academic readiness, … One very important aspect of school life is the peer interactions. This involves social and emotional skills. We have shared our top picks of 10 apps helping kids develop social and emotional skills and today I want to share another app Random Acts of Kindness. Why Random Acts of Kindness? Because I believe it is the core of… Read more

We have reviewed several apps teaching kids coding, like Hopscotch and Codecademy. Today we have another free app for kids to learn computer programming – Kodable. Kodable starts from the very simple concepts and is great for kids as young as preschool to gain the fundamental concepts of coding. When kids start the app, they will see a path built with little square tiles on the grass. On some of the tiles there are gold coins. Kids need give instructions with… Read more

Are you kids learning letters and numbers? Are they learning how to write the letters and numbers? If you answer yes, you will like today’s app Little Writer. It is a free app letting kids trace letters and numbers, and practice handwriting. There are also simple words and shapes in the app. The neat feature is adding your own pictures and words. When kids open the app, they can choose which they want to practice: upper case letter, lower case… Read more

Do you like STEM activities? STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering Math. I like STEM topics and activities. Even you don’t expect your child to be in a STEM related field when they grow up, it is still good to expose them in as many STEM subjects as possible, as it is not just about the knowledge, it is about the thinking ability and problem solving skills, which are important no matter what they do when they grow up. While… Read more

Many parents read to kids before they go to bed. But what about math? How about a math problem every day before bed? Today we’d like to introduce a website and an app – Bedtime Math. As stated on their website, Bedtime Math is to help kids love math the way they love playtime or dessert. Have kids dread of math? Try Bedtime Math. They may start loving math. What is Bedtime Math? It is a website that gives a… Read more

Are you looking for engaging online games for kids? Games are not all bad. Good games will help kids focus and train their problem solving skills. Poptropica is one of the good games I don’t mind my child playing. Kids will improve their literacy and problem solving skills while playing the open ended games. Poptropica is originally an online game, and now it is available as an app on App Store. Both online game and app are free. Poptropica is… Read more

Do you help kids on math at home? Today I have a free app that is a great math teaching/learning tool. Number Line is a simple app, yet you can use it for so many different math problems: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, skip counting, number patterns, and more. It helps kids visualize number sequences and model strategies to help kids understand the math concepts intuitively. A Free Math Learning Tool Visualizing Math Concepts The basic idea of the app is… Read more

Are you kids learning multiplication? Mine has just past the stage, but I wish I had this app when he was learning multiplication. Teachley Mt.Multiplis is a great game app teaching properties of operations as strategies to multiplication. We all know the 3 properties of multiplication: commutative, associative, and distributive. I found through my son’s learning process that it is easy for them to know the property, but hard to know how to apply the properties, especially the distributive property… Read more

I Imagine is a lovely interactive story app for kids. It is free with one free story, great in helping kids and busy parents connect. What is unique about this app? Kids can create the story characters: the child, the parent, and a toy. They can put in their own photos or draw pictures of the characters. Besides the customizable characters, the art and music are very beautiful and the story is very relatable to every family. Before kids start reading the… Read more

Part of the life with children is to live through all the messiness. The toys are all around the house, you can never find what is where. Isn’t it nice to have the kids clean up and tidy up the room themselves? It’s always worth a try. Now you can have some help from this free app called TidyUp. TidyUp is a puzzle game for toddlers and preschoolers. It teaches kids that every object, toy, book, clothes, … belongs to… Read more

Disneynature Explore is a wonderful free app for kids to explore and learn about the 5 nature animals included in this app. It is a companion app for the Disney Nature movies. There is a dedicated website for all the Disneynature movies. On the website there are many well designed learning materials that you can have for free. The app has games and learning activities for 5 animals: Brown Bear, Monarch Butterfly, Chimpanzee, African Lion, and Loggerhead Sea Turtle. Each animal… Read more