Best iPad Apps for Toddlers

Harper is only 21 months old but he thinks and acts like he is two.The kid mastered my iPhone and iPad months ago. We had a few incidents with the iPhone (cracked screen, scuffed sides, food stuck in the home button) but the cell is still alive. I don't let the iPad out of my sight when he plays on it. He swipes the lock screen, goes straight to his folder, and starts playing his games. He mastered some of the games the first day he played them. I stay pretty entertained when I watch him on that thing. It amazes me how fast little ones pick up on technology. I think he could teach my parents a thing or two.

We have tried out a TON of kiddie apps. If we are riding in the car and Harper is screaming, I am more than happy to purchase a new app to keep him quiet. Some apps are better than others. I decided to make a list of my top 9 iPad apps for 2-year olds.

1) Peekaboo Barn
Inside a little bouncing barn, friendly farm animals are waiting to pop out and surprise your little one. This is the first app I purchased months ago on my iPhone. Harper still loves it and plays with it all of the time. It taught him how to say a few animal names and he loves making the animal noises when they pop out of the barn. One of my all-time favorite app purchases. This has provided me with hours of silence.

2) Farm 123
Harper loves farm animals so this was another big hit. After playing with this app he gets really excited when we count with him. The interactive features are fantastic and it is a great tool to teach kids how to count. They'll have hours of fun playing with cheeky farm animals: chasing them, putting them in the pen, and giving them a good wash!

3)  Moo, Baa, La La La! 
This is one of Harper's favorite books so I was excited to see it in the app store. The electronic version is SO COOL! This interactive book app has all the magic and appeal of a traditional pop-up book. Harper loves to hear individual words spoken aloud when they are tapped and hear the animals sounds. He likes to play with it again and again!

4) Dr. Seuss's ABC
The Huffman house loves Dr. Seuss. And I love this app! It is a great app for reading and alphabet practice! It is perfect for younger children still learning their alphabet. o promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are touched.

5) PBS Kids Video

This app is my FAVORITE FREE app for kids! If I can't find a good show on TV for Harper I pull out the iPad and open this app. PBS KIDS Video features more than 1,000 videos from over a dozen top PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! television series, including Curious George, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, SUPER WHY!, Sesame Street and Wild Kratts. Think Netflix for kids but it is FREE!

6) Curious George at the Zoo for iPad

Is your child curious about animals? Harper sure is! And he loves Curious George so this app purchase was a no-brainer. The graphics are fantastic! Children can explore the zoo using a beautiful, interactive, 3D pop-up menu and listen to lively audio narration by the Man with the Yellow Hat. For 99 cents, this is a steal!

7) Starfall ABC's 
This is hands down Harper's favorite app. It seems very simple but he loves it and he started sounded out letters within a few weeks of playing with it. It is really helping him learn to make new sounds. This app allows children to see, hear, and interact with letters and sounds in words, sentences, and games. I think this app really teaches children phonics and how to read and write! 

8) If You're Happy and You Know It
Honestly, I wasn't thrilled with this app when I first download it. The graphics are mediocre in comparison to the other kiddie apps. But Harper is obsessed. This is one of his favorite songs to sing with us. So he plays the app, claps his hands, and laughs!  Each page presents an activity to see, touch, interact and even dance to. 

9) Potty Time with Elmo
Harper has an obsession with Elmo. Nana and Papa gave him a rock n' roll Elmo for Christmas. Now he smiles anytime he sees his fluffy red friend. I'm not sure if this app will have the same effect on other kids but Harper absolutely loves it. I think it will come in handy when we start potty training. The Potty Time with Elmo app is a fun way to ease the transition from diapers to big-kid underpants.