Do share any app ideas or any apps that would be suitable for the family!
The children of today are growing up surrounded by technologies. A common sight on my train rides would include seeing children as young as two (or younger) holding on to an iPhone and entertaining themselves. It is not to say that the older generation is losing out.
Say, if I can teach my grandmother how to use an iPhone to take a photo of me in just one minute, I am confident that with more guidance and time, they would be old hands at the technologies of today! With that in mind, this week, e27 brings to you five iOS apps for the family. Apps for educational purposes, entertainment purposes, pragmatic purposes… Read on and find out more!
BrainPOP
Enjoy educational videos with BrainPOP. I remember this from my childhood when the Internet still required a dial up connection. I enjoyed every single moment I spent with the main characters- Tim and Moby, learning about Science, Math, English and many other topics. I’m overjoyed to find that they have made a beautifully designed app that allows content to be easily available.
The movies are very educational and I like that there are quizzes that allows for self-assessment. The free version includes one free daily movie and quiz. I would recommend getting the full subscription at $6.99 per month to gain access to all the movies and quizzes. If that is too expensive, there is an alternative limited subscription option at $1.99 per month.
Mouse Trapz
Bond with your family over this puzzle game that requires players to tactically lead the mouse into the mousetrap. This game is easy enough for younger kids to understand and yet challenging enough such that the adults in the family would not feel left out.
The game is very well designed, integrating two challenges within each level. The first challenge is to lead the mouse into the mousetrap and the other is to pick up tips by leading the respective characters to them. The tips would help point you in the correct direction when you are stuck in a puzzle, anytime in any puzzle. Do be forewarned, even with the tips, you still need to do much thinking in order to solve the puzzle. I confess, I still have problems solving some of them! Buy the full version at $0.99!
Family Fun
Always at a loss when it comes to deciding where to go for dinner with the kids? Or wondering whether there are any events catered for children around the vicinity? Look no further than this app- Family Fun. Besides listing restaurants and events based in Singapore, nursing rooms and diaper changing areas are also listed, sometimes with attached photos. It is a great resource for mothers! The information available is comprehensive and laid out clearly. Take on suggestions and rate them to help other users make their decisions. I see great potential in this app.
Now if only it was being updated more often and allowed for a complete listing of all available items instead of limiting it to listing items located nearby. Maybe it would help if this app was better marketed to harness the collective intelligence of more users. I believe that this app has international appeal thus, app developers in other countries should look to developing a local equivalent.
Chore Hero
Teach young children about responsibility by having them do chores around the house! Keep track of the chores and the person responsible for completing it with the Chore Hero. I tried the lite version and found that it has limits set in. Total number of chores allowed is 6 and total number of people allowed is 3! Don’t leave grandma out (you know she does lighten the burden!) and buy the full version which has no such limits and costs $2.99. Overall, it is one fun app but is limited because information cannot be shared with other people.
It would have been much more useful if there was a sync function and everyone in the family with an iPhone would know their assigned chores for the day instead of relying on one phone. Definitely a worthy app to try with younger children though to get them into the routine of doing their chores.
WhiteNoise
“Blood is thicker than water”. While your family consists of the people that should be the nearest and dearest to you, it is unavoidable that you find them annoying at times. A crowded house makes for a noisy environment. Transport yourself out of the chaos and calm down to the sounds of a rain forest or a rainy day with WhiteNoise! The lite version only provides 10 soundtracks including “chimes chiming”, “grandfather clock” and of course, “white noise”. Do look into the purchase of the full version at $1.99 if you are interested in other soundtracks or recording your own soothing sounds.
Idea: How great it will be if there was an app that alerts family members when somebody is headed for the grocery stall with the ability for each member to add items to the grocery list via syncing and sharing. Does such an app already exist? Any thoughts on the viability of such an app?
E27.sg is our Digital and Technology Content Partner.
| Joyce LimJoyce writes for e27.sg. She developed a keen interest in the tech world while pursuing her degree in Communications and New Media at NUS. She is fascinated with social media and the perceptions of people towards converging technologies, especially with respect to mobile media. Her spare time is spent embarking on adventures in both the real and fictional worlds.Connect with her. Facebook: Joyce Jiayi Lim | Twitter: @jiayijoyce |
