Friday's Favorite: Aps

I know the APA says that children under two should have limited to no screen time. I do my very best to not have the TV on when Baby Peach is around. I also try really hard not to use the iPad or iPhone as a toy, but, desperate times... the last 20 min of Stroller Strides, when I'm waiting in the checkout line and basically any time on the plane. So in that spirit, I present my favorite applications for my 10 month old and I ask that you don't judge me.

GAMES
1. iTot - flash cards that play animal noises, show objects and have several language options. A touch to the screen repeats the word and Baby Peach quickly figured out how to side swipe between cards.

2. Peek A Boo Barn - an animal makes a noise from behind the barn doors, tap the doors and they open. A child's voice (or you can record your own voice) says the name of the animal and you hear the noise again. Tap the barn doors again to close and get a new animal. I enjoy the setting in this game that allows you to go through each animal once and then the game ends.

3. Elmo Calls - baby can FaceTime with Elmo. A short video plays with Elmo doing something silly. Since we do a lot of FaceTime with family, Baby Peach is really into "playing FaceTime" and he finds these short Elmo vignettes quite amusing.

PARENTING
1. Baby Tracker - allows you to track diapers, feedings, and sleep. You can have it on multiple devices and set alerts so if your babysitter changes a diaper, you can be alerted on your device. I love the feature that shows your daily schedule as a graph - this was most helpful for learning baby's schedule.

2. Baby Monitor - when traveling I can turn my iPhone and iPad into a video monitor. This app has two settings. The first one is a video monitor that is on all the time, the second one will video or audio call when the baby makes noise for more then a set amount of time (5, 10 or 20 seconds.) This is perfect for when we are away from home.

I would love suggestions for other apps you find helpful. I plan to rely heavily on the iPad for our flight to London. I have hears Yo Gabba Gabba and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse are winners but haven't yet checked them out.