3 Free Apps I Use with My Kids Every Day - Modern Parents Messy Kids

Image Credit: © Johan Larsson | 12.18.11 | CC by 2.0

Like a lot of parents, I wrestle a bit with how much screen time I allow my kids– whether it be in the form of TV, on their recently acquired Kids’ Edition Kindle Fires, or on my phone.

The latter is definitely where they get the least amount of time. I’ve just never been the mom that hands my phone over to my child in the car, at the grocery store, etc… Partly because I’m scared to go down that rabbit hole, but mainly because I’m really scared of what will become of my expensive phone.

There are, however, a few apps that I use on my phone with my kids nearly every single day.

In fact, they’re so beloved by our family that we start our day with one and end our day with another, almost without fail.

Here’s what makes them so great…

#1 Scholastic Parent & Child’s KidQ

About the App

Scholastic Parent & Child believes that one of the best ways to connect with your child is through conversation.

The KidQ app for iPhone and Android facilitates conversation via fun Q&A’s about the things that kids (and parents!) are the most curious about, like Why do we get goosebumps? and How do the bubbles get in soda?

Each day, users receive a playful question that serves as a conversation starter along with the official answer. Families will have a blast as they compare their explanations to the facts!

How We Use It

Every day we have a 3 – 5 minute wait in the school drop off line and it’s become our ritual to go through one or two of the “Questions of the Day” before my 1st grader hops out of the car and heads off to school.

I just pull up the app, push the big yellow “Question of the Day” button and read it out loud. (Today’s question was “What color is a polar bear’s skin?” ) The kids take turns hypothesizing, we discuss it for a quick minute, and then pull up the answer, which contains several extra bonus facts about the subject.

It’s a super easy way to connect with C in a positive way right before he leaves me for the day. Plus, I love the opportunity to help my kids think critically and to praise them for being creative and thoughtful.

#2 Sparkle Stories

About the App

So this one isn’t technically an app… yet. In a nutshell, it’s a monthly subscription service that provides hundreds of audio stories for kids. There are lots of story series too- my kids’ current favorite are the Martin and Sylvia series because they center on a 7-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl just like them.

So why is a paid subscription service included in this list of free apps? Because every week, Sparkle Story releases a new podcast featuring a free full-length story– and I listen to it using my podcast app so it counts in my book. The company is also coming out with their own app this month but I’m unclear if the weekly free stories will be available through it or if you’ll need to continue to get them via podcast.

How We Use It

Audio stories are BIG in our house (see here, here and here). My kiddos view them as a special treat. I’m a big fan because they allow us to all be in the same room, quietly sharing something together, while often working on our own stuff.

Many afternoons after school, we’ll turn on a sparkle story and I’ll unload the dishwasher while baby M plays on the floor or at his Little Helper Tower and S and C color or draw. It’s such a hit, I’m really considering becoming a paying subscriber.

#3 Bedtime Math

About the App

I featured the uber popular Bedtime Math books in my Best S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Toys Gift Guide (#8 on the list) and last year they were one of the top sellers of all 400+ Gift Guide picks.

So imagine how delighted I was to find out they have a free app!

Just like the books, the app features math riddles on topics from jalapeños and submarines to roller coasters and flamingos, each with three different levels of challenge (wee ones, little kids, and big kids). With an average rating of 4.75 stars on the App Store, it’s reached the top 20 free education apps on iTunes.

How We Use It

About half-way through kindergarten my son developed a love for math and started asking for math problems at bedtime instead of stories. So that’s what we do.

Every night after tucking him in, I pull up the app and we read the story problem together. Then we go through each of the three levels of difficulty. The whole only routine takes about 2 to 3 minutes tops and gives us a great way to connect while he builds those math skills- a win-win!

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