The draw of the iPad is intense with our three year old. He's often found climbing on things to find it and has figured out the password to unlock the home screen to let himself play his favorite preschool learning apps. Honestly, I don't blame him--I love fun technology, too. Usually, when Asher plays the iPad, he will open an app, play for a few minutes, and move on to another app. Lately, I've noticed him choosing a particular app and staying within the app for a longer period of time.
Disclosure: I was provided this product for free for the purpose of this review. I was compensated for my time. All opinions are honest, and I was not required to post a positive review.
The app my three year old son has been drawn to is Leo's Pad, an adaptive-learning series for preschoolers by Kidaptive. Designed by Stanford researchers and world-class animators, Leo's Pad Enrichment Program is a stunningly beautiful app jam packed with learning.
What I like about Leo's Pad Preschool Learning App
- Amazing graphics--This is the most beautiful app I've ever seen. The graphics are seamless, not choppy or awkward when they move. The graphics are very detailed, much more like a painting than minimalist clipart graphics used in some apps. Here is a screenshot of one of the beautiful ocean scenes:
- Encourages social skills--There are times when kids are encouraged to share with one of the characters and do nice things for the characters. For example, one time the activity was to paint on an easel and give the paintbrush to one of the characters when my son was finished.
- Multiple levels--There are six chapters that unlock when the early learners have mastered a level. While parents can unlock a level, the app wants them to play a number of times to keep them from breezing through the games and to master the learning. Big thumbs up!
- Creative Skill Learning and Reinforcement--The activities are creative and woven in the storyline of the "app-isodes". There are auditory reinforcements that go along with the visual learning. For example, when a color is chosen on the paint easel, the child hears the color name.
- Photo avatars for the non-readers--This was a huge positive for me. Since each child is working on their own level of learning, each child has a user profile. I liked the option of adding a picture for my three year old to help him independently find his profile. Don't worry, if you'd rather not load a picture into the app, there are several cartoon character profile pictures available instead.
- STEM focused--There are lots of higher-order thinking skills woven throughout the activities and I noticed a large portion of the activities were designed to cover STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). I love STEM activities for my boys--science experiments and engineering get my boys excited!
What my kids think about Leo's Pad
They love it! To them, it's an interesting and fun game. As a mom and a master's level teacher, I know it is teaching them and doing so much more than just entertaining them for a while. While never pleasant, kids fighting over who gets to play first is a sign of a great app. Although Leo's Pad is targeted for preschool, my second grader enjoyed playing, too.
My Only Hangup
If you've been a reader here for a while, you'll know that I'm a frugal girl. I believe homeschooling can be done well without spending a lot of money, especially in the early years, and can be done with common household items. Normally, we stick to FREE apps or go without. On the rare occasion that I pay for an app, it is less than five dollars. At a price of $24.99, Leo's Pad does not currently fall within my app price range. However, you get what you pay for, and with Leo's Pad, you know you're making an investment in your child's learning, not just entertaining them.
Leo's Pad has a trial available for the first chapter. I encourage you to download it and see this app for yourself. Your kids will love it and you might just think it's worth the investment. Download your FREE TRIAL of Leo's Pad Enrichment Program. While you're downloading, be sure to download Kidaptive's FREE companion parenting app, Learning Mosaic.
Coupon Code for Leo's Pad
If you like Leo's Pad and want to purchase it, get 20% off with code IHOMESCHOOL if app is purchased via https://shop.kidaptive.com/. This code will not work via iTunes. Coupon valid until May 31, 2015.
Connect with Leo's Pad
Find them on Facebook (3 pages to choose from)--Kidaptive, Leo's Pad, and Learner Mosaic
Find them on Twitter @Kidaptive or @LeosPadApp