Valentine’s Day Tree by Johntex from Wikimedia Commons
When I was a child growing up in the UK, the way I remember it, Valentine’s Day was something for grown ups; kids didn’t seem to have any interest or involvement in it. I’m not sure if it’s a geographical or a generational thing but children certainly seem to celebrate Valentine’s Day here in North America – swapping cards, eating candy, wearing red and pink… For those of you trying to explain Valentine’s Day to your kids, interested in Valentine-themed activities or non-candy treats or if you’re looking for options for children to create some e-cards to send, I’ve got some app picks for you to consider.
Click on the title to download the app.
Books
|
The Kissing Hand by Oceanhouse Media – FREELong-time readers of my blog will know that I love Oceanhouse Media’s book apps for children. They are flawlessly executed and contain features like word highlighting that support the development of early reading skills. The book is a lovely story about a mother’s love for her child and the app version certainly does it justice. A must-download. |
|
Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day by iStorytime – $2.99I had to get this one: Oliver loves puppies so much and Owen is my book aficionado, the developer is a reliably good one plus it’s not just a book app – there are lots of interactive elements and activities in addition to the story. Carisa from Digital Storytime gave it 4 stars, saying: “Overall, this is a delightful holiday title, perfect for reading and playing as a Valentine’s Day treat. Little biscuit is a cute character in this lovingly illustrated series. These books are well-written and have a reading level perfect for Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Toddlers and preschoolers will also enjoy this title with narration. Recommended” When she recommends a book app, I listen! |
|
Cooper’s Big Bear Hug by Hallmark – FREEOliver loved Hallmark’s Jingle All the Way so much that I bought him Jingle the husky puppy stuffed toy last year for Christmas. Hallmark has a range of apps in their Story Buddy line which can be downloaded for free. You don’t have to buy the interactive toy that accompanies the app for your child to enjoy it but if you want to, then Cooper the bear plus a hard copy of the Cooper’s Bear Hug book can be purchased for $29.99. The artwork in this one is adorable, you can record yourself reading the app if you choose and mothers are going to melt over the theme. |
Social stories
|
i See-quence… Valentine’s Day Social Stories by I Get It Apps – Price currently reduced from $2.99 to only 99 cents!I love the apps from I Get It. If you don’t have time or aren’t sure where to start in creating a social story app for your child to explain the steps involved in certain activities and holidays, then I Get It apps have created a portfolio of apps in the i See-quence series that come pre-populated with images and steps that you can customize as needed. The apps are customizable, support multiple users, are a must if you have or work with special needs kids but are great for typical children as well if you want a visual way of explaining the holiday and as an easy way to create books/albums in which you can record fun memories. |
Art
|
An Elfishki Valentine App by Elka Palka Productions – FREEI like the Elfishki book apps, the graphics are terrific and there are other nice features like reading comprehension questions on each page. The last couple of holidays they have released a free holiday-themed app and the one for Valentine’s Day is a cute way for kids to create and send an e-card. Until February 15th 2013, parents can also share their kids or their own cards on social media for a chance to win a $25 or $10 iTunes gift card from the developer. Details about the contest can be found on their Facebook page. |
|
Draw with Hearts by L’Escapadou – FREEThis developer makes high quality and effective educational apps using the Montessori method but their app, Draw with Stars, is a simple and fun cause and effect app using glowing, spinning and musical stars. Along the same lines as Draw with Stars is Draw with Hearts – create pictures with animated hearts or import a photo from your device’s camera roll and decorate it with beating, sparkling hearts in different shades of pink. Creations are shareable so can be used as home-made e-cards. |
Educational
|
First Words Valentine by Learning Touch – FREEMy boys enjoy the First Words apps very much – if you aren’t familiar with these apps then download this little morsel of 8 Valentine-themed words so you can get a taste of how they work. Great for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning letters and developing pre-reading skills. |
Games
|
Where’s My Valentine by Disney – FREEIf your child (or you) are fans of Where’s My Water? and Where’s My Perry? then you’ll want to download this Free app for some heart-themed action featuring both Swampy and Perry. It was nice to see Swampy the metrosexual alligator back in action. These apps are fun but you can make a case that they also have educational value – as your kid works to find the right path for the water to take they are learning real-world physics concepts like gravity as well as developing problem-solving and spatial recognition skills. Guilt-free downloading at its best. |
|
Stick to It! by Magic Pixel Games – $1.99Spike and his mother need to be reunited and this is where you come in. Wee Spike is a sticky little character – roll him down slopes and along moving platforms to get this kiddo back to his Mummy. A combination platform game and physics puzzle with some really lovely hand-drawn graphics and high cuteness factor. |
Dad loves you too
|
Dads Taxi Free by iSafeNet – FREEAll these apps contain touching mother-child relationship stories but Dads love their kids too and what better way to show it than making it easy for your kid to contact you and request that you come and pick them up? There is a paid version of this app (and a paid version for Moms as well) but you can download this one and try it for free. Your kid can notify you via email or text and their device’s GPS will tell you exactly where they are. For good measure they can also take a picture of their location and send it to you. |
Fantastic list. It is not often I read a list and totally agree. Love it
My favorite is the first words valentines. My son loves all of the first words apps. The visual & sound after he puts the correct letters in place is enticing enough to keep him at the app for long periods of time (this from a boy who has an attention span that is VERY short).
Thank you for the opportunity to win the i-see-quence Valentine Day social stories app. Rory also loves the 4th of July one!
We love Elfishki’s Valentines App & Biscuit’s Valentines Day
My children love the “Draw With Hearts” app and have “hearted” nearly every photo available!
Valentine’s day was a very big day for kids when I was young a long time ago. We obsessed about whether or not we would get cards or who we would give cards, too.
Of all the apps you have on your Valentine’s list, the one I think both the twins would like is “Draw with Hearts.” Daniel loves taking his picture and adding effects to them. I can see how he would add a gagillion hearts to his pic. Rachel would put a few hearts. on her pic, probably just as earrings or necklaces.
This is a very fun list.
Love this list!! Thanks for sharing.
I think my favorite app would have to be Where’s my Valentine? it’s so cute!
We’ve been enjoying the My First Words Valentine. Especially awesome for my new reader!
I have always loved Valentine’s Day – even as a kid! The candy was great, but I always loved the cards. These apps you have are wonderful and my daughter is enjoying playing with them on her IPAD! Swampy is always a favorite!
Would love to win the I See Quence Valentine App!~
How neat