Top 10 Favorite Educational Apps for Preschoolers

The world of apps is difficult to gauge for young children. Some apps look fabulous and kids have no interest. Others look bland and ridiculous and then they are a child's first choice. These apps are kid-tested and approved by a 3 and 4 year old.

Here is a list of our 10 favorite educational apps. Click the name of the app to go directly to iTunes to buy it!

1) ABC Pocket Phonics - Apps in My Pocket (iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch - $2.99)
Letter sounds and writing or a word game are the choices your preschooler is given. This app is an easy way for your preschooler to practice writing their letters with a friendly nudge. If they draw it incorrectly, they are told where they went wrong and can try again. The word game says a sound and then the user has to choose the letter that makes it. Combine all of the sounds together and you get a word! The focus is on lower case letters and there is a multiuser option built in.

2) Bob Books Reading Magic - Learning Touch  (iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch - $3.99)
If your child loves the Bob Books, they will adore this game. In addition to connecting letters and their sounds, colorful animations will aide your child to start spelling words. There are 12 scenes with a total of 32 words. Users can play at 4 different levels to increase the challenge level as their skills improve.

3) Build A Word - WordWorld (iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch - $0.99)
Give your iGadget a shake and then place the letters in order and give them a push to create your favorite friends from the TV show Word World. Easily navigable for the youngest users.

4) Dinosaurs: An Early Introduction - MPVM, LLC  (iPad -$0.99 or iPhone - $1.99)
A limited list, but a thorough appreciation by preschoolers. Wonderful illustrations lead you through the 14 dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Users can tickle the dinosaurs to hear them roar, click on the xray button to see their skeletons, and practice the pronunciation of their name. A perfect introduction.

5) Dora's Skywriting ABC -Nickelodeon  (iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch - $1.99)
Crazy Tico is making letters in the sky and Dora needs your help to trace them. Preschoolers follow the acorns in the sky to create the letters while hearing their sound and then bounce them into the right spot for a picture. Dora reinforces the sound of the letter and then the picture appears. Users can choose to work on Upper Case, Lower Case or both.  Multiuser option.

6) Intro to Letters - Montessorium (iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch - $4.99)
Trace, read, write and record letter sounds, names and phonograms. Works with both upper and lower case letters. iPad and iPhone users can record their voices saying letter sounds.

7) Math Easy HD - Onelamp Studio (iPad - $1.99 or iPhone - $0.99)
There are 10 steps to this math learning game. Through the games on this app, preschoolers can learn to count to 20 and identify even and odd numbers. Additional games within work on addition, subtraction and even multiplication. This app is very ambitious and is best when played with a learning partner (ie: parent). Users can easily navigate to the games.

8) Monkey Preschool Lunchbox] - THUP Games  (iPad/iPhone/iPodTouch - $0.99)
Pick a sticker..ooh ooh ah ah! This is the call you will hear as your child plays along through the 7 games that teach them about: matching, numbers, letters, shapes and differences. Preschoolers can easily self-navigate through the games and they will love the animated monkey who cheers them on throughout.

9) Super Why! - PBS (iPad or iPhone - $2.99)
Calling all Super Readers! Users can work on their alphabet, writing, spelling, reading and rhyming with their favorite characters from the "Super Why" TV show. Choose to work on a single section or through each one during a single session. Gather sticker rewards throughout.

10) Wheels on the Bus - Duck Duck Moose  (iPad - $1.99/iPhone/iPodTouch - $1.99)
The traditional song "Wheels on the Bus" with an interactive spin. Users can tap the screen to spin the wheels, open and close the bus doors, swish swish swish the wipers and more in their choice of English, Spanish, German, French and Italian with the music being played by a piano, cello, violin or kazoo. Your preschooler will love all of the choices they get to make including recording their own voice to the song.

Coming up: Watch for Top 10 Book Apps and Top 10 Travel Distractor Apps
Let me know if there are any others you would like to have rounded up!