Peek-a-Boo Trick or Treat App Review

I've got a great app to go along with my fun little paper sack book that I showed you last week.  It's called Peekaboo Trick or Treat, from Night & Day Studios, the makers of the very popular Peekaboo Barn app that's been a hit with toddlers everywhere.  It has darling graphics created by Ed Emberley, the wonderful author/illustrator who gave us the classic book Go Away, Big Green Monster! that are silly rather than scary, and fun sound effects that just beg to be imitated.  Best of all, it's easy to play with just a touch, making it accessible to kids with motor challenges.

The silly doors to the "haunted house" wiggle and shake, inviting you to open them, accompanied by knocking and a silly sound made by the creature inside.

The doors open to reveal a single Halloween creature, who continues to make the silly.

The actions and sounds stop, and a written word appears on the screen, accompanied by a child's voice saying the word.

A tap to the screen makes the creature disappear and the doors close, only to start the sequence again.  There are 14 different characters that rotate through the opening and closing of the doors, culminating in a dance party for all.

How fun is that?  My little ones think it's a riot and just love imitating the crazy sounds.  I've used it all week with the same kiddos who made the paper sack books I showed you in my post Halloween Bugs Book and Preschool Craft from last week.  We say "knock knock" before we touch the doors, and then practice saying variations of the words that go along with the characters.

Have fun with this one!

Pam

App Review: Trucks HD by Duck Duck Moose

 I just downloaded this app today and I can already tell it's going to be a winner!  The name of this app is Trucks by Duck Duck Moose, creators of several of my favorite apps for little ones, and was just released on May 1, 2012.  I am so glad I found it...and so was my three-year-old friend that I used it with this morning! Any truck-loving child is sure to be delighted with the colorful, appealing graphics and the actions the cars and trucks perform.  It is easy to use and is very engaging.

The first thing you do is choose a scene.  You can choose the car wash, the tow truck, the garbage truck, traffic or the construction site.

We chose the car wash, and this is what we saw:

First, you roll your car through the mud until it's nice and dirty.

Next, you take it through the car wash.  Touch the brushes to make them wash the car.

 Then touch the devices above the car to rinse it...

...and blow it dry.  Your car is now clean and ready to roll!  This activity was perfect for working on new words with my little friend with CAS.  Words we practiced include mud, dirt, dirty, wash, water, on, off, brush, blow, clean and go.  It was also great for following directions.

The construction site was next.  The dump truck dumps dirt, rock or sand for the backhoe to scoop and take away.  Watch out for a few sneaky squirrels who visit the site!

The last scene we tried today was the tow truck scene.  We placed sharp objects in the road to pop the tires of unsuspecting cars and then sent a tow truck to help.

The tow truck brings the car to the tire shop, where we get to change the tires.  We raise and lower the car by touching the arrows, and choose new tires by touching the tool.

I haven't tried the other two scenes yet, but I'm sure I'll be just as enchanted!  This app was definitely worth the cost of $1.99.  The activities generated lots of spontaneous language from my little friend who is just building his vocabulary and beginning to combine words.  He was eager to imitate new words and excited to see what would happen next.  We'll definitely be trying this activity again soon!