What apps did I put on my new iPad?

Some of you may be aware that I bought a new iPad last month.  I bought it with the aim that its primary use would be to help my boys (9 and 11) with educational apps.  Of course, my boys’ primary aim was to get as many game apps as possible.  So, which apps did we end up with? 

Van Gogh - $3.99

This is a beautiful app.  It is the true story of how Van Gogh came to paint his Sunflowers.  But as well as being a beautiful story book (sound on or off), it is also a colouring book and an activity book where you can see how different animated characters in the book move.  A great way to learn about art while enjoying a beautiful book. 

Targeting Maths 3

Amazing app visually.  This app is based on the text book my boys use at school, and the only level currently available is for Year 3 which my youngest son has just completed, so this is perfect for him.  I thought I’d have trouble getting him to use it during the school holidays, but I couldn’t get him off it.  The aim is to complete different maths games and tasks which then earn you points that you can use to play games at the circus.  It’s not cheap at $9.49, but it has been worth every cent. 

ABC Reading Eggs Spelling Grades 1 to 6

Lots of different interactive spelling games.  You can choose the appropriate accent – English UK, USA or Australian

Lite (10 spelling games with a mixture from Grades 1 to 6 – Free

Full version – You select the school grade you want (1 to 6).  $2.99

Fruit Ninja -  .99c

One of the most popular games of all time.  Slice the fruit as they appear, but don’t slice the bombs!

Action Movie FX - Free

This gave my sons hours of fun taking movies around our home and then flooding our street, blowing up their Dad with a missile and destroying the Christmas Tree with a tornado.  My eldest son even created his own movie using the Lego Space Shuttle he got for Christmas and a meteor attack. 

Word Search Unlimited HD - free

A classic word search game, you just trace your finger over the words as you find them.

Easy level (12 words to find) in the free version. 

The full version has more lists to choose from and three difficulty levels - .99c

Lego Harry Potter & Lego Harry Potter 2 - .99c each

These two have been a real hit.  My boys have Lego Harry Potter on the Wii, and this is similar, but still different enough that there are lots of new things to discover.

Both these games are on sale at the moment – usually $5.49 each.

This is only a start, but enough to keep my boys happy during the school holidays.  I’ll be adding a lot of educational apps once school goes back and I’ll let you know which I choose.