5 Apps That Teach Critical Thinking Skills

By Tracey Dowdy

Has the phrase “Don’t believe everything you read” ever been truer than it is today? I don’t think so. Whether it’s a post gone viral about the life saving power of coconut oil or a spiteful comment on an Instagram photo, the power of words is as great, if not greater, than ever.

The amount of information available online is staggering and many people lack the judgement to determine what’s fact and what’s fiction. My friend Todd is a university professor and the number of students that cite Wikipedia articles as their source material falls somewhere between disappointing and frightening.

As parents raising 21st century kids, we need to start teaching critical thinking skills from an early age. Not only will this help our children to discern fact from fiction online, but these skills will transfer to real-life situations and enable them to problem solve in all areas of their lives.

The following apps teach critical thinking skills from a number of different approaches:

Busy Shapes

busyshapes1Busy Shapes is far more than an app designed to recognize shapes and name them, it teaches spatial relations and how the shapes relate to one another and the space around them. The focus isn’t on rote memorization – toddlers must use early critical thinking skills to manipulate shapes and move them through puzzles. Play difficulty increases at each level and moves quickly to keep kids engaged.

Platform: iOS
Price: $1.99


Clockwork Brain

clockworkbrainClockwork Brain is a series of brain-building puzzles aimed at improving cognitive abilities in six specific areas: memory, perception, language, logic, reflexes and calculation. Games are fast-paced to keep kids engaged and, because play is fun and energetic, kids will want to play often creating a habit of daily brain-training.

Platform: iOS, Kindle Fire
Price: Free download, in-app purchases


Winky Think Logic Puzzles

winkythinkWinky Think Logic Puzzles is a series of games and challenges that provide kids with problem solving, logic, memory, eye-hand coordination and other skills. With over 180 puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty, kids will develop their logic and reasoning skills and, because no reading is required, games are user-friendly for kids as young as six.

Platform: iOS
Price: $2.99


Brain Jump Pro

brainjumpBrain Jump Pro was developed by teachers and neuroscientists to show kids our brains can get stronger by constantly challenging them. Ned the Neuron will guide kids through three different games with 54 different levels of challenges that develop concentration and memory skills. Plus, the app includes a Brain Science section that parents and kids can explore together.

Platform: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire
Price: $2.99


Brainbean

brainbeanBrainbean challenges kids through puzzles, memory and other educational games. Each game intuitively adapts to match users’ creative capabilities and offers a fun challenge to build confidence, test memory, improve resourcefulness, and boost critical thinking. Because challenges are designed to stretch cognitive and creative skills, no matter what  learning style works best for your child there’s bound to be a game or puzzle that stimulates their brain and ultimately improves their critical thinking skills.

Platform: iOS
Price: $0.99

Apps are merely a tool and nothing works better than making those critical thinking skills part of everyday life. Teach your kids to be critical thinkers with what they see, make sure they check their source, and remember, if something appears too good to be true, it very likely is. As Abraham Lincoln might have said, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet!”

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Monday, September 28: Home Entertainment

HOME ENTERTAINMENT

#FiOSNY

When: TODAY, Monday, September 28, 2015
8:00 – 9:00 pm ET
5:00 – 6:00 pm PT
Join the #FiOSNY team TODAY at 8 pm ET as we explore the latest options in digital home entertainment!
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win an all-new Kindle Fire HD 8 (released September 30, 2015)!

(Click here  to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)

To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: FiOSNY) indicating your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://ow.ly/SIGPC  
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#FiOSNY) today between 8:00 – 9:00 pm ET.
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon.)

5 Must-Have Apps for Foodies

By Chantal Bechervaise

Are you a foodie? If you consider trying out new food a hobby and have more pictures of food on your phone than you do of family and friends, then you may be one. Here is a list of the best apps around for foodies and for those who aspire to be one:

Foodgawker

Don’t know what to cook or bake? Foodgawker is a curated photo gallery that allows the visual search and discovery of new recipes, techniques and ingredients to inspire culinary adventures. It has over 330,000 recipes submitted by food bloggers from around the world.

