The other day, one of my friends talked about the iPad games she was downloading to keep her daughter busy. Personally, I’m a big fan of the app called “get off your iPad and take your toddler to the park,” but that doesn’t mean I think technology should be 100% banned for children. Yes, some iPad games can be okay for kids (in moderation), but even more importantly, there are tons of apps out there that can actually teach kids important life lessons.
Let’s take a look at some of the top iPad apps for teaching kids responsibility!
You Rule Chores
If you want to motivate your kids to help out around the house, You Rule Chores is a great app to try out. You create the schedule, then your kids choose their own avatars that level up as they complete tasks and earn coins. They can redeem their points for items on their wish list, like allowance and downloading other apps, where you set the coin price. Because the homepage shows avatars for everyone in your family, this is also a great way for your kids to compete with other family members to see whose avatar can get to the highest level. When doing chores is a game, it’s a lot easier to get kids involved using this app.
Kids Money
Kids Money is a very simple free app that allows your children to set financial goals for themselves. Once you download this app, your children can track their weekly spending money and gift money to save up for items they want to buy. This app allows your kids to easily understand the advantages of saving.
iReward Chart
With iReward Chart, you can fully customize and track your child’s good behavior, together as a family. This app allows you to input behaviors like being polite and practicing an instrument, as well as chores like making the bed, so you can reward stars as they’re earned. Your kids can then redeem their stars for prizes you set, or they can save their stars to be able to afford more expensive items.
Pepi Bath
If your children are a little too young for chores and money, you can get them started on the road to responsibility by teaching them good hygiene with Pepi Bath. With this game, toddlers can wash their character’s hands, learn about brushing teeth and more. There are a lot of little surprises in this game, such as the bath water freezing or turning the character’s face red if the temperature isn’t right, so even slightly older children can enjoy this app as well.
Morning Kids
Lastly, check out Morning Kids to teach your children to stick to a morning routine. With this app, you set up a profile for each child, that includes everything they have to do in the morning, like brushing your teeth and making your bed. Then, every morning, your kids have to beat the timer and they have the chance to earn prizes along the way. You can start using this app with younger children by helping to start and stop the timer, but older children can do it themselves, which is part of the fun.
Lastly, although it’s not an app, Spirituality for Kids is worth mentioning here. SFK is an online learning system and powerful technological tool for both children and parents.I recommend you check it out too!
Images via the App Store.
Allison Boyer is the Online Education Coordinator for NMX University, where you can learn more about blogging, podcasting, web TV, and social business. She also runs the food blog The PinterTest Kitchen with her mom and sister.
