By Tracey Dowdy
Students in my neighborhood don’t go back to school until after Labor Day but my little friend Lydia started first grade the first Wednesday in August. No matter the start date, for most families back to school means a major change in routine and those first weeks can be as frustrating as eating soup with a fork. These apps can help you get everyone up to speed and back on track for the start of the new school year.
Care.com
Several moms I know use care.com as their go-to for sitters and nannies, but they also use it in ways I hadn’t thought of. Since many of the families in my area are two-income homes, getting kids to and from after school activities is a challenge. That’s where care.com comes in. Users can find someone to drop off or pick up kids from school or soccer practice, hire a tutor, walk the dog, check in on your elderly parents, or even catch up on your laundry. They even offer services for families with special needs children. The app is free and the service starts at $39 a month. Caregivers rates will vary depending on experience and the service offered.
Wyzant
Teachers do their best but for many students, focused, one on one instruction is the difference between success and failure. Wyzant is an online database of expert tutors making “private tutoring accessible and affordable, in person and online.” Simply plug in the subject and your zip code and WyzAnt will bring up a list of potential tutors in your area. The list includes biographical information, education level and a photo. You can communicate with the tutor and review feedback from other users for free and even run a secure background check. You set the parameters – how often you want to meet, where, and at what time.
Search for help with virtually any subject: test prep, phonics, organic chemistry, art history, or even private music lessons. WyzAnt has tutors “within 10 miles of 93.7% of the US population” so chances are you can find one in your area, and online tutoring is also an option. Payments are made through WyzAnt after each session with most tutors charging between $30-$50 per hour, though keep in mind rates will vary based on factors such as education, experience, and the subject being tutored. Plus, WyzAnt promises a money back guarantee – they cover the cost of the first hour if you’re not 100% satisfied with your tutor.
Signup.com
Signup.com is a PTA parent’s dream. As a “coordination resource”, signup.com provides users with organizing tools for everything from field trips and fundraisers to volunteer schedules and collecting for teacher gifts. Sync the app with the website and you’ll be able to access your account and schedules across platforms. You can upload logos and photos, access over 1500 themes, create and send unlimited emails, announcements, and thank you notes, collect funds plus any other features essential for classroom volunteer management. Premium plans allow you to add waivers, virtual check in, custom URL’s and tracking of volunteer or participant hours. The basic service is free, premium starts at $9.99 a month, and the Campus Plan for K-12 is $99 a year.
Remind
Thirty-five million students, parents and teachers use Remind, a free messaging app that allows direct communication among parents, teachers and students without sharing phone numbers. Students do not see teachers’ phone numbers nor do teachers see theirs. Users create a profile that allows them to communicate with individuals or with groups via text messages – students without smartphones receive their messages via SMS. Granted, not all students have phones, but many do, so it’s easy to send reminders, schedule changes and keep up to date. The app is free for iOS and Android devices.
Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.
The Audubon Bird Guide has a catalog identifying over 800 birds with information on their appearance, habitat, behavior and migration patterns. Take the app outdoors and find Birds with 
Night Sky takes the expanse of the night sky and puts it in your child’s hands. Just point your phone’s camera at the heavens and using geo-tracking, Night Sky will identify the stars and planets above your head. Use Stargazing Conditions to identify the best night to look for constellations and planets or combine Stargazing Conditions with World Traveler to see the conditions in an area you’re traveling to. The app includes music, sound effects, 3D Earth Mode, satellite tracking and you can connect with other star gazers through the Night Sky™ Community.
Did you know the animal with the most species on earth is insects? Well now you do! Meet the Insects is crammed with facts about every species you can think of, from butterflies to beetles. Choose Forest, Village and Water, or Grass editions to identify bugs in your backyard, on a camping trip or anywhere else you come across creepy-crawlies. Kids can learn more about each species through videos and photos, create a journal to keep track of what they’ve seen, or take a quiz to see how much they’ve learned.
Nature’s Notebook makes kids citizen scientists by having them create an account at 
The Smithsonian Institution, University of Maryland and Columbia University have combined forces to create Leafsnap. Users take photos of leaves and through visual recognition software, Leafsnap identifies the tree species. The app has beautiful, high quality images of leaves, flowers, fruits, petioles, seeds, and bark found in the Northeastern United States and Canada.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar app bundle (ages 2+) gives kids the opportunity to interact with Eric Carle’s classic – and very hungry – caterpillar. The bundle includes four apps that allow kids to create their very own hungry caterpillar, feed him, learn about colors, shapes and counting, and learn to recognize simple words, plus many other fun adventures all through non-competitive, imaginative play.
Tiny Airport (ages 3-6) takes kids through three different scenes starting with their arrival by taxi and check-in through boarding and getting to fly the plane themselves. With over 100 separate animations, kids will sort bags, go through a check list and start the plane and discover what a dog is doing on the runway. Tiny Airport includes some timed activities and challenges for older kids.