Platform: iOS and online at www.foodgawker.com
Cost: Free with in-app purchases


ChefsFeed

Want to know where other chefs eat and what they recommend? Then this app is for you. Reviews and recommendations are written exclusively by those who live and breathe the search for great food. Search for local restaurants and this app is great when traveling too.

Platform: iOS, Android and online at www.chefsfeed.com
Cost: Free


Urbanspoon

Urbanspoon offers reviews of restaurants in cities located in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. The app lets you compare restaurants according to cuisine, distance and reviews. And for those with an adventurous streak, you can use the random restaurant picker. Allow Urbanspoon to use your current location and then chose a neighborhood, type of food, and price. Hit the “shake” button or shake your phone, and it will pick a random restaurant nearby for you. It is great for discovering new places off the beaten path.  You can also use Urbanspoon to make reservations.

Platform: iOS, Android and online at www.zomato.com
Cost: Free


Pepperplate

This app will help you organize your recipe collection. Then you can use Pepperplate to plan your meals based on your recipes and build shopping lists. The app will walk you through preparing your meals step by step and includes built in timers. Once you sign up for an account you can import recipes from the web by copy and pasting the URL or you can enter them manually from your favorite cookbooks. You can also share your recipes and shopping lists with friends.

Platform: iOS, Android and online at www.pepperplate.com
Cost: Free


Substitutions

This is a great app if you have to cook for people with food allergies or sensitivities.  The app provides suggestions for alternate ingredients if you have forgotten to buy a particular food item, have run out of an item or for particular food allergies. It is also great for those with picky eaters.

Platform: iOS
Cost: $2.99

Have I missed any must have food apps that you currently use? Please leave a comment below with your recommendations.

CBechervaise67Chantal is located in Ottawa, Ontario. She is passionate about everything related to the World of Work: Leadership, HR, Social Media and Technology. You can read more from Chantal at her TakeItPersonelly blog or follow her on Twitter @CBechervaise.

Gender Neutral Apps for Young Kids

By Tracey Dowdy

At one time if you started searching for apps geared toward girls you’d end up lost in a sea of dress-up games and pink…well, everything. Traditionally the fields of science and engineering have been dominated by men and girls often lose interest in science as early as eight. Fortunately, developers have caught on to changing attitudes and  interests and, while there are still plenty of apps that appeal to things girls traditionally enjoy, they’ve taken the best of those elements like girls’ strong verbal skills and incorporated gender neutral options with elements including construction, exploration and running a business.

So whether your daughter wants to create her own fashion line, build a town or make movies, these apps offer all that and are great gender neutral options for both girls and boys.

Toca Life: Town

tocalifeToca Life: Town is an open play environment that lets kids interact with characters in a town that includes a home, an apartment, a restaurant, a store, a police station and a park. All the locations cross over, allowing kids to shop at the grocery store then go home and put their purchases away or go out to eat at the restaurant and then come home to their apartment and go to bed. Play is only limited by a child’s imagination and the colorful diversity of the characters is an especially refreshing touch.

Platform: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone
Price: $2.99


Peg + Cat Big Gig

pegcatPeg + Cat Big Gig uses creativity and music to let preschoolers sing and dance their way to better math skills. Kids can sing along with Peg and Cat or create their own stage show with disco lights, fireworks and back-up singers, while learning number and pattern recognition, counting by ones and twos, and practice using ordinal numbers.

Platform: iOS, Android, Fire phone, Kindle Fire, Nook HD
Price: $1.99


Toca Robot Lab

tocarobotToca Robot Lab is another great app from the creative team at Toca Boca. Kids use tools and found items along with their imagination to build robots then can then fly around the robot test track. Kids learn basic recycling, engineering, and construction principles all while having a blast by being creative.

Platform: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone
Price: $2.99


Monument Valley

monumentvalleyMonument Valley is an MC Escher-inspired puzzle game that warps the world and its architecture. Users guide a princess through a silent world by dragging and turning parts of certain buildings to create a path from one part of the landscape to another or by stepping on specific tiles they can suspend gravity and climb walls. The whole point of the game is to stretch your imagination so things are possible in the game that aren’t possible in the real world.

