In the spirit of our previous articles on this theme, 9 stories of kindness and courage in 2012 and Mobile apps that give hope and help regular people become heroes, we’re going to delve into a different and yet related subject. Namely, how mobile education apps reinvent children’s learning.
Gamififying education has been, for quite some time, an approach with a great deal of possibilities, that changes how kids learn and develop their minds but also how we perceive and learn in general. After all, what kid doesn’t hear the sweet siren’s call of nap time when listening to the geo-political state of 20th century Sri Lanka?
As a concept and practice, gamification means using gaming concepts in non-gaming contexts. People are more aware of details, their attention span is higher and the mind is much more invested because fun is integrated in an activity.
And mobile apps as education apps are no different in this regard. Just think about gamified apps in general, for normal daily activities such as Foursquare or GetGlue, where they lead to higher user retention and better user experience with their apps.
From 1 year old children learning to use an iPad before they learn how to tie their shoes, we’ve made a roundup of 10 great apps that make learning fun and actually turn smartphones and tablets in personalized schools for kids.
#1 Minecraft (iOS and Android)Essentially Minecraft can be described as a block-building game with limitless possibilities. Another way it could be described is a Digital Lego where the sky is the limit.
Its mechanics are simple, yet its open ended features creates a huge playground for the imagination. First developed for the PC by Mojang, the simple yet brilliant concept behind the game is the fact that anything can be built because the very architecture of the game is reduced to small blocks.
Want to recreate the Eiffel Tower? Or the Great Wall of China? You could do all that and you can play with others to help in the construction.
Players and kids have learned architecture, mathematics, physics, building materials, pattern recognition, pretty much anything that is implied in a world simulator and construction games.
From building the Starship Enterprise or a giant cathedral at a realistic scale, Minecraft is a creativity goldmine for children and adults alike.
#2 Triple TownTriple Town is a great puzzle app for both iOS and Android, a game that’s a cross between Bejeweled, Tetris and Sim City.
You take your turn by placing the object that you’re randomly assigned (though objects have varying rarity) onto the grid that represents your town. If you have 3 or more of the same object next to each other orthogonally, they combine into the next level object in the square you just filled. The goal of the game is to build your town using sets of 3 similar items, while at the same times being blocked by bears who try to impede your progress.
The app is great for teaching kids to think a few moves ahead in a turn-based style against the AI and get that chess groove mentality early on.
#3 Rubik’s CubeThe world’s top-selling puzzle game since it first appeared in the ’70s is available just one tap away.
You can opt to play a timed game or not, and you can even play with motion controls where you move your device to turn the cube. Combine the motion controls with the 3D glasses option and it’s almost like the real thing.
It’s not called the ,,Magic Cube” for nothing, besides loads of fun and frustration, it still remains one of the top ways to boost up those problem solving skills.
#4 Classroom KinderBach: School VersionA very cool app by Zephyr Games that virtually offers a complete learning program with lessons, activities and various musical games for children to learn piano and musical concepts.
It uses a friendly interface with fun and engaging videos, to practice with by using your own keyboard/piano on screen.
The app is a great way to teach music and developing that musical ear by using videos from Karri Gregor, a professional musician and artist with decades of teaching experience and thousands of students.
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TeachMe is an app that focuses on writing, spelling, and math, otherwise put as 3 apps built into one.
One core idea that makes this app so great is the fact that for each right answer the child inputs, he receives coins.
He can use the coins to buy animals for example and feed them, which leads to more investment and motivation to learn new things.
Parents can choose different subjects, difficulty levels, the value of the answer (in coins) and even review performance history for each subject to check how their child is doing.
#6 Monster PhysicsMonster Physics is a top interactive science app for kids and probably the best around.
It gets your kids to think analytically about physics and object interaction by gamifying motion. It allows for complete control of the creation of anything, from crane to helicopter, from car to plane.
Uses a variety of parts and materials to explore the concepts of motion and complete missions and it’s a great way to see if there’s a little Einstein in toddler just waiting to write his first quantum theory.
#7 Kids discover galaxiesYour kid is going to ask you sooner or later ,,What is that bright stuff up there?”. You can answer what the stars are, give explanations about the Milky Way, the Sun, constellations, nebulae, planets and so on.
But now, you can also show him and let him explore the stars with his own hands. Topics include a general description of what a galaxy is, how it is formed, and what happens when galaxies collide. A plus sign indicates that more information is available by touching it. Throughout each section, questions are displayed to encourage inquiry.
The photography used in Galaxies comes from such respected sources as NASA and Harvard University so your child can get accurate info and a reliable experience with the app.
#8 Art SetLet’s face it, what kid doesn’t like to doodle and draw?
Art Set is a virtual canvass that frees that inspiration inside, complete with paints, crayons, pens, pencils, pastels, markers, and a host of texturing and blending tools as well as the ability to paint over photos stored on the tablet.
This app can provide hours of entertainment for budding artists, without piles of paper, broken crayons or emptied paint tubes.
#9 Barefoot AtlasThis app brings back all the good memories of those beautifully crafted atlases of the world.
Barefoot World Atlas is a magical interactive 3D globe that invites children to explore the regions and countries of the world, discovering hundreds of fascinating features and immersing themselves in the rich wonders of our planet. This is a multi-language, universal app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
The rich and beautifully detailed graphics take full advantage of the amazing new high definition retina screen.
Among hundreds of pictures, descriptions about cultures, countries and continents, geographer and BBC TV presenter Nick Crane is your guide and you have the option of selecting him as your voice narrator as you explore the world.
Barefoot World Atlas does not contain in-app purchases, social media or ads; the external links are tucked away in locations where kids are not likely to find them.
This is one serious app you don’t want to miss to get your children exploring the world.
#10 Meet the insects: Forest EditionMeet the Insects is a nice app that helps to learn about those universal critters around the world without having to trap them in a jar putting them under a magnifying glass.
Beginning with the See the Insects section, users climb six levels of a forest tree exploring each order of insect available. Click on realistic pictures of each insect to access fact files on the individual bugs. Each fact box has photos and information on the specific insect.
Then check out the Insect Story for an animated story about Insects. Information includes what they are, life cycles, colors, patterns, and other information.
Overall, the app is built with a great layout and wealth of information, suited for adults and children of any age.
Years ago it was ,,Stop playing games and do your homework!”
Now the tables have turned and we see a world in which doing homework and playing a game are becoming the same thing.
If we’d view this from a developer standpoint, because the competition isn’t fierce in the education app market, there’s always room for inventive minds to bring a super app into the fray and become famous through it.
Although the market for education apps is still young, the good part is that as education apps become more refined, developers are transforming tablets and smartphones into portable schools for kids, and 2013 promises interesting developments in the education app universe.
Stay tuned, share a like and our newsletter is brewing coffee for you as we speak.
Related article: ,,Apps for children: It’s a booming market”
