Techno Hour - 5 Amazing learning apps for your child

Being a parent in this day and age of all the technological advances, its difficult to get your little one away from their electronics such as tablets, laptops or even cellphones.

                             

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Many parents are always complaining about how they are trying to get their children to get off their devices and just play outside a little bit.
Reality check, this is the era that they are being raised in. This is what they know best. Have you ever seen a 4-year-old working a tablet with those little fingers? Amazing!

I personally am a 90's kid who loved playing outside and using my imagination from being in space to finding insects to analyse with my brand new microscope. The reality of it all is, we are in 2017 where technology has taken a huge leap into giving us frontal cameras and that little 'location' button that tracks your every move.

Children are intrigued by the latest apps they can download and play games together over the network, not building a tree house and playing cops and robbers. There's an app for that as well by the way, its called Cops N Robbers and Treehouse Builder.

However, you as a parent have to see the positive in this whole technology debacle. Engage in your children's interests in technology and believe me, they WILL teach you something new that you never knew you could do on either your phone or laptop.
Seeing as technology is not slowing down and is going to be a huge part of their lives as they grow up, its actually important for them to stay in the loop with the latest advances.

Now, all these devices aren't all bad and there are numerous, and I mean loads, of apps to teach them how things work. Here are a few of my favourite educational apps that you can download on Google Play Store for FREE:

1. Habitat the game

This is a great game to teach your children to preserve the earth and take care of our animals. In the game you adopt a polar bear that your child needs to look after and keep healthy in order to save the world. There are numerous real life activities that your child can play that will increase the bear's health. There are also rewards and badges to celebrate their success.

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2. Fish School

This game is perfect for ages 2 and up to learn all about numbers, letters, shapes and colours. The activities are colourful and filled with sea creatures to make the learning experience so much more fun and interactive.

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3. Science360

This app is personally one of my favourites and engineered for older children from age 12. If your child is a science whizz and loves things like nature and astronomy facts, this is going to blow their mind.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) created this app to give us easy access to science and engineering images and video from around the world, as well as an updated news feed that comes straight from the NSF or top universities across the world. So be assured that your child will receive factual correct information.

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4. Math Planet - For Grades 1-8 

This amazing math app has been described by numerous teachers and parents as the most fun they had with children that don't even realise they are doing math. That's how fun this game is.
There are more than 100 games to play that will help your child with math problems like  geometry, fractions, and mixed numbers. This app was created by learning scientists at Carnegie Mellon University.

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5. Google Classroom

This is a great learning app for homeschooling or smaller classrooms where the children, teachers and parents can stay connected. All you need is a Google account and 1..2..3, your in.
This app allows students to interact with other students, stay informed about assignments, class activities and extra lessons. 

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There are thousands of apps out there that are waiting to be downloaded and enjoyed by your children, these are just a few examples of how learning can be fun. 

Sit with them and engage in their technology lifestyle and make time for outdoor activities as well. This could be the start of something great!