Platform: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire
Price: $3.99


GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine

goldiebloxGoldieBox and the Movie Machine is from the creators of the GoldieBlox engineering toys designed to level the playing field and inspire kids to be creative while piquing their interest in science. With Movie Machine kids can get step by step directions to create their own stop motion movies either by starting from scratch or by choosing a template and building from there. Kids will pay attention to detail and learn problem solving skills as they use their imaginations to create their movies.

Platform: iOS
Price: Free

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Friday, September 25: Smartphones and Foodies

MOBILE LIVING TWITTER PARTY

#VZWBuzz

When: TODAY, Friday, September 25, 2015
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT

‘Smartphones and Foodies’

Join @TheTechDad @RobynsWorld @TheOnlineMom and friends TODAY at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) as we chat about Smartphones and Foodies!
Whether you want to book a hard-to-get table at a local restaurant, check up on a recipe, or take a photo of a favorite dish, your smartphone is there to help! Join the VZWBuzz team as we explore how mobile devices are turning us all into dedicated foodies!
RSVP and attend the party for a chance to win a Mophie Powerstation portable charger or a Droid Turbo smartphone!
And join Monica Vila and special guests on the Video Recap right after the chat for another chance to win a Droid Turbo smartphone!

(Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)

To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: VZWBuzz) and include your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://ow.ly/SwQBf         
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#VZWBuzz) today between 3 – 4 pm ET
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon Wireless.)

Monday, September 21: Celebrating Hispanic Business

The USHCC Annual National Convention

#VerizonHouston

When: TODAY, Monday, September 21, 2015
3:00 – 4:00 pm CT
4:00 – 5:00 pm ET
The USHCC Annual National Convention is the largest gathering of Hispanic business leaders in America. Join host @SilviaOnlineMom and friends live from Houston, TX as we celebrate this important networking event for Hispanic businesses and corporations interested in reaching Hispanic communities.
RSVP and attend the chat for a chance to win one of two UE Boom Bluetooth speakers!

(Click here  to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)

To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: VerizonHouston) indicating your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://ow.ly/SrTnn  
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#VerizonHouston) today between 3:00 – 4:00 pm CT.
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon.)

Web-Based Resources for Special Needs Kids

By Tracey Dowdy

Being a parent is arguably the hardest job you’ll ever have. If you are the parent or caregiver for a child with special needs, you often face challenges beyond that of other parents, though you are equally passionate about your child’s success.

You’re on the clock 24 hours a day, so it’s important to have resources that are available at any time. Navigating everything out there on the Internet can be overwhelming but these websites can offer plenty of support.

Possibilities: Caring for a child with special needs may present significant financial challenges. The Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) Center and the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE®) have worked together to create parent centers across the country to provide critical financial resources for parents and caregivers of children from birth to 26 years of age and help with understanding rights and responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Doodle: If you need to coordinate a meeting with your child’s occupational therapist, speech therapist, or teacher, then you know how long that email chain can get. Doodle takes the often frustrating task of group scheduling and streamlines it for you. Select the times you’re available, add your email address and the email addresses of the individuals you want to attend and Doodle will send you an overview of who is available for each date and time. Schedule the appointment and have it synced to your Google, iCal, Cloud or other calendar. Available online or as an app (iOS, Android).

PACER Center: For over 30 years, the Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights has focused on parents helping parents, as well as providing support and resources for families with children and adolescents with disabilities, including assistance and advice for early intervention and advocacy. They offer workshops, publications and online resources, as well as assistance in transitioning adolescents into adulthood. They’re also an excellent resource for those looking to integrate assistive technology into their lives.

Zoho Invoice: Keeping track of your expenses connected to therapists, materials and interventions is vitally important for parents and caregivers. Materials and therapeutic resources can be costly but without documentation you could be out of pocket a significant amount of money at the end of the year. Zoho Invoice allows you to track and record your expenses, automatically send reminders and even send thank you notes.

Lotsa Helping Hands:  Sometimes we’re too busy to ask for help or assume others are too busy, and sometimes others assume we’ve got it covered and don’t need help. Lotsa Helping Hands gives friends and family members a place to sign up for everything from babysitting to meal prep or even pick up from school or a ride to a doctor’s appointment. Volunteers get a reminder email so there’s no confusion and parents get the respite they often desperately need.

