With the holiday preparations in full swing, I could really use some uninterrupted time to get things done. Thank goodness for the iPad! There are so many incredible apps available that are educational, fun and, most importantly, interactive. I know that when M and B are playing games on the iPad their brains are busy computing and making new connections, which is in direct contrast to the infamous television that invariably transforms my little ones into vacant, lethargic zombies.
The boys already have a good collection of excellent Apps, some of which you can find here, but I thought it would be fun to add a few Christmas ones to help get them in the holiday spirit (not that they really need it!)
Here are some Christmas Apps my bugs enjoy (in no particular order)
The Elf on the Shelf
There are actually a handful of simple Elf on the Shelf games available for the iPhone, however you can still play them on your iPad as well. They are all FREE! The ones listed above are the games M and B enjoy the most. M likes the sequence game in ‘Light the Tree’ and both boys enjoy playing ‘Snowball Fight’, where you get points for hitting the elves with snowballs, but if you end up hitting Santa you lose 10 points.
Interactive Tab Tale Books
The boys love these FREE interactive books by Tab Tale! Not only do they have good stories, but they also have games to go with each scene as well (complete the scene puzzle, find the item, counting, jigsaw puzzle, painting pictures, and memory match). If you choose the ‘Read it Myself’ option, you can make a recording of yourself reading the story. M and B are not readers yet so M chooses the ‘Read to Me’ option, while I choose the ‘Auto Play’ option for B.
Charlie Brown Christmas
If you like the show, then you will love this interactive book! It’s the perfect blend of vintage and modern. It has the look and feel of reading a pop-up book, while also incorporating hands-on activities, such as: playing Shroeder’s piano, finger painting, carolling, etc. This App includes the original voices of all of the Peanuts characters, and is narrated by Peter Robbins (the original voice of Charlie Brown).
Christmas Music
This is a FREE App where you can play along to traditional Christmas carols by pressing the lit up keys on the interactive piano.
Don’t Open Before Christmas
You can find the link for this interactive book here. (For some reason I couldn’t get it to show up using the Apple-itunes widget builder).
“Presents are like eggs. They need time to hatch just right. Open them too early and you never know what you’ll get!”
This is a cute story about an impatient boy who opens his presents before Christmas, which ends up causing him a lot of problems! When you slide the tabs on the pages, hidden surprises are revealed. This is a fun book that both my bugs enjoy!
Cut The Rope (Holiday Gift)
This game is essentially the same as the original Cut the Rope only with a holiday twist. The object of the game is to feed Om Nom (a little green monster) candy by strategically cutting the correct ropes in the right order.
Boo, Where Are You?
M absolutely LOVES this book. It’s a tap-the-flap story about a dog who is looking for his kitten. This book does not have a ‘read to me’ option, but it’s simple enough that, after reading it aloud a few times, M is now able to retell it all on his own!
Click here to learn more about this FREE book App. (I couldn’t find this book using the Apple iTunes Widget Builder, but I assure you it exists, and your preschooler will love it!)
The Gingerbread Man
Since reading Jan Brett’s Gingerbread Baby M can’t seem to get enough of the gingerbread man stories. He even reenacts the story when he’s playing with his animals, it’s really quite funny. This is one of his favourite versions of the gingerbread man stories. It’s narrated by a little girl, and each page has hidden sounds and animation when you click on certain items. For more gingerbread man Apps and activities, click here.
I hope you enjoy this selection of Christmas Apps as much as my bugs do! Happy Holidays!
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