top 15 must-have *FREE* iphone apps for kids of all ages

we are having SO much fun finding all of the amazing apps that are available for parents and kiddos!


last week, we found gave you our list of the top free iphone apps for parents....and this week we are pleased to bring you our top 15 *free* apps for children of all ages. if we missed a favorite of yours please comment and let us know! we would love to know about more. :-)

one:

discovery news-

a superb news source for your older child especially. if your little one is naturally curious and seeks out knowledge, then this is the app for them. there are SO many articles and videos with a primary focus on earth, space, technology, animals, archaeology, dinosaurs, history and human beings.

two:

how stuff works-
this might put an end to all of the "why" questions! :-) you will have access to over 30,000 articles, podcasts and videos all in one place!


three:

wooo! button-

so obnoxious, but my kiddos love it--it cracks them up! simple yet so addicting! wooo! button is a button that belts out an loud "wooo!" every time your little one presses it. lovely.

four:

on this day

with this app your child can look up what events happened on any given day. is is a super cool calendar that lets your curious child (or you) view exciting historical events, birth and death dates.

five:

talking tom-

tom is your child's pet cat, that responds to his/her touch and repeats everything they say with a funny voice. (my 3 year old seriously thinks he is having a conversation with the cat. hilarious.) when your child pets the cat, it purrs and they can even poor it a glass of milk. there is a violence feature that can be turned off in the settings that will dis-allow the pulling on the cats tail, which i did.

six:

cut the rope-

a mysterious package has arrived, and the creature inside has only one request…CANDY! your kiddos goal is to help get the candy to om nom (the super cute monster). "combining outstanding physics, devilishly tricky levels, and bright colorful high definition visuals, cut the rope is one of the most original and fun-filled games on the app store.

seven:

first words: sampler-
what a fun, educational game! my toddler can't wait to play and he doesn't even realize how much he is learning! from letter names to the corresponding sounds.....and even how to spell words, i know that you will be happy to have downloaded this free app.

eight:

cupcake maker-

just as it sounds. you get to mix, bake and decorate your own cupcake. so fun for the toddler/future baker in your life. (there is also a doughnut maker, sundae maker and cake maker)

nine:

doodle buddy-

your child (from young to old) can paint, draw, scribble and sketch to their hearts content.

ten:

brain pop featured movie-

a daily animated movie/lesson on a topic ranging from science, math and social studies to english, art and technology. each movie is followed by a pop quiz so you can test your knowledge.

eleven:

what is my job?-
with fun characters and sounds, your toddler will enjoy learning about all different kinds of jobs through this games interactive matching cards game and flash cards.

twelve:

telling time--photo touch game-

telling time is one of the hardest concepts to teach a child in this digital era. this app is an educational game that helps teach your toddler time through sight, sound and touch.

thirteen:

make me a princess lite-

choose your own fairy princess and play dress-up! your little one gets to choose the princesses hair, dress, tiara and more....it's a dream come true!

fourteen:

bubble pop-

it’s everyone’s favorite part of packing. Hundreds of little plastic bubbles just begging to be popped. pop as many bubbles as you can before time runs out and you will master this game. the bubbles you’ve already popped will spontaneously re-inflate, making this a fast-paced and fun (albeit simple & short-lived) game.....perfect for the little man or lady in your life....or yourself!


fifteen:

day-night black-white-

expose your child to opposites while building their thinking skills and thinking skills in terms of how words relate to one another.

what are your favorite free apps for kids? what did we miss?

stay tuned for the next two thursdays when we will bring you our top paid apps for both parents and kids.

top 25 must-have *FREE* iphone apps for parents

we scoured the globe (well, we did ask a LOT of friends) and came up with these fantastic and FREE iphone apps for parents. 

one:

imdb--movie and tv database
solve the riddle of "what else what that guy in?" this amazing data base covers all movie and television actors.


two:

netflix

link to your netflix account and watch movies and television from your instant queue as part of your membership. lovely. it is my new favorite way to entertain the kiddos when the doctor is running 30-45 minutes late. 


three:

redbox

link to your account and be able to see what movies are at your local redbox machine. reserve from your phone. movies are only $1/night. so easy.


