I previously mentioned my new iPod Touch – I had a second generation one and was starting to find I was out of date with apps – and with a toddler who is starting to show more interest in learning and playing games, this was not a good thing – plus I had a load of Amazon vouchers which need spending!
I’d been following a few groups where everyone alerts each other when a game is free – and saving up the apps for when I got some updated Apple gadgetry.
My fantastic friend Jos has given us her old iPad – so within a week we have a brand new iPod Touch and a 1st generation iPad – and all of a sudden a whole new world has opened to us – the world of apps.
I’ve bought for myself in the past and haven’t thought about games for H – but there’s so much good stuff out there at the moment – and the majority of it is educational too, so from time to time we’re going to review apps we love.
Actually, as well as the iPad and iPod, we both have Android phones. Mine is stuck in a vintage Android system, but Shaun’s runs on 2.2 or something higher, so can do more modern things with it – and we’ve already got a few games we’re testing.
Funimal Phonics on the iPod
Over at Mummy’s Space there was a giveaway for a fabulous app by School of Happy called ‘Funimal Phonics’. We played this for a while on the iPod Touch, not realising just how great it is – and found it lovely – english accents and beautiful clear graphics too (there is a US accent option).
But then! We loaded it onto the iPad and everything was so much larger and clearer – each animal moves, you get to hear the letter it begins with, as well as the name. We’re really impressed – but even more so H loves it too. I love you can feed a carrot to the rabbit and flick a switch to watch a bubble in the X-Ray Fish.
H is learning more animals and on one of her first plays had already corrected the game “No Mummy, O is for Owl!” and so on… it’s a game we’ll be playing for a while – and one H picked up immediately. H is two and a half and while her speech is excellent there’s words she needs to work on – this is perfect for that – and it’s something she can control.
Funimal Phonics is out now, and costs £1.49 from the app store.