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Learn and be creative – apps for toddlers

Lovely animations, child-friendly illustrations and interactive content: There are a variety of learning and creative apps that have been specially developed for toddlers to support them in their development. We present a few apps for toddlers.

What is it about?

Children are fundamentally curious and learn through active trial and error. Learning and creative apps can support this natural learning process and promote cognitive and creative development. For example, there are apps that teach the alphabet or quantities, or let you solve puzzles and riddles. Children can also draw in apps, create their own artwork or tell stories. The playful design makes the learning process fun and can motivate children to express themselves or develop further.

Find apps

You and your child can get apps in a number of ways. But it’s not easy to find the right product from the almost endless list of apps. For your search we recommend the DJI database, Seitenstark, SIN – Studio im Netz or the Spieleratgeber NRW.

Recommendations for infants

This selection of apps is particularly suitable for getting started – for example, for two- to five-year-olds. Whether an app is really suitable for your child is individual and you know best. The apps all contain no advertising or in-app purchases. What else makes a good app for kids, we describe in this article.

TheElephant

The app for the show with the elephant offers, in addition to shows and laughs and factual stories, numerous games such as painting, puzzles, programming, dodging obstacles, hiding and rubbing a treasure chest free in pairs. With the help of the elephant alarm clock, the duration of the game time can be set.[iOS/Android/Amazon, Free]

Little extinguishers

As a firefighter, get to know the everyday life of the fire department. Your child experiences firefighting operations in the app and learns in a playful way how to behave correctly in the event of a fire. The self-explanatory and predominantly wordless tasks should be emphasized, which even young children can master perfectly.[iOS/Android, free of charge]

Sesame Street

The app is based on the children’s series and offers children’s movies and music to sing along to, as well as some learning games such as a dress-up game, a flower chorus, cookie dominoes, a packing game, frog hopping or an ant rally. Again, no reading skills are required.[iOS/Android, free]

Fiete

Discover his island together with Fiete the sailor: sort apples into a basket, mount tires on a car or crack eggs into the pan. The interactive picture book app can be controlled by simple and intuitive tapping and swiping motions. The soundscape and animations are also calm and unagitated. [iOS/Android, €3.99]

My 1st app – vehicles

Select vehicles, hear their names and discover their characteristics. There are three types of games to get to know the vehicles: a puzzle, a spinning game, and a patience game with different difficulty levels. It should be emphasized that the app does not have a reward system.[iOS, €1.99]

Bubl painting

Paint and compose – at the same time. To do this, select a motif, a color palette and you can paint colorful pictures and make music with colors and shapes. An overall picture is created from lines, waves and circles. The app promotes the perception of the connection between sound, color and form.[iOS, €2.99]

Milli and her friends: play and read-aloud fun

A read-aloud story in rhyme about a snail in search of itself. On her journey, she meets many animals. The calm and appealing design of the app stands out from many modern apps.[iOS, €1.99]

My Montessori

Shapes and colors, sound recognition, reading and writing the alphabet, numbers and math basics: the app offers several learning games based on the Montessori teaching method. Preschool at home, quasi.[iOS/Android, free of charge, exception: with in-app purchases]

Khan Academy Kids (English)

Storybooks and phonics games, tracing letters and practicing writing, math facts and number games. In addition to educational games, the app also offers children’s songs and yoga videos to sing and dance along to – all in English.[iOS/Android/Amazon, Free]

What else is important

Take time to review apps before providing them to your child. Read reviews from other parents and check if the app is from trusted developers or educational institutions.

Look for age-appropriate content and features. It is important that the app takes into account your child’s developmental level and provides appropriate challenges.

Use the apps as an opportunity for joint activities with your child. Accompany it, ask questions, encourage it to tell or discuss the content. Also, make sure that your child cannot access other apps.

Set rules for screen time– together, depending on age. And pay attention to how your child reacts to using the apps. When showing signs of frustration, overwhelm, or dependency, it is important to reduce screen time and provide alternative activities.

Your own behavior serves as a role model for your child. Try to set an example of a balanced approach to digital media yourself and not let screen time dominate family life excessively.

It is not necessary to have a large number of apps. Rather, focus on a few high-quality apps that match your child’s needs and interests.

Smartphones and tablets: battery and where it goes

“I have to call it a day, my battery is almost out!” – does this sound familiar? Just when the smartphone or tablet was fully charged, it flashes red again. This article explains which functions consume a particularly large amount of energy and how you can increase the battery performance of mobile devices.

