“We don’t recommend an app unless we’ve tested it,” said Alison Hirst, one of the mums and a former New Englander now living in Chicago. “We tested all of these apps and talked about them among the four of us. And the kids have tried almost all of them because that’s part of our review process.”
The other mums include Amanda Powell in Australia, Grace Shirley Chong in Singapore, and Mary Mahon from the UK, who now lives in California. They have 11 kids among them, ranging in age from 3 to 23.
So read on for 24 preschool to middle school apps that have impressed The iMums this school year. They took the time to tell our readers why. We’ve also included pricing information. You can read the original article here.
Preschool
temp..nptlauje The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Alien Buddies – Preschool Learning Activities
Artgig Studio
Category: Education, Kids, Educational, Games
Requirements: Compatible with all (39.57 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$1.99USD
Alien Buddies by Artgig Studios uses friendly alien buddies to teach children color, letter, number and shape recognition and actions such as dragging and dropping to enhance fine motor skills. Activities include: dot-to-dot, matching by color, shape, letter and number (both audio and visual modes), and stickers.
mzl.cfffgqlz The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Zoo Train – by Busy Bee Studios
Busy Bee Studios
Category: Education, Educational, Kids, Games
Requirements: Compatible with all (45.62 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$1.99USD
Zoo Train by Busy Bee Studios features five different train-themed activities – puzzles, music, train builder, word builder and track builder. The puzzle portion allows children to complete simple puzzles and move the train along the track.
mzl.vzfbmxts The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Ready to Print
Essare LLC
Category: Education, Health & Fitness
Requirements: Compatible with iPadThirdGen4G, iPadMini4G, iPad 2 3G, iPad WiFi, iPadThirdGen, iPadFourthGen4G, iPad 3G, iPadFourthGen, iPadMini, iPad 2 WiFI (27.44 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$9.99USD
Ready to Print by Essare LLC is an app which works on a range of pre-writing skills, it is designed to teach children the correct patterns for writing and to avoid them developing bad habits. The app progresses with the child and allows customization of size, activity level and specific activity worked on.
mzl.gpneswpa The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Bugs and Buttons
Little Bit Studio, LLC.
Category: Education, Games
Requirements: Compatible with all (73.87 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$2.99USD
Bugs & Buttons by Little Bit Studio is a unique app with stunning graphics that includes eighteen different games which work on many skills including: patterns, sorting, memory, mazes, counting, and letters. This app is a great brain builder and an even better motor skills builder –it encourages visual tracking, and incorporates many fine motor movements.
mzl.rzsczghp The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Talking ABC…
Jutiful
Category: Education, Educational, Kids, Games
Requirements: Compatible with all (328.95 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$2.99USD
Talking ABC by Jutiful is a delightful Claymation app that teaches children the letter names and sounds. Each letter turns into an animated Claymation animal, who will repeat back what the child says.
mza 7644412002276796488 The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! iLuv Drawing People – Learn How to Draw Kids doing their favorite things.
MyVijan LLC
Category: Education, Educational, Kids, Games
Requirements: Compatible with all (54.4 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$0.99USD
iLuv Drawing People by MyVijan LLC is an app that helps children learn to draw a self-portrait, which is an important skill in kindergarten. This step-by-step drawing app teaches the child how to draw a people using simple shapes, it works on tracing skills, fine motor and drawing skills.
Early Elementary
mzl.sfrhxxju The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Wild Kratts Creature Math
PBS KIDS
Category: Education, Kids, Games, Educational
Requirements: Compatible with iPad 2 3G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPadMini, iPadMini4G, iPad WiFi, iPadThirdGen, iPad 2 WiFI, iPad 3G, iPadFourthGen, iPadFourthGen4G (62.3 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$1.99USD
Wild Kratts Creature Math by PBS Kids. This app combines math and science as students join forces with the Kratt brothers to create their own unique animal habitats, whilst working on addition and subtraction. The habitat is constantly changing so students need to keep working on their math skills to earn food and homes for their animals; and they learn animal facts along the way.
mzl.kkyqnbej The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Splash Math Kindergarten: Fun Educational Worksheets for Counting Numbers, Addition and Subtraction
StudyPad, Inc.
