APPen is a brand new line of kids electronic toys and accessories from GPTech, that allows children to enjoy learning, writing and colouring on a tablet. The app is compatible with the majority of android and iOS tablets. Recently, I did have issues when I updated to the latest iOS7 release which caused the app to stop working. So I had to go to Settings, click Privacy, select Microphone and then set the APPen to YES. The app is free to download and it can be used with or without the APPen. The APPen does not require batteries; simply plug it in via the headphone socket of any compatible tablet.

I’ve always loved Ladybird books since young. They have so many classic stories and I recall I owned a series of hardback books with a ladybird on the side. Now Ladybird have turned some classic tales into ebooks. Ebooks have become increasingly popular nowadays as you have the potential to bring your whole library of books along on your travels. I personally have so many different ebooks for children on my iPad already. So what makes Ladybird so unique?

Many parents will know Britain’s best-loved children’s entertainer Justin Fletcher MBE, – also known as Mr Tumble! Last week, I reviewed Justin’s World Jigsongs app. In that review, I also mentioned that he has launched three more apps which are Goldilocks; Letter Sounds and Animal Sounds.

Every child will know Britain’s best-loved children’s entertainer Justin Fletcher MBE, – also known as Mr Tumble!  Now he has launched Justin’s World. It is a new range of apps for pre-school children. Both of my children adore him and still watch Mr Tumble, Justin’s House and Jollywobbles! This coming Thursday, I am hosting the #SomethingSpecialParty. My children can’t wait to play with the toys!

The NEW Zappie app is set to amaze pre-school children by bringing to life their bedroom walls, furniture and clothing in a wonderfully magical and interactive way. They use the latest augmented reality technology to launch a series of colourful animations from a set of cute products and images which can be placed anywhere from walls to T-shirts – making it irresistibly fun for both parents and kids to play and interact with.

Me Books store is an app that allows you to buy your favourite children’s books and customise the audio content in them. The ebook that I download is called “The Brave Beast” which is written by Chris Judge. Each page is beautifully illustrated, bright and colourful. This is a story which follows on from “The Lonely Beast”. The Beast is asked by some islanders to help investigate a mysterious noise on their island. He sets off by jumping down the air plane and then swims ashore. Next, he wanders through the quiet island to investigate the strange noise. He goes up and down the tunnel and through a forest. He then sees a tiny little bird who is lost and crying. In fact, the tiny little bird is the scary noise on the island. In the end, the islanders invite the bird to stay and gives him a job in the lighthouse.

I first heard about phonics through my son attending preschool. It get me wondering whether I really have to learn this. I come from Singapore and we did not use phonics during my school time. That was at least 20 over years ago.  At that time, I had absolutely no clue what phonics was.