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How to Choose iPhone Apps for Kids

By: Dr Lynda Kelly, Category: Museullaneous, Date: 27 Feb 2011

What should adults look for when choosing iPhone apps for (and with) their kids?

Post from the PBS parents website (US), via Derek Baird, called How to Choose iPhone Apps for Kids. Some of the principles which I think apply across the board are:

  • choose apps that provide true interactivity in order to "make something happen"
  • stay with trusted content providers, read ratings and reviews
  • choose apps that engage all the senses, offer variations on a theme, not too repetitive and stimulate conversation "long after the device is put away"
  • be careful about geo-location
  • "niche educational apps…within categories such as behavior, writing, science, math are about to break loose"
  • e-books will become huge

And, in O'Malley's summary:

"I suspect that someday we'll look back at the early 2000's as a major turning point in the way we consume information. Our children will be the first to grow up in the Touch Generation. Without the steep computer learning curve that past children faced, imagine how much faster these kids will be absorbing information?"

Interesting times indeed!

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5 comments

dlaczego - 6.04 AM, 11 April 2012
You should check out http://www.p2games.co.uk They have so many great apps for kids!
GabriellaGabby - 9.07 PM, 15 July 2011
I would also recommend parents to pay attention to such an educational iPhone app for their kids as Kinder Hangman - http://sharkfuel.com/kinderhangman.html it is an interesting iPhone game that is helpful for child development and allows kids to learn new words quickly and effectively. Learning process is organized as an interesting game with graphical themes and animations. This game is recommended for kids of 5-10 years. Great app!
Lynda Kelly - 2.03 PM, 10 March 2011

Hi Chris. The latest stats show that kids do have iPhones (and other types of smartphones) and that this market is growing. This post - Generations and their gadgets - goes into this in more detail.

We're also currently running a mobile survey with visitors to see what type of smartphones they have, how many apps they download among other things. Some of our early findings from Jurassic Lounge can be found here. We are continuing this survey with other visitors over the next few weeks so watch this space.

Chris Hosking - 12.03 PM, 09 March 2011

Do many kids have iPhones?

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