Explore | The GEMS World Academy Blog

As early as infancy, children are fascinated by screens and by the time they reach pre-school, your kids are probably swiping your smart phone or tablet. While there are thousands of games and apps to keep them occupied in waiting rooms or on long road trips, we’ve compiled a list of free and low-cost apps that will aid in their development rather than just keep them busy.

BABY SIGN AND LEARN
Ages 0-10

Baby sign language is all the rage with new parents, and recent studies show that babies who sign develop broader, more in-depth language skills later in life. If you’re eager to communicate with your child before they reach speaking age, BABY SIGN AND LEARN helps you teach your little one over 200 signs.

TODDLER TEASERS
Ages 2-5

This is a family of apps designed for your toddler to learn independently. There are four different versions: colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. Each quiz is different and the questions change every time it’s opened. The more questions your toddler correctly answers, the harder the questions become. This app encourages independent learning, which we celebrate here at GEMS World Academy, and challenges your child as they learn.

THE HUMAN BODY
Ages 4+

Elementary schoolers never run out of questions about their bodies – What happens to the food I eat? Where does the air go when I breathe? – and this app proves that it’s never too early to learn anatomy. With fully interactive and animated features, kids learn about the digestive, circulatory, nervous, and skeletal systems.

THE GREAT INVENTORS
Ages 6-8

GEMS World Academy puts a focus on new inventions and technology, but it’s important for our students to learn about historic inventions as well. This app incorporates information about famous inventors and their creations, with interactive games and quizzes.

MINI MONET
Ages 6-8

Art is a large part of the GEMS curriculum, both inside the classroom and out on field studies. If your child wants to keep creating after school lets out, Mini Monet is a great app to cultivate their drawing and painting skills. It also supports altering photos, weekly art challenges, and an interactive art club where users can share their creations.

STACK THE STATES
Ages 9-11

Whether you’re heading out on a road trip or your child needs extra geography practice, this app is perfect for increasing knowledge of the US. Unlike many geography apps which focus on rote memorization, Stack the States utilizes puzzle-solving skills to teach users about the states, capitals, and where they’re located on the map.

DIY.ORG
Ages 9+

Want to teach your youngster hundreds of skills with a single app? The DIY app contains thousands of challenges to engage your child and boost their creativity, from animation and design to rhythm and music. It’s like a summer-camp in an app!

LEARNER MOSAIC
For parents

This app helps parents gain insight into their child’s learning style, areas of struggle and strength, and provide powerful tools to aid in development outside of the classroom. Through parent-guided questions, observations, and challenges, this app adapts to your child’s learning style and provides additional resources to help them grow.

Concerned about your kids having too much screen time? Read our previous blog post, SCREEN-TIME: BENEFICIAL OR DETRIMENTAL?