Charge battery correctly

Lithium-ion batteries are installed in smartphones and tablets. They store energy, release it into the device’s power circuit, and absorb new power via a cable. Do not allow your device to fully discharge, but do not fully charge it either. According to TÜV Süd, the ideal battery level is 30 to 70 percent. Leaving the device hanging from the power cord at night is not a good idea. More expensive models have a battery control system that automatically regulates the charging process. Use the charger supplied by the manufacturer, because then the charging power and speed will optimally suit your device.

Increase battery power

Batteries are very sensitive components of smartphones and tablets. Protect your devices from moisture and humidity, from cold and heat, as well as from shocks and falls. This will prevent damage to the battery cells.

You can increase the battery life with the following tips:

  • The display eats up the most power in mobile devices. Reduce the brightness of the screen, use the “Automatic brightness” function and use the “Night mode” in dark environments. Avoid the “Always On” mode, where the display is on continuously, for example to show the time.
  • Turn off features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or location when you don’t need them. The constant search for reception consumes a lot of power.
  • Check the “Battery” section in the settings: how much energy does your device consume during the course of the day and which apps require particularly much power? If there is an app in the list that you have not used at all, it could be a buggy or data-robbing app. Uninstall the app or make an app update.
  • Close apps and processes that are running in the background. The more processes are active, the more power your device requires. Close apps that you don’t need at the moment. On Android, turn off automatic synchronization of accounts like the Google apps under “Settings” à “Accounts”.
  • Activate the “Energy saving mode” function. This automatically stops background processes. Your device may then operate somewhat slower, but with less energy.
  • Widgets, for example with current news or the weather, also consume a lot of power. Remove it from the screen again if necessary.
  • Reduce the number of apps that are allowed to send you push messages. Each time a notification is sent, the device is brought out of sleep mode. For Apple, go to “Settings” à “Messages”. On Android, you select the individual apps under “Settings” à “Apps & Notifications” and then specify which app is allowed to send you notifications.
  • To save power, use silent mode and reduce audible and sensory signals. Sounds and vibration consume quite a bit of energy.

Here is what you and your child can look out for

To ensure that you and your child enjoy your device for longer, check the settings on the smartphone and tablet together. If you are on the device a lot, you also consume a lot of battery. Gaming apps like Clash of Clans and video streaming are particularly energy-hungry. Set a good example and be a role model for conscious media use. Think together about how you want to shape media use in the family and agree on rules that apply to everyone. Especially for younger children, screen time settings can help regulate time on the device.

If the battery is not enough, you can take a powerbank with you on the road. If the battery often runs down quickly despite all energy-saving measures, don’t buy a new device right away, but have the battery replaced by the manufacturer. This protects both our environment and your wallet.

Geocaching – the modern treasure hunt

This scavenger hunt, which works with a smartphone or GPS device, is also fun for older kids and teens. Try it out and go on this special treasure hunt together with your child.

What does Geocaching mean?

Geocaching involves using a GPS receiver to find small treasures that other players have hidden in different places. These caches are located in cans or jars of different sizes. The respective GPS location is registered on a platform, e.g. geocaching.com or opencaching.de, and can be saved and retrieved via app. Whoever finds a cache enters his or her name in a so-called logbook, which is attached to the cache. After that, the can is closed again and hidden in the same place, so that the next person also has to look for it.

Geocaching is a popular hobby among adults, children and teenagers. The treasures are hidden all over the world, so even on vacation you can go in search and discover exciting places. For some geocachers, it’s all about finding as many caches as possible and signing logbooks around the world.

What is there to consider?

There are caches in different categories and sizes. All important information is in the cache description. Some caches require special equipment for the search. With puzzle caches, tasks must be solved beforehand in order to get the GPS coordinates. Depending on the cache, children as young as 4 can join the treasure hunt. Older children can already read the descriptions themselves and be more independent in their search.

Some caches are not easy to find. This can quickly frustrate children. Therefore, read the cache description carefully beforehand. Often there are still important hints in the comments of the digital logbook (under each cache description). Occasionally it happens that a cache is no longer in hiding because someone has destroyed it or taken it away.

