As parents, we know that technological devices such as tablets, laptops and smartphones are an integral part of children’s lives today. Holiday time is no exception. I enjoy watching the children having loads of fun with the huge range of specifically themed apps for Christmas. Added to my enjoyment is the fact that many of these apps are designed to boost the children’s learning in a most engaging and fun way.
Google’s Christmas Activity Book
Christmas Activity Book is an app by Baby First. This app is appropriate for babies and toddlers. You simply download the app for either an Apple or Android device and your children can enjoy the virtual playground as they turn pages themselves with simple swipe motions. They can have lots of fun with activities such as dressing Larry, the bunny, for winter weather, building their very own snowman, putting together interactive puzzles of Christmas scenes, singing along holiday songs and rhymes such as Jingle Bells, or playing matching games aimed at building their memory skills.What makes this app so much fun are the lovable characters of the Baby First TV network, who, I’m sure your child will recognize, as well as spectacular animation and jubilant music. As a parent, you will certainly appreciate the fact that this app fosters basic academic skills in your children while they’re having great fun.
Google’s Christmas Elf Adventure
If you’re looking for an app that is especially entertaining for your young ones, Google’s Christmas Elf Adventure app offered by Ploosh GmbH will certainly keep your young children entertained when waiting for the holiday season to arrive. Toddlers and preschoolers love stories, and that is exactly what this app, available both for Apple and Android devices, offers – a hilarious elf story. As they’re finishing their preparations for Christmas, they realize that the lazy Frost Giant has overslept, and he’s responsible for the most important ingredient for a perfect Christmas – snow! So the adventure begins – Elves travel to his cave to wake him up and save Christmas! This app features an Advent calendar like no others that you have seen. The calendar is made up of 24 days before Christmas. On each day, you and your child will enjoy a comical poem about an elf. However, each day’s story also includes a learning activity such as jigsaw puzzles, animated puzzles and drawings along with the story episode of the day. To add to the fun, the poem verses are highlighted with a collection of brain teasers and riddles, and at the end of each mini-game a funny animation appears. The beautiful animated graphics along with a snappy music background will keep your child captivated.
123 Kids Fun Christmas Tree
123 Kids Fun Christmas Tree is a free, educational, game app created by RosMedia that is designed to entertain toddlers and preschoolers with one of the most enjoyable family activities – decorating the Christmas tree. It is specifically designed for iPod Touch/iPad/iPhone and, once downloaded, it works on all Apple products. The child begins by selecting one of six Christmas trees, and then carries on by decorating the tree with ornaments chosen from a large assortment of various types including stars, gingerbread men, glitter, lights and more. Your child can customize some of the ornaments with photos of family members and friends. In addition, your child can create his or her own Christmas cards and write creative and personalized messages to add to the cards.This app has all those things that make it child friendly to use such as simple menus, non-confusing navigation, and bright and colorful graphics. Such an app is an appropriate way to integrate technology into your child’s life and spark his or her academic development, but also foster the development of some crucial, so called 21st century skills – digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Thoughtful use of learning apps and devices help our children to meet the expectations posed by the growingly technology-based educational climate.
Peppa Pig Christmas Wish
What child doesn’t enjoy having a story read to them? A Christmas story is especially fun for a child. Peppa Pig Christmas Wish is an interactive storybook that is available for both Apple and Android, featuring your child’s favorite characters. This storybook will give your child an enjoyable opportunity to hear and read along a tremendously amusing Christmas story. After having the story read to him or her, your child may choose to select “read it myself”. That’s what makes this app such a great learning activity for the young ones.
Elf Yourself
Elf Yourself is one of those apps the whole family can have fun with. It was created by Office Depot and it’s available for both Apple and Android. Your children will be thrilled to create a video featuring themselves as well as other family members or friends as dancing elves. All they need to do is upload up to five of the friends’ or family members’ photos and place them onto the elves. After selecting a dance theme, the app will create a hilarious Elf Yourself video that will make all the family laugh for hours. The video can also be shared on Facebook or sent by email, giving your friends a glimpse of all the Christmas fun your family is enjoying. There are so many ways to get into the Christmas spirit and technology certainly creates many such opportunities. You should make sure to limit screen time and engage your kids with non-computer related activities, but don’t be overly concerned while your child is enjoying these apps. The learning opportunities created by the activities of these apps are not only fun, but also very valuable for your child’s educational development.
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