kids

Math for Kids is the newest in a line of educational apps that have been flooding the App Store in recent years - apps designed to help children learn basic math concepts in visually attractive or game-based ways. This particular app focuses mostly on the math functions themselves, but it does so in a way that is both attractive and easy to use, a good fit for many young children.

The style of Math for Kids is the first thing you will notice. This is a well-conceived and designed app, using hand drawn graphics and playful fonts that are fun … Read more

There are a lot of apps designed for small children in the App Store. Ranging in quality quite a bit, some apps are more effective than others. Crossword Puzzles for Kids Lite falls somewhere in between, producing a unique, engaging experience that is unfortunately a bit too light on content to last longer than the initial play through.

The concept behind Crossword Puzzles for Kids Lite is very simple. There are two options - classic crosswords or riddle crosswords. The riddles usually just consist of one clue missing from the puzzle. Each clue is a picture shown next to the … Read more

Way back at CES 2013, Roku announced a slate of new channels to go live in the first quarter of 2013, including a PBS app capable of streaming full episodes.

Roku is a little behind on its deadline, but today both PBS and PBS Kids channels are launching on the company's streaming boxes. The PBS app promises content from prime-time shows (including "Nova," "Nature," "Antiques Roadshow," "Frontline," and "Masterpiece"), arts and music programs ("American Masters," "Austin City Limits," "Great Performances"), plus content from … Read more

Your Android phone or tablet can be a great educational tool for your kids, with the right software. Softdiv's Animals Spelling Game For Kids is a super-easy game designed to help kids just learning how to spell with simple, familiar words. And what better source than animal names, which tend to be short and easy to spell but exotic enough to both challenge young learners and keep them interested.

Animals Spelling Game's main page has three buttons: Play Game, Top Score, and Exit. We started a game. Our first puzzle presented three letters; D, G, and O, above … Read more

Learning is a lot more fun with the range of apps now available for the iPad. Using what they know of learning habits and the natural desire of almost every child to play with an iPad or iPhone, developers are creating ever more interesting and engaging educational apps. Pop Letters is an interesting take on the act of learning letters that many young children will find entertaining, even if it is ultimately lacking in features.

The idea behind Pop Letters is for children to quickly tap the onscreen letters, right after the game announces them. At any given time, there … Read more

If your child can't put down your smartphone or tablet, it's good to have an array of fun but educational games on retainer. Kids Learn n Play (Free) is designed to help them learn their ABCs, but it's not as deep or polished as other learning games on Android and there are a few other issues that detract from its ability to help your kids learn the alphabet or spelling.

There might be an initial moment of confusion because the app shows up as "English Alphabet" in your phone's app launcher. It has two … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Nathan Fielder asks: What happens if you text your parents that you're a drug dealer?

- Some New York City subway stations just got free Wi-Fi and cell service.

- Crew team finds unexpected floating head in Hudson River.

- Michael Bay is why Transformers toys got so complicated over the years.

- Mars Rover penis graffiti goes viral.… Read more

Yahoo is doing some spring cleaning. The company announced its plans on Friday to shut down several products, including Yahoo Deals, Yahoo SMS Alerts, and the Yahoo Mail and Messenger apps used on feature phones.

It's all about getting rid of the old to make room for the new, according to Jay Rossiter, Yahoo's executive vice president in charge of platforms, who wrote about the changes in a blog entry.

"We want to bring you experiences that inspire and entertain you every day," Rossiter wrote. "That means taking a hard look at all of our … Read more

Tangram puzzles are a fantastic tool when teaching young children geometry, spacial relationships, and art concepts. The iPad is a perfect device for completing tangram puzzles, so when the two are combined, you have a well-structured educational app that is a lot of fun to play. Perhaps that is why Swipea has created nearly a dozen versions of their very popular tangram puzzle apps, each with a different theme. The Swipea Tangram Puzzles for Kids: Houseware edition is identical to the others, but with a focus on household items.

The app's interface will take some time to get used … Read more