Top 5 Apps for Kids This Week

1. 1. I Spy With Lola HD

   Ages 3-8
   Overall rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

   Why we like it: This app effectively takes the common hunt-and-find play pattern down a notch by way of a series of carefully leveled challenges, clear labels and a playful theme.
   Need to know: Don't confuse this with the Scholastic I SPY titles. This is a different kettle of fish. And get the paid version. It is well worth the $2 -- there are no gimmicks or in-app purchases.

   Ease of use: 9/10
   Educational: 9/10
   Entertaining: 9/10

   $1.99

   

2. 2. Be There: Yosemite

   Ages 8-up
   Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
   Why we like it: Supplement your trip to Yosemite next summer with a preview of what you might see, with your choice of ten 360 degree panoramas located in Yosemite Valley. The app uses your iPad or iPhone's internal compass, so you can explore as if you are peering through a periscope. Embedded hot spots let you learn more about what you're looking at.
   Need to know: This is the second in the "Be There" series -- the first was San Francisco series. We liked this one better because of the location.
   Ease of use: 8/10
   Educational: 8/10
   Entertaining: 7/10

   $0.99

   

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4. 4. Rita the Lizard

   Ages 2-up
   Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
   Why we like it:
   We review a LOT of e-books, but few are as beautiful as this 14-screen interactive masterpiece from Spain. Based on the print book, this tells the story of a tiny lizard with an identity crises; each page has something interesting to discover.
   Need to know: Don't miss the features that let you record your own narration. Rita thinks she's a chameleon like her uncle William, and you must help her find herself. The buttons are a little small (even on the regular sized iPad).
   Ease of use: 9/10
   Educational: 8/10
   Entertaining: 8/10

   $2.99

   

5. 5. Lee Paso a Paso

   Ages 5-up
   Overall rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
   Why we like it: This well-designed app is intended to help children learn 580 common Spanish words, by way of fast-paced multiple choice quizzes. The design is clean, and it's easy to jump around if you want to explore a harder level.
   Need to know: The app is geared to both children who speak Spanish as a first language and are just starting to read, and for kids and adults learning Spanish as a second language. There is a free lite version.
   Ease of use: 9/10
   Educational: 9/10
   Entertaining: 8/10

   $1.99

   

Chris Crowell is a veteran kindergarten teacher and contributing editor to Children's Technology Review, a web-based archive of articles and reviews on apps, technology toys and video games. Download a free issue of CTR here.

In this week's Top 5 Kids Apps, we've got a creepy crawly feeling. Your kids can learn counting with Bugs and Numbers or take up Spanish as a hobby. There's also a beautifully-designed interactive e-book sure to capture your child's attention and spark the imagination.

Our friends at Children's Technology Review shared with us these 5 top apps from their comprehensive monthly database of kid-tested reviews. The site covers everything from math and counting to reading and phonics.

Check back next week for more Top Kids Apps from Children's Technology Review

Photo courtesy of Flickr, flickeringerbrad