Parents across the nation are singing the praises of the iPad, and not for reasons that you may think. iPads and other mobile devices have become common place in our lives. We use them to pay bills, get us to our destinations and keep in touch with our friends. Moms and dads are finding that iPads are also a great way to keep their toddlers entertained!
Long gone are the days of plunking your toddlers down in front of the television with a video to keep them occupied. Tech savvy parents are handing their children an iPad, and giving their kids an opportunity to learn in a creative and fun way. If you have a little one who loves music, here are five apps that are guaranteed to keep them dancing:
1.iXylophone
The app is as simple as a physical xylophone and just as irresistible. Your toddler can play one note or several, creating their own songs and musical wonders. The app has a soundtrack of 75 popular kids’ songs that your toddler can listen to or play along with. At just under a buck, the app is more than worth the money.2.Wheels on the Bus
“Wheels on the Bus” plays in the background of this application as your children interact with the characters. The story is narrated and the app has won numerous awards, including the Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Design and the 2010 Parent’s Choice Gold Award. If you download this application for your child, plan on having to pry your iPad from their hands!3.Toddler JukeBox: Twelve Children’s Songs
If there’s one complaint about this application, it’s that there aren’t more songs! Toddlers are absolutely mesmerized by the fun application. Simple, easily recognizable icons allow your toddler to change the songs at their will. Parents are no longer tied to the remote control, waiting for their child to demand that certain songs are repeated. You toddler can control the app, playing songs until the batteries run out.4.Sound Shaker
This silly application is sure to delight your toddlers for hours on end. Children can create and play their own songs using a chime, drum, whistle, barnyard sounds and other mysterious noises. The way that your toddler taps the icons can change the length or pitch of the available sounds. Sound shaker has been described as the 21st century rattle; download it and you’ll understand why!5.Piano Ball
This app has so many choices that you’re toddler will never grow board with it. Menu options include Magic Shake, Learn Colors, Learn Songs, Toddler Mode, Rainbow and 4 Instruments. Each option gives your little one a different way to make music and learn music. Bright colors and a vivid display make the application as visually attractive as it is fun to play.Toddlers are like sponges, absorbing everything around them. If yours loves music, these five applications will keep them entertained for hours. As a bonus, the apps will also teach your children hand-eye coordination and how single sounds are put together to make music. Download these apps for your toddlers and you may just create a future musician!
Tasha York writes for several higher ed blogs. She writes for www.ufl.edu where you can learn more about degree in music.