Category: Education, Games, Kids, Educational
Requirements: Compatible with iPadThirdGen4G, iPadThirdGen, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadFourthGen, iPadMini, iPad 2 3G, iPadMini4G, iPadFourthGen4G (231.11 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$9.99USD
Splash Math Kindergarten by Studypad Inc, contains jungle themed math exercises which are very well designed and fun for students. Based on the app’s detailed progress reports, parents are able to set practice goals and select specific math skills to work on, or work on a mixed review of the whole Kindergarten year of math skills.
mzl.dqjihdrs The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Write My Name
NCSOFT
Category: Education
Requirements: Compatible with iPadThirdGen4G, iPad 2 3G, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadMini4G, iPadMini, iPadFourthGen, iPad 3G, iPad WiFi, iPadThirdGen (153.63 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$3.99USD
Write my Name by NCSoft helps children learn to write letters and words in both upper and lowercase. As well as letters it includes over 100 Dolch sight words and allows creation of up to 36 personalized words such as the child’s name.
mzm.glxgbfuq The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Reading Raven HD
Early Ascent, LLC
Category: Education, Kids, Educational, Games
Requirements: Compatible with iPadMini, iPad WiFi, iPadThirdGen, iPad 3G, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPadMini4G, iPadFourthGen, iPad 2 WiFI, iPad 2 3G (46.67 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$3.99USD
Reading Raven HD by Early Ascent LLC, takes children all the way from early phonological awareness skills up to reading sentences, it includes 3 levels each taught over 5 lessons. It utilizes a multi-sensory approach where the child reads, speaks and writes as they learn, and are rewarded with stickers as they complete each step.
mzl.atcsndyu The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Rocket Speller PLUS
Little Big Thinkers
Category: Education, Kids, Games, Educational
Requirements: Compatible with iPod Touch (4. Gen.), iPad 2 WiFI, iPhone 4, iPodTouchFifthGen, iPadThirdGen, iPad 3G, iPad 2 3G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPhone 3GS, iPadMini, iPad WiFi, iPhone4S, iPhone5, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadMini4G, iPadFourthGen, iPod Touch (3. Gen.) (49.75 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$2.99USD
Rocket Speller Plus by Little Big Studio is an app designed to help children learn phonics and early spelling while engaging in a game to build and launch a rocket ship. The app allows parents to select the types of words they want children to work on, and it grows with the child as their skills progress.
mzl.jdhejmxf The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Bo’s School Day
Heppi
Category: Education, Kids, Games, Educational
Requirements: Compatible with all (18.9 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$2.99USD
Bo’s School Day by Heppi Apps features Bo the Giraffe as he begins kindergarten, and is a great app for introducing the concept of “big kid” school. It walks the child step by step through the school day: packing a lunch box and backpack, singing the “days of the week” song, making music, having lunch, building with blocks, cleaning up toys/classroom and leaving to go home.
mzl.vcjhxals The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Smarty Britches: Nouns
Sascyn Publishing, Inc.
Category: Education, Books
Requirements: Compatible with iPadFourthGen, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadMini4G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadThirdGen, iPad 3G, iPadMini, iPad 2 3G, iPad WiFi (54.49 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$2.99USD
Smarty Britches: Nouns by Sascyn Publishing, Inc. transports the child to the Deep South where they learn about the different types of nouns. The app tells the story of Jackson, a boy from Arkansas and includes a series of mini-games; a free lesson plan including activities which align with Common Core State Standards is also available.
Late Elementary
mzl.vmzqrhog The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Math Mathews
Kiupe
Category: Education, Games, Kids, Educational
Requirements: Compatible with iPad 2 3G, iPhone4S, iPad WiFi, iPhone 3GS, iPadThirdGen4G, iPadFourthGen, iPadMini4G, iPod Touch (3. Gen.), iPad 2 WiFI, iPad 3G, iPhone5, iPadMini, iPadFourthGen4G, iPodTouchFifthGen, iPod Touch (4. Gen.), iPhone 4, iPadThirdGen (43.1 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$1.99USD
Math Mathews by Kiupe is an engaging, pirate-themed app, containing three mini-games where students work on their multiplication skills and learn the times tables. This app is Pirates of the Caribbean meets Indiana Jones meets multiplication!
mzl.szbwerau The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Squeebles Fractions
KeyStageFun
Category: Education, Educational, Games, Kids
Requirements: Compatible with all (13.44 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$1.99USD
Squeebles Fractions by Key Stage Fun contains four mini-games, which teach different aspects of fractions in a fun and visually appealing way. It features cute monsters called Squeebles who are having a cake show; by answering math questions the student earns recipes and ingredients to create cakes for the show.
mza 731626167475151383 The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! StoryPals
Expressive Solutions LLC
Category: Education
Requirements: Compatible with iPad 2 3G, iPadFourthGen, iPadThirdGen, iPadMini4G, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadMini, iPad 3G, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPad WiFi (368.66 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$19.99USD
StoryPals by Expressive Solutions LLC allows children to work on both reading comprehension and composition. The app includes twenty-four short stories from reading level 2-6, each with narration, interactive elements and comprehension questions; it also gives them the tools to create their own stories with the same features.
mzl.miymxedm The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Simplex Spelling Phonics – Advanced Phonograms
Pyxwise Software Inc.
