Anna’s Favorite Apps, Part Three

Photo: Julia Ozab

We bought Anna an iPad for her birthday, and what’s an iPad without apps? I took a  look at an iPad at Anna’s elementary school while Julia searched online, and together we found a wide variety of educational games along with some just for fun. Now that a few weeks have passed, I asked Anna what some of her favorites were? She likes a lot of them, so I’ll be featuring them here each Tuesday over the next few weeks.

Check out Part One: Spelling, Grammar, and Reading, and Part Two: Math and Science.

(Note: specs and screenshots via the App Store)

Part Three: Geography and Foreign Language

Learn the States With Flat Stanley

• $0.99
• Category: Education
• Updated: Nov 02, 2013
• Version: 1.9
• Size: 48.4 MB
• Language: English
• Seller: Flatter World, Inc.
• © Flatter World Inc

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description:  Help Flat Stanley re-deliver lost mail while learning the names and locations of all fifty states. Grab a slingshot, take aim, and send him flying.

Anna’s Favorite Part: Flinging Stanley with the slingshot.

Stack the States™

• $0.99
• Category: Education
• Updated: Sep 17, 2013
• Version: 2.4
• Size: 32.7 MB
• Language: English
• Seller: Freecloud Design, Inc.
• © 2010-2013 Freecloud Design, Inc.

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description: Answer questions about the states and them stack them Tetris-style. Each completed stack adds a new state to the map. The more states you add, the more bonus games you unlock.

Anna’s Favorite Part: Dropping the states so they stack just right.

And once she’s mastered the states, she’ll move on to Stack the Countries™.

Rosetta Stone Kids Lingo Letter Sounds

• Free
• Category: Education
• Updated: Nov 19, 2013
• Version: 1.0.2
• Size: 176 MB
• Language: English
• Seller: Rosetta Stone Ltd.
• © 2013 Rosetta Stone Ltd.

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description: English reading and Spanish vocabulary for ages 3-6. Includes fun games and colorful animations. (Note: the reading portion is far too easy for Anna, but the speech recognition program is ideal for her given her apraxia of speech.)

Anna’s Favorite Part: Baila fiesta! (Dance party!)

Rosetta Stone Arcade Academy

• Free
• Category: Education
• Updated: Dec 02, 2013
• Version: 1.1.0
• Size: 239 MB
• Language: English
• Seller: Rosetta Stone Ltd.
• ©2013 Rosetta Stone

Rated 9+ for the following:

• Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence

Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description: Learn Spanish through a collection of fun and fast-paced minigames with a retro feel. Ride eagles. Explore jungles. Shred solos. The free introductory game pack includes spanish vocabulary and phrases and 120 levels.

Anna’s Favorite Part: The bears.

Fun Spanish

• Free
• Category: Education
• Updated: Jan 21, 2014
• Version: 8.63
• Size: 53.5 MB
• Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese
• Seller: Studycat Limited
• © 2011-13 Studycat Ltd

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.1 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description: Fun Spanish learning games is a unique and proven Spanish language course for kids. Vocabulary lessons are arranged by category—colors, animals, numbers, etc. and each category includes five fun games.

Anna’s Favorite Part: The memory games.

Next week: Just for Fun.

Does your kid have an iPad—or play with yours? Have you found any other great geography or language apps? Tell me in the comments.