In some caches are barter items, such as a toy figure, a coin or the like. Some items have a mission. For example, they are to get to another country or place by barter. All information is available on the geocaching platform. An important rule is that geocachers search inconspicuously so as not to draw the attention of so-called muggles to the cache. Throwing away trash or destroying the landscape is not welcomed in the geocaching community and is against the rules of geocaching.

Here’s how to go on a treasure hunt:

  • register with geocaching platform and search for suitable caches
  • Install geocaching app on (loaded) smartphone
  • Read cache descriptions well, as sometimes there are things to keep in mind during the search
  • Pack a pen and barter item if needed, put on sturdy shoes and let’s go!
  • Search for the cache with the help of the smartphone, find it and log the visit (in the can and/or on the platform/app).
  • Hide cache again (in the same place)

Digital scavenger hunt with Actionbound

Do you remember scavenger hunts from your childhood? Today, if you have a smartphone with a suitable app likeActionbound, you can add digital options to the scavenger hunt.

In a nutshell:

  • App for iOS and Android for conducting scavenger hunts, city tours and rallies.
  • no age restriction; suitable for children from approx. 10 years of age
  • free of charge for private use
  • Registration required when creating own bounds

What is Actionbound?

Actionbound can be played with family or friends, for example as a rally for a child’s birthday party or on vacation to explore a new place. Actionbound can be played alone or as a group.

WithActionbound, digital scavenger hunts – known as bounds – can be played using a tablet or smartphone. As you play, clues, puzzles, challenges, and media content appear directly on the screen. The bounds contain varied game elements such as GPS locations, QR codes and mini-games. When using the GPS, the tablet or smartphone shows the players the way by displaying a directional arrow.

Get creative yourself with Actionbound

Bounds are either created and published by other Actionbound users or you can create a new bound yourself.The app contains numerous bounds on topics such as nature, culture, leisure activities or sights. This turns a city tour into an exciting experience, for example.

Own bounds can be created on the computer via the internet browser in the Bound-Creator. This requires a free registration with Actionbound. Creating a Bound is very simple.Images, videos and audio can be integrated, quiz questions and tasks can be set and QR codes can be created. If you want to share your bound with selected people, you can choose the “secret bounds” function. Creators pay seven euros per compound (as of July 2022).

Click here to go directly to the offer:actionbound.com

What should parents pay attention to?

Actionbound can also be used with younger children. In this case, however, you should introduce your child to its use, or better yet, accompany your child in the process. When creating a Bound, be sure to use lots of images and little text.

The creation of a bound can take some time. Please also plan to spend time conducting the rally or scavenger hunt. If your child is older, it can be a fun experience to create a Bound together. Note that in the free version all bounds are public. When creating, be sparing with sensitive data such as children’s photos and personal information. If you want to make the bound very personal, the paid option “secret bounds” is worthwhile.

You can also play existing bounds with your child on many different topics. Use the search function in the app to select a suitable scavenger hunt near your location. Keep in mind that here the content is not exactly tailored to one’s needs. Check that the Bound fits your child’s age group.

Actionbound is an app from Germany, therefore your data is subject to European data protection.

Free play and creativity with the apps from Toca Boca

Toca Boca ‘s colorful and creative game apps are popular with younger children. For example, there is Toca Nature, Toca Life: Farm or Toca Hair Salon. So far, Toca Boca has developed over 20 different games. In these apps, children can freely create their own worlds and play any stories.

The makers advertise that children are involved in the development of the apps. Children test the app in advance and make suggestions for improvement. All apps are free from content unsuitable for children. In doing so, the game developers are taking up the demand of various children’s rights organizations to consider children and their rights in the development of products for children.

In a nutshell:

  • Game apps for Android and iOS
  • Pedagogical recommendation: from preschool age; recommended from 4 years in the app stores
  • Costs vary depending on the app (free or paid)
  • largely ad-free and usable offline
  • includes in-app purchases

What can it do?

All Toca Boca apps are about creativity and free play. There are no levels or goals that must be completed in a certain amount of time.

After downloading the app, users move freely in the respective world and shape it as they wish. There are different play figures, which the child can choose for themselves by appearance and characteristics. In some rooms, the child can complete tasks. Most of the time, however, there are no specific instructions.

What fascinates children about it?

Kids can make up their own stories and worlds and create them in the app. By creating different play environments and taking on different roles, children are encouraged to keep playing. There is no text in the colorful worlds. The children can look around and discover a lot about seeing.

What can be problematic about the offer?

