Summer holiday travel season is right around the corner and there are plenty of things you should take on a flight to keep your kids occupied (see previous post here for the list). However, this summer is the first that Reina and I will be able to deploy the iPad as a tool for keeping ourselves occupied as we fly to the USA without mama. We will still take coloring books, Wiki Stixs, small quiet toys, and books to read, but we will also have the iPad loaded with some new educational activity apps to help pass the time. Here are several of our new favorites.
Until recently, our household had steered clear of the cooking apps, mainly because I was a bit daunted by the task of trying to choose one to test out – yes, there are that many. However, we recently tried out a friend’s iPad and discovered how much fun it can be to make a cake with Cake Doodle. Basically, the user (usually a child) selects a cake recipe from the list and then adds the ingredients to the bowl. Eggs are cracked open and nuts chopped by tapping the screen, a tilt of the iPad pours liquids into the bowl, carrots get grated with swipes of a finger, and everything must be mixed in the bowl before it is baked. If the child cannot read, it is a perfect opportunity for the parent to accompany the child and help them add the ingredients in order. After baking, the cake can be decorated with a plethora of icings, toppings, and paraphernalia. Finally, after a possible photo keepsake, the cake can be eaten by all present. I’m rather fond of the carrot cake, but Reina is still keen on the chocolate.
If cake is not your child’s cup of tea, Shoe the Goose, the clever developers of Cake Doodle, also have similar apps for other tasty treats: Cookie Doodle, Candy Doodle and Jelly Doodle. Cookie Doodle lets the user roll out the dough before using a slew of cookie cutters and decorating techniques. Your child can even use their own photos on the dough to make personalized cookies. Candy Doodle allows for calorie-free virtual treats like cotton candy (one Reina cannot stop making), truffles, candy apples, peanut brittle, and more. And as near as I can tell, Jelly Doodle is just plain silly fun – allowing kids to select jelly molds, colors, and toppings before bouncing the jelly, inflating the jelly (sometimes with a messy bang) and finally slurping it up with a virtual straw. Any one (or all) of these apps is bound to keep a kid engaged for quite some time.You can find more details and links to the App Store at www.shoethegoose.com.
Bon voyage!