Category: Education, Educational, Games, Word
Requirements: Compatible with iPod Touch (4. Gen.), iPad 3G, iPad 2 WiFI, iPad 2 3G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPhone 4, iPhone5, iPhone4S, iPadMini, iPodTouchFifthGen, iPadFourthGen, iPad WiFi, iPadFourthGen4G, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch (3. Gen.), iPadThirdGen, iPadMini4G (104.33 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$4.99USD
Simplex Spelling Phonics- Advanced Phonograms by Pyxwise Software Inc. is part of a series of apps that use reverse phonics to teach spelling; this app moves on from the basics taught in the previous apps to teach quite complicated phonemes. Where the Simplex Spelling apps excel is actually teaching your child how to spell, rather than just memorize word lists.
mzl.njyygcpz The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Ansel & Clair: Paul Revere’s Ride
Cognitive Kid, Inc.
Category: Education, Books
Requirements: Compatible with iPad WiFi, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPadThirdGen, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadFourthGen, iPadMini4G, iPadMini, iPad 2 3G, iPad 3G (159.65 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$4.99USD
Ansel and Clair: Paul Revere’s Ride by Cognitive Kid Inc., in this app Ansel and Clair, visitors from the planet Virtoos, take students on an immersing, engaging, interactive history lesson as they join Paul Revere on his infamous ride. This app really brings history to life as it teaches children about this important chapter in American History.
mzl.hvwgzynt The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Bobo Explores Light
Game Collage, LLC
Category: Education, Books
Requirements: Compatible with iPad WiFi, iPad 2 3G, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadFourthGen, iPadMini, iPadThirdGen4G, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadThirdGen, iPad 3G, iPadMini4G (240.69 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$4.99USD
Bobo Explores Light by Game Collage LLC., is an award-winning science app featuring Bobo the robot who takes the student on a virtual tour of 21 different topics associated with light. From photosynthesis through refraction, space, Thomas Edison and the human eye this app presents an amazing amount of information in a highly engaging way.
mzl.yjoymlld The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Geography Drive USA™
Spinlight Studio
Category: Education, Games, Family, Trivia
Requirements: Compatible with iPad 3G, iPadThirdGen, iPad 2 3G, iPad WiFi, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadMini, iPadFourthGen, iPadMini4G, iPadFourthGen4G, iPadThirdGen4G (85.48 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$3.99USD
Geography Drive USA by Spinlight Studio brings geography to life as the student travels from state to state and answers various trivia questions to master each state. This is a great app to complement fourth grade teaching of United States geography and is fun to play as a family as well.
Middle School
mzl.fkhrcvcl The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Math Heroes vs Dragons
12 Fingers Studio
Category: Education, Kids, Educational, Games
Requirements: Compatible with iPadThirdGen, iPad 2 3G, iPadThirdGen4G, iPadFourthGen, iPadFourthGen4G, iPad WiFi, iPad 2 WiFI, iPadMini4G, iPad 3G, iPadMini (129.22 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$3.99USD
Math Heroes vs. Dragons by 12 Fingers Studio is an app designed for students from fifth grade onwards and works on a range of math skills including: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, ordering of fractions; and area and perimeter of triangles and rectangles. Whilst playing the app students play the role of a superhero capturing dragons, earning gold and competing in Boss Battles.
mzl.ebceztlh The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Hands-On Equations 1 – The Fun Way to Learn Algebra
Hands On Equations
Category: Education, Utilities
Requirements: Compatible with all (154.98 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$4.99USD
Hands-On Equations: The Fun Way to Learn Algebra 1 by Hands on Equations takes a branch of mathematics that many people find intimidating, and turns it into a physical concept that is much easier to grasp. It uses pawns to represent variables and numbered blocks to represent constants, and is based on a system that has been successfully used with over a million students
mzl.zmkuqatk The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! iTooch Middle School | Math and Language Arts worksheets for 6th, 7th and 8th grade
eduPad Inc.
Category: Education, Reference
Requirements: Compatible with all (47.38 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$FREE
iTooch Middle School by EduPad Inc, provides a year of curriculum for 6th, 7th or 8th graders, the app includes samples of seven titles for free that you can try before purchasing the remaining content. The lessons were designed by middle school teachers to meet Common Core State Standards in math, language arts, health and music.
mzl.mlcqwrtn The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints! Middle School Confidential 1: Be Confident in Who You Are
Electric Eggplant
Category: Books, Education
Requirements: Compatible with all (40.55 MB) badge appstore lrg The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
$2.99USD
Middle School Confidential 1: Be Confident in Who You Are by Electric Eggplant is the first of a series of graphic novels that follow four teens as they navigate some of the tough issues facing Middle School students. In this book they encounter bullying, teasing, self-doubt and worrying too much about what others think; they find ways to cope and learn to believe in themselves.
dotted spacer450 The iMums picks 24 Mom Approved Learning Apps for Back to School as featured on Boston.com and win limited edition prints!
Giveaway
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