The privacy policy of the app promises that no third-party advertising is included. However, Toca Boca advertises other apps of its own. Therefore, children can be tempted to want to play similar apps. The apps also store data, such as game duration and progress, and share it with Google Analytics. Parents’ data is also collected when they purchase something from the Toca Boca store, activate notifications or subscribe to the newsletter. Data deletion can be requested by sending an email to dpo@spinmaster.com.

Most apps are free to download, but offer in-app purchases. With these, kids can theoretically unlock new characters, stations, or gifts in some of the apps if a credit card is on file on the device.

What does the provider think?

Toca Boca is a Swedish game developer and therefore bound by EU data protection laws. Toca Boca claims to comply with the PRIVO seal. This seal is awarded by an independent organization that is committed to protecting children’s data online. The app promises not to collect personal data from children.

What should parents pay attention to?

Since the apps were developed especially for younger children, you should accompany the first steps of use – also to familiarize yourself with the functions of the apps. It is advisable to set game times, as the apps do not impose time limits and can be played practically endlessly. On the other hand, free play is easier to interrupt than in level games.

Talk to the child in advance about the function of in-app purchases and deactivate them or do not store payment data to prevent accidental purchases.

Mobile media in the hands of children

Mobile media are exciting even for the youngest children because they see the devices with mom, dad or siblings. But how can you deal with this if your child is actually still too young to use smartphones and the like?

What makes mobile media interesting for young children?

Children are curious by nature. The bright glow of the screen, the many sounds – all this is exciting. They closely observe the role that small devices play in the everyday lives of adults: When everyone is looking at their smartphone on the bus or train, when mom always has the tablet at hand at home and big brother and his friends are gambling on the game console, the small devices seem to be very important and are all the more tempting.

Mobile media and young children

In the first months of life, babies are not yet developed enough to use mobile media purposefully and understand the content. It is much more important for your child’s development to get to know the world with all their senses and without a screen. It is not until the second year of life that children develop an understanding of pictoriality. They begin to distinguish digital content from real-world objects. The best way for young children to gain their first experience with mobile media is with picture books on their smartphone or tablet.

IMPORTANT: Avoid overstimulation by media. This can be caused by flashy colors, fast movements or too many sounds, but also by complex stories that your child is not yet able to process. The most suitable topics are those that your child knows from his or her everyday life: pictures of familiar animals, vehicles, or other children. Keep media use time very low with young children and allow plenty of other sensory experiences. This includes touching things, movement and contact with other people.

From around the age of three, children can understand media and their content better and better if the stories are kept simple and they tie in with their own experiences. Watching videos together on a smartphone or tablet can help your child learn more about the world around them and how to handle different situations. It is important that you accompany your child in his or her media use so that he or she can discuss and process what he or she has seen with you.

At this age, your child increasingly wants to and can make media content himself. There is a huge selection of apps out there for your child to get creative with. Recommended are simple applications in which, for example, stamping or coloring is required. But make sure that your child has enough opportunities to be creative away from digital media.

In our article Good apps for kids you will learn what you should look for when choosing suitable programs.

Tips for using mobile media at home

When kids ask for a tablet or smartphone, consider the need behind it: entertainment on a long car ride, socializing while video chatting with grandpa, and just unwinding…. Different reasons for media use have their justification. It is unfavorable when media are used permanently and needs cannot be satisfied in any other way. As parents, teach alternative strategies for dealing with boredom or tension. First, your child orients himself to you. If you yourself use media only in certain situations, you are a good role model for your child. Even at a young age, it can help to set rules for media use in the family. In addition to fixed media rituals, there should also be media-free times.

If the devices get into children’s hands, you should pay attention to child-friendly covers for tablets and protective covers for smartphones. Smartphones in particular are often expensive and prone to damage. Protective covers make the use of the devices easier and safer.

Media usage contract

Who is allowed to do what with media and for how long? These issues come up in every family sooner or later and not infrequently cause stress and arguments. Rules on media use can help create a structure and avoid conflicts. These can be discussed by parents and children together and recorded in a contract. The online tool for a media usage contract presented here — an offer by klicksafe and the Internet-ABC — is suitable for this purpose.

In a nutshell:

  • Free online tool, accessible via: www.mediennutzungsvertrag.de
  • Contract can be customized and personalized
  • Selection from many rule proposals
  • Own rules can be integrated
  • Creative backgrounds
  • Print directly

How does the creation of the contract work?