Toca Vacation is part of the Toca Life series of apps designed with free and imaginative play in mind. Kids can interact with a host of characters as they decide where to vacation, where to stay and what to do when they arrive. Options are exactly what kids would enjoy in real life – jumping on the hotel bed, digging for shells and buried treasure at the beach, or enjoying an ice cream with their friends.
Eli Explorer (ages 5 and under) teaches kids age appropriate words and short phrases in 10 different languages, spoken by native speakers. Kids join Eli as he travels the world, exploring caves, jungles, forests and mountaintops. Order a glass of milk at a monkey tree bar, or dive into an undersea cave and listen to a monster band. The animation is simple yet engaging and very user friendly as kids need only tap and drag to interact with the game.
Plum’s Creaturizer (ages 4+) is based on the PBS KIDS web-original PLUM LANDING, a show dedicated to helping kids develop a love for and an appreciation of nature. The app allows kids to create their own wild creature by choosing from over 100 body parts and then take their creature outdoors and “photobomb” them into a scene. Kids can complete missions for their creature, answer questions about its life, diet and habitat, or watch a slideshow capturing “a day in the life” of their creation. All their creatures are saved in your device’s camera roll and to the in-app gallery.
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Eat Sleep: Simple Baby Tracking does exactly what it says: it tracks your baby’s sleep, eating, and diaper habits. Recommended by moms of multiples, the app is very straightforward with information entered by a single tap. There’s a handy Notes feature but no alarms, alerts or scheduling and the clean interface means you can access information at a glance. For an additional cost you can purchase BabySync, which allows you to backup information and share it with family ad friends. (iOS – Free)
Latchme was developed by doctors and lactation consultants and is loaded with valuable tips and videos. The app is community supported, so you can connect with other moms to ask questions and find resources in your area like nursing areas with clean facilities, comfortable chairs, change tables, sinks, and outlets. (iOS, Android – Free)
The Wonder Weeks is based on the book of the same name, backed by 35 years of experience and is designed to help you track your baby’s mental development for the first 20 months. The app lets you know when your baby is about to make a developmental leap, what they can comprehend and learn after this mental growth spurt, as well as behavioral differences to be aware of like interrupted sleep patterns and mood changes. (iOS, Android – $1.99)
Baby Connect is a comprehensive app that can help you stay on top of everything, including feedings, diaper changes, sleep, baby’s mood, medications, and even photos. Information is easily shared making it especially valuable for parents and caregivers who share childcare responsibilities. (iOS, Android – $4.99)
Sprout Baby is another comprehensive app that allows you to track milestones, feedings, diaper changes and doctor appointments. Information is easily shared across devices and between caregivers as well as healthcare providers ensuring everyone is up to date on baby’s needs. The app can be purchased as a standalone or is available as part of a 3 app bundle. (iOS, Android – $4.99; or Sprout Fertility and Period Tracker, Sprout Pregnancy, and Sprout Baby for $9.99)
Cozi is consistently on lists of go-to apps for getting organized, something that may be more of a challenge with a newborn. Or a toddler. Or a Tween. Or Twins. You see where I’m going with this? More than just a way to track baby’s needs, it enables you to track and share doctor’s appointments, shopping lists, and much more for the whole family. (iOS, Android – Free)
WebMD Baby can be a lifesaver both literally and figuratively. The app provides easy to access and understand doctor approved medical information from birth to two years. It includes illness and emergency symptoms and weekly content that is specific to your baby’s age and developmental stage. (iOS, Android – Free)
Pairing the concept of crowdfunding with smartphone users who outnumber the hungry 20 to 1 globally, The United Nations World Food Programme Share the Meal allows users to donate as little as fifty cents a day to fight hunger. It’s as simple as a single tap on your screen.
Once you download the app, Charity Miles tracks your movements. Each running-mile is worth 25 cents, each biked-mile earns10 cents. Users can select where the money is donated with a list of 30 charities to choose from including World Wildlife Fund and Habitat for Humanity. Note, Charity Miles keeps 50% of donations made to cover the shortfall when there are more individuals participating than corporate donations had been committed.
One Today was developed by Google and introduces you to a new charity every day by telling you the details for each charity, what they do, what your donation will fund, and providing you with an impact report. When you see a charity you like, simply tap the give button to donate $1. If you want to give more, the app connects you with the charity’s website.
If ever there was a charity designed for our selfie and photo sharing era, it’s Donate a Photo. Simply download the app, choose a charity you want to help, choose a photo from your camera roll or take one through the app, share the photo via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and Johnson & Johnson will give $1 to your chosen cause. J&J curates a list of causes and once the charity’s goal is met, they’re replaced with a new cause. Images will never be used for commercial purposes and can be kept to a private list of viewers. Users can post one photo per day.
TangoTab connects you with great deals at local restaurants. Simply check in when you arrive and the restaurant will pay a small fee to TangoTab. That money is then donated to a local food charity like a shelter or food bank to feed the hungry and homeless. Their tag is “When you eat, they eat.” The charity is currently available in limited cities but if you provide your email address, they’ll contact you when it comes to your city.