Apps for toddlers

This, I take it, is a bit of a controversial issue and to be honest, if Reuben had not been using the ipad already I don't think it would have occurred to me to give it to Isaac (who is two and a half). But as ipads feature prominently in this household, as well as computers, cameras, smartphones and similar, and I don't like to limit my children's experiences (we are autonomous/child led educators), they are used quite a lot and I never have had reason to worry as my children use them as just one of the tools at their disposal and are not obsessive with them.

So this is a list of apps (in no particular order) that Isaac in particular really enjoys (all available from the app store on your iphone or ipad, and android often has a twin version).

• Anything with Dora the explorer or the spin off Diego. These are interactive stories with puzzles to solve to allow the story to continue.

• Disney digital books, interactive stories, we have Toy Story, Nemo, Mickey's spooky night puzzle book, Pooh's birthday surprise, Winnie the Pooh puzzle book
• It's a small world. From Disney this is a really lovely trip round the world on a balloon app to charming images and music
• From Ladybird, Happy babies and Peekaboo. For very young children, touch and discover where the animals and their babies are, very sweet, Isaac still likes it!

• Dr Seuss books and games. We have a lot of the books, Isaac's favourite is Oh say can you say dinosaur. Isaac also likes the music app Dr Seuss band and the colouring one

• Monkey preschool lunch box. A collection of matching games involving numbers and colours, this was really popular with my boys and my stepchildren
• Boowa and Kwala. A spin off from the website which is a bit too difficult for Isaac but the apps are nice. We have the circus and the farm one. It's a little journey with games and songs through a farm and a circus, French and English options, Isaac seems to like both!

• In the night garden. Very sweet app from the Cbeebies programme
• Peppa Pig. I must confess we have all of them and Isaac likes them all...
• iWriteWords. Handwriting app that Isaac very stubbornly tries to do!

• ClikyStickyTrains. He LOVES this one. Make your own train and watch it go. There are more in the series, we also have the cars and Christmas ones

I'm sure there's more as Reuben has flooded the ipad with apps and Isaac gives them all a try but I think these are the ones he uses more often. Ok, now off to play in the sand pit!