Family Resource Center on Disabilities provides training and support to families of children with disabilities. Caregivers have access to webinars and workshops on topics as varied as “Navigating the IEP Process” to “Skills for Parent Advocacy”, Volunteer Advocacy Programs and information on the Disability Pride Parade and much more. The website offers a Spanish translation as well.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

Friday, September 18: Mobile Music

VERIZON MOBILE LIVING TWITTER PARTY

#VZWBuzz

When: TODAY, Friday, September 18, 2015
3:00 – 4:00 pm ET
12:00 – 1:00 pm PT

‘Mobile Music’

Join @TheTechDad @RobynsWorld @TheOnlineMom and friends TODAY at 3 pm ET (12 noon PT) as we chat about Mobile Music!
From personalized streaming services to Bluetooth speakers and headsets, mobile devices continue to reinvent the music industry. We look at the latest developments in mobile music and offer tips on the best ways to enjoy our favorite tunes!
RSVP and attend the party for a chance to win an Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speaker or an HTC One M9 smartphone!
And join Monica Vila and special guests on the Video Recap right after the chat for another chance to win an HTC M9 smartphone!

(Click here to learn more about our Twitter chats. You must RSVP and attend the party to be eligible for a prize.)

To RSVP:
  1. Email RSVP@theonlinemom.com (subject line: VZWBuzz) and include your Twitter ID.
  2. Spread the word and RT this link on your Twitter feed: http://ow.ly/SlnLP        
  3. Join us on TweetDeck or HootSuite (#VZWBuzz) today between 3 – 4 pm ET
  4. Tell your Twitter followers!
PRIZE WINNERS will be announced during the Party!

(The Online Mom LLC receives a fee for participating in certain promotional programs for Verizon Wireless.)

Challenging Apps for Pre-Schoolers

By Tracey Dowdy

Although we know kids learn more in those first three years of life than they will ever again, it’s in those next years – ages 3-5 – that they develop the skills that form an educational foundation for the future.

In some ways, social skills are more important at this age. Kids need to learn to wait their turn, follow simple instructions from their teacher and learn that other people’s feelings and needs are important too. However, along with those social skills, preschoolers need to grasp foundational math and reading skills which will set the stage for future academic success.

These five simple apps offer more than just fun. They’re challenging, educational, and will help your pre-schooler get the year off to a good start.

Intro to Math, by Montessorium

montessoriumIntro to Math offers kids a comprehensive look at fundamental math concepts like comparison, sequencing, units and wholes, even and odd, and symbols. Kids learn to read, write and understand numbers from 0-9, learn problem-solving and develop fine-motor skills.

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: $2.99


Starfall ABCs

StarfallStarfall ABCs is the app-based version of the popular Starfall website. Kids see, hear and interact with words to learn upper and lower case letters, phonics, and develop vocabulary skills. The app focuses on positive reinforcement by offering games that hold the child’s interest while boosting their confidence to try more challenging activities.

Platform: iOS, Android, Amazon
Price: $2.99


Thinkrolls

ThinkrollsThinkrolls challenges kids to move different shapes through over 200 mazes, all while teaching observation skills, logic and reasoning, problem solving, spatial cognition and memory. There’s no winning or losing, passing or failing. Kids learn by trial and error what works to get their character through the maze.

Platform: iOS, Android
Price: $2.99


Avokiddo Emotions

avokiddoAvokiddo Emotions uses silliness and an open-style of play to teach children to recognize emotions. Kids play with animals like a zany zebra, shimmying sheep, jolly giraffe and a modest moose by dressing them up using props and watching them react to a honking horn or dance at a fiesta. While it may seem like fun and games, kids not only explore their creativity, they learn cause and effect, practice following directions and learn empathy as they see the consequences of their choices.

Platform: iOS
Price: $2.99


Feeding Time with Fred & Olive

feeding-timeFeeding Time has children follow Fred and Olive around Uncle John’s farm as they feed the animals. More than simply teaching kids basic farm animals and sounds, they learn what foods each animal eats and more importantly, they learn responsibility as they see the animals depend on the farmer for their food. It’s a simple game, but pre-schoolers will love the illustrations, narration, and the satisfaction of seeing the animals fall asleep once they’ve been fed.

Platform: iOS
Price: Free

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Toronto, ON. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances and researches on subjects from family and education to pop culture and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.