four:

kindle

even if you don't have a kindle you can download this app onto your iphone and purchase books or download any of the free selections that amazon offers. 


five:

around me

this app allows you to quickly find out what is around you. you can easily locate the nearest atm, coffee shop, gas station, hotel, etc. love using this for travel.

six:

instagram

transform your ordinary cell phone photos into super cool works of art with the fantastic photography app. love it.


seven:

fooducate

this app lets shoppers make better, healthier choices at the supermarket. When you scan a product, the software analyzes the information found in the nutrition panel and ingredient list, and comes up with a rating and a tidbit or two explaining the product. you get the good and the bad info on the product and the thing i love the most is that it also gives you a healthier alternative to the product. this app has really opened my eyes to how unhealthy some products are that i thought were good for me and my family.


eight:

price check

amazon has released this free app that allows you to do comparison shopping. you start by saying the name of your target product, scanning its barcode, typing its name, or snapping a photo. you'll get several results; tap one to see who's offering it with prices and shipping costs listed. of course, amazon hopes it has the lowest price, but it doesn't always win. another free app along these lines that you might want to try is "red laser". both are great.

nine:

tag reader

you know those crazy black and white square shaped codes that are now popping up everywhere on signs, etc? (see above tag reader logo) this is the app that will allow you to scan them and get the information you need! get it.

ten:

pandora

free streaming music tailored to your taste in artists or music style preference. heaven.


eleven:

what's on tv
a tv guide for your phone. find out what is showing, when and on what station.


twelve:

rei snow and ski report
not great timing with summer being in full force now.....but download it and keep it handy for the winter. you will be thanking me.


thirteen:

classic camping cookbook and meal planner

it's summer and that means it is time to camp! this free app is a great source to plan your camping meals......there great ideas for both the chef and non-chef.


fourteen:

whole foods market recipes
such a fun app. great recipes and shopping lists. makes a trip to whole foods so easy---and fun too!


fifteen: 

the daily beast
my favorite daily news source at the moment.

sixteen:

in-n-out locator
the californian in me *craves* in-n-out and when we head back we use this to find the first in-n-out we can get to as we cross state lines. if you have never experienced this place, make a point of it the next time you are anywhere near (california, texas, arizona, utah or nevada). 


seventeen:

petcentric
this app identifies pet friendly parks, hotels, etc. near you.  i think it comes in especially handy when you are traveling in a new place with your pooch. 


eighteen:

lactmed

drug reference for drugs that cross the mammary barrier---what a wonderful app for nursing mothers.


nineteen:

starbucks mobile

my husband likes to call starbuck "four-bucks" because every time i go i can't spend under $4. ugh! but who can resist?! i wish that they had a punch card so that my addiction would be at least worth a free coffee every once in a while. i finally found the solution (thanks to an equally addicted friend)--the starbucks mobile app! you earn a free coffee every 15 visits if you pay with a gift card registered to your app. if you don't have a gift card, buy yourself one and just keep re-filling it! it's about time you get something *free* from starbucks. you pay for your java via your phone with unique barcode linked to your gift card on file. amazing.


twenty:

hanging with friends

for those of you already addicted to "words with friends", this is for you! a fun hangman-type of game that you can play with your friends. p.s.--if you haven't heard of words with friends yet, that is a great free app too. :-) 

twenty-one:

fluent news reader
this app aggregates made-for-mobile versions of top news sources into a single, intelligently organized, fully customizable mobile newspaper. i just learned about it and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite apps.


twenty-two:

dragon dictation
this is an easy-to-use voice recognition application that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages. they claim that it’s up to five times faster than typing on the keyboard.....i am not sure about that, but is *is* pretty cool.


twenty-three:

trapster
this app gives you speed trap alerts tailored to your exact gps location. who wouldn't love this?!


twenty-four:

trip tracker
this app gives you real-time status for flights, real-time itinerary push alerts, live weather reports, route maps, hotel information and car rental information----it really makes your travel a breeze.


twenty-five:

hulu plus
we got rid of our cable television (more on that in a coming post) and we are now addicted to hulu plus. s tream thousands of episodes from hundreds of current and classic TV shows to your iphone with a hulu plus subscription. (only $7.99 a month). 




**what are YOUR favorite free apps for parents? we would love to know!**