The tool guides you step by step to the finished paper. You can choose from two age groups (6-12 years and 12+) and choose a title design, a mascot and a background. All the rules you select are automatically inserted like building blocks, so it’s easy to keep track of them all. Each module can be edited individually. Of course, you can also insert your own rules. At the end save the document, then it can be completed at another time. You can also create multiple contracts for different children.

Tips and backgrounds

Use the building blocks as a suggestion to start a conversation in your family about media use. Some possible rules you may not have thought about, others are already self-evident. Set priorities, because the tool offers very many ideas that do not all have to be implemented. There are several types of rules:

  • General rules (such as dealing with conflicts, questionable content, handling of devices)
  • Time regulation (determination of time quotas)
  • Cell phone (how to deal with apps and data, mobile-free places, dealing with costs).
  • Internet (such as security settings, use of websites).
  • Television (such as age-appropriate offerings, sharing).
  • Games (like common games, fairness)

A contract is nothing more than written down rules that have been agreed upon. The advantage is that you can always look at it and remember it.

A special feature is that rules can also be set for parents. For example, parents can commit to not using the cell phone even at dinner, or to using adult media content only when children are not present. Because rules are easier for children to understand if everyone has to follow them and you set a good example.

Bingewatching among children and adolescents

Do you know it? You wanted to watch only one episode of your favorite series and then it became three, because it was just so exciting. Your child sometimes feels the same way: he or she is having so much fun watching TV and playing computer games that he or she forgets about the time. Bingewatching” refers to watching several episodes of a series at a time, and this also occurs among children. Binge means “excess” in German and viewing means “to look at”.

Streaming services make bingewatching easy

For some adults, bingewatching is even a hobby. Streaming services such as Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube have adjusted their offerings accordingly. Series often come as a whole season, so users can easily watch one video after another. From a company’s point of view, this is quite logical: They have an interest in keeping users on their platform for as long as possible.

There are more and more media library apps specifically for children or streaming apps with children’s profiles. YouTube Kids, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ are particularly popular. Therefore, it’s no wonder that bingewatching also occurs among children and teenagers, because they find it even harder to turn off the TV or tablet.

What leads to bingewatching?

Children and young people quickly get carried away by their favorite characters and stories, so that they can hardly tear themselves away from them. Some simply forget to switch off and therefore watch more than agreed. Younger children in particular are not yet very good at regulating their own needs and media use. They are therefore more easily seduced to look further and further.

Sometimes there is simply a lack of alternative occupations. Kids don’t know what to do besides watch TV. Besides, it’s easy to just be sprinkled instead of being active yourself, making up your own stories, drawing something, or anything else.

How can parents deal with bingewatching?

Some things you can set on your child’s profile on the streaming site itself. For example, you can disable the automatic start of the next episode or set a time limit for some services. If you download certain episodes, your child won’t be drawn to other series and will find it easier to switch off when the agreed viewing time is up. You should become active as soon as your child reacts stressed or annoyed when he or she cannot watch any longer.

Design media usage rules together, especially fixed time slots, and make sure they are followed. As long as your child is not yet able to handle media on his or her own responsibility, support and accompany him or her in this process. Don’t use the favorite show as a punishment or reward, and establish alternative outlets for media use.

If your child is very emotionally attached to the series, you can engage with it together in other ways. Your child can bring the series world to him with toys, by painting or playing with friends and continue telling the stories. This way, your child experiences his or her favorite series even more and can help shape it.

Older children and teenagers should also occasionally allow you to distract them with television during stressful periods. Just make sure that bingewatching is not constantly used to combat stress.

Mobile children’s TV with the KiKA player app

Watching videos with your smartphone or tablet has many advantages. Above all, you don’t have to follow program times on TV. With the KiKA player app, you choose yourself which show you want to watch.

In a nutshell:

  • Free and ad-free app for iOS or Android
  • Suitable for children from 3 to 13 years
  • Useful life adjustable
  • No data transfer

What can the KiKA player app do?

With the KiKA Player app, you can watch a selected program from the Kinderkanal’s lineup on your smartphone. It is aimed at children from preschool age to about 13 years. With the ability to create different profiles for multiple children, the app can suggest appropriate age-appropriate content. The respective favorite videos can also be saved in the profiles. Parents can use the “AppWecker” to set the usage time by password, e.g. to one hour a day. There is also the option to limit the app only to videos that are suitable for preschoolers.

