I let my four year old son watch TV, supervised internet videos and play on the iPad once he has earned screen time by doing chores, minding, going poop in the potty, etc. If you don’t give your kids screen time, that’s cool. But this post may not be for you.
Moving on, I’m always curious about the interests of other people’s children. Learning what other kids like gives me ideas for things to watch with my boy. Plus, new shows help expand his horizons, and for me, helps break the monotony of seeing the same things over and over.
So, if you can’t stomach another episode of Paw Patrol or Peppa Pig, here are some fun shows and apps to check out:
StoryBots – This group of robots sings songs and talk about a variety of topics including dinosaurs, planets, colors, letters, emotions, farm animals, why the sky is blue and where french fries come from. The songs are catchy and the animation is really good. You can find the StoryBots channel on YouTube, there is a StoryBots app. You can also find StoryBots on Netflix, which is nice because you download episodes to take with you.
https://www.youtube.com/user/storybots
Scratch Garden – Another YouTube channel with really catchy songs, and an animated salamander and wedge of cheese to name a few. Subjects include textures, colors, tones, tints, shades, prepositions, directions, counting, vowels and classic nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty and Itsy Bitsy Spider.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ScratchGarden
Koo Koo Kangaroo – Friends Bryan and Neil sing songs like Fanny Pack, Awesome Rainbows, Bread Cheese Bread, You are the Best and Who Farted. These aren’t the most educational songs, but they are fun. These guys dance a lot, so if you want to squeeze in some exercise while keeping your child entertained, these are the guys for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-SXfb0CJrE
Stack the States – This app is basically Tetris with geography. Kids answer questions about state capitals, flags, nicknames, etc. When a question is answered correctly, a state is awarded. It must be stacked on top of other states until crossing the finish line. But be careful, states will tumble over and fall if not placed carefully. If your child shows an interest in geography or memory games, he will like this one. A free version is available, with a full version available for purchase.
Endless Reader and Endless Numbers – These apps explore letters, reading and counting. There are free versions, so you can start with those to see if your kid likes them. If so, full versions are available for purchase.
Finally, have you heard of social stories?
They are essentially Power Point presentations to help kids understand a variety of situations that might cause anxiety or fear. I used one to help my son get a haircut. We talked about the different steps of getting a haircut. We looked at picturApples of the tools the hair stylist would use. We talked about what might be scary or uncomfortable. At the end, we talked about a reward or prize for getting the haircut. And it worked! Every other haircut before was filled with tears and screaming. This time, he whined a little when the clippers were near his ears. But no tears and no screaming. If you search online, you can find a variety of social stories already put together. Or you can use them for inspiration and make your own tailored to your child.
So there you have it: What my kid likes right now. 🙂 I hope these sites and apps bring some entertainment and knowledge to your son or daughter.
What are some of your child’s favorite things to watch and play? Tell us in the comments. Have fun!
[pinterest count=”horizontal”]
