Apps in the News: Inventioneers

My favorite app for older kids. I once had a pre-teen tell me that he thought it was "better than Minecraft."  Whoa.  You can see my full blog post about it here, or... just watch the video above!

The Supper Club presents: Apps about Clothes

 From getting dressed to laundry to fashion design, there are lots of apps about clothing!

Toca Tailor Fairytales by Toca Boca (iOS, free)

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Loud Crow ($3.99, iOS & Android)

Mr. Potato Head: Create & Play by Originator (freemium or $4.99, iOS only)
*Mrs. Potato Head also available as a separate app*

Sago Mini Babies ($2.99, iOS, Android AND Windows)

Super Home Hero by the Fred Rogers Center (iPhone optimized, free)

Paper Town Friends by Robin Rosenthal ($1.99, iPhone only)

Sock Puppets by SmithMicro (iOS, freemium)

Today's craft: printable paper dolls!  I love that this free set I found included both a boy and a girl and that the clothes are fairly plain so you can add your own fancy designs!  There are also winter clothes for these same paper dolls here.

Apps in the News: Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street

Read my online review of this app.

The Supper Club presents: Robot apps

Here's the apps we used in October (yes, I'm posting these super late...)!

WonderBox by Duck Duck Moose (free, iOS only):  One of the daily themes is about robots, so this one is a stretch for this topic, but it's a fantastic app, packed with content and opportunities for creation and I wanted to make sure you saw it.

 

Robots for iPad by IEEE (free, iPad only): Photos, videos and other information about actual robots that have been built and are being used.

Toca Robot Lab by Toca Boca ($2.99, iOS): Design a robot, then navigate through a simple maze, then do it again!

Robot Factory by Tinybop ($3.99, iOS): Similar concept to Toca Robot Lab, only TONS more options and the design choices you make actually affect the robot's abilities.

Endless Wordplay by Originator (free (with in-app purchase), Android &  iOS): Adds a little round robot to the familiar cast of monsters

Odd Bot Out by Martin Magni ($1.99, Android, & iOS): My top pick of the night!  This is a fantastic app for kids and adults to work on together. Lots of opportunities for problem solving!

Toontastic by Launchpad Games (free, iOS only): includes a few robots as characters.  Great app for kids to play with and secretly learn about story arc's at the same time.

This month's "Take Home Box" included:

Machinarium by Amanita Design (Android and iOS, $4.99) – an excellent, long-play game with lots of problem solving puzzles. Parents should be aware that there are mild references to smoking and alcohol.

Trash Toys by Duckie Deck ($2.99, iOS & 99c Android) – this app is great to try out your robot design ideas from recycled objects!

Tonight's Craft: "Build-a-Bot Blocks"

My favorite was when this young artist designed his own parts in the blank spaces on the page.  Yay!