What fascinates children about it?

The operation and design are particularly child-friendly. Each child can choose their own avatar and favorite color. Children from preschool age to school age will find the popular and age-appropriate programs they know from KiKA here – from Shaun the Sheep to logo! to Einstein Castle. The KiKA Player is the extension of the KiKANiNCHEN app, which is intended for “media beginners” between the ages of about 3 to 5.

What is problematic about the offer?

So far, the KiKA player app only works online. The option of downloading individual videos or saving them for (later) offline use, as is the case with other media libraries on the web, does not currently exist. Being constantly connected to the Internet can easily lead to distraction. Even adults sometimes find it difficult not to lose themselves in the Internet and forget the time. For children, it is usually even more difficult to keep track of time. Always new suggestions of what to look at next can overwhelm and cause stress.

Who is the provider?

KiKA is a television program especially for children from ARD and ZDF. This means that the station is part of the public broadcasting system and can finance itself without advertising.

The Children’s Channel seeks to make both entertainment, information and children’s rights accessible to children.

All usage data is anonymized, collected and evaluated. Personal data will not be passed on to KiKA or third parties with this default setting unless you change it. You can also completely disable data analysis in the adult section of the app under the Privacy item.

What should parents pay attention to?

Make sure you are connected to the WLAN when you use the app, because it only works online.

Explore the range together with your child and find out which shows he or she likes best. Set fixed times of day when the videos may be watched so that your child can also spend enough media-free time with you or with peers.

Make your own media?!

Painting pictures, kneading or making funny figures out of chestnuts… These are typical things you’ve probably done with your kids at home. But making media yourself?! Typically, you only watch them or maybe play a computer game. It’s not that hard to get creative and produce something together. And it’s fun too!

Today, there is at least one smartphone in every household. Tablets are also present in many families. These devices offer countless possibilities for media production that are easy to try out because most of them are not complicated at all. Smartphone and tablet have at least one camera and a built-in microphone. There are also plenty of apps for creative design in the app stores – for image editing and creating photo collages, for producing cartoons and editing videos, for painting and making radio plays, and much more.

By producing media yourself, you can learn a lot and have a lot of fun – kids and adults alike! You learn the technical handling of the equipment and how certain media are made. You learn that it takes a little time for a product to look the way you want it to. But making media is not just something for the elderly. Even kindergarten children can make simple animated films or edit photos. Perhaps you will discover previously hidden talents in your child.

In the posts below this one, you’ll find our media-making guides to try out with your kids.

Making media yourself – explainer videos

In many families it is normal to have unknown things explained with the help of videos: How do I disable tracking on my smartphone again? How do I write an argument or how do I cook the best spaghetti bolognese? YouTube is full of so-called explainer videos. You can find out how such videos help with learning in our article “When videos on the Internet replace the dictionary“.

Thanks to the smartphone, it is not difficult to make such an explanatory video with the whole family. First of all, of course, the topic must stand. Maybe there is something interesting from your child’s school lessons that you would like to explain briefly, concisely and excitingly in a video. If your family likes to cook, recipes can also be described in an explainer video. Or you want to turn the best photos from your last vacation into a movie.

An explainer video can look different. We present two options that can be easily implemented at home:

  1. In a photo show, selected photos are put together one after the other, accompanied by sound and music, and supplemented with texts and stickers. This can be done very easily with Adobe Spark Video, for example. The program is available as a free app or you can create your Adobe video directly on your computer online. However, it is a prerequisite that one registers with Adobe.
  2. If your child likes to draw, this may be the format for them! You can draw the explanations and film them as you go, or you can draw individual elements, cut them out, and then slide them into the picture one by one. This technique is also called laying trick. Previously cut out figures, symbols and words are moved on a background and filmed from above. The film can be recorded either in one piece (so that you can see how a person or his hand pushes the individual elements into the picture) or by single-frame animation. A new photo is taken after each change to the image. The many individual photos are strung together at the end (this can now be done quite easily via an app), so that a moving film is created. With such films, one also speaks of stop motion.

Once you’ve thought together about how the topic should be told in what kind of explainer film, you’re ready to go! The cell phone camera (or other digital camera) can be handheld or placed on a tripod, depending on whether you are filming from above or from the side. You can shoot single clips or let the camera run all the time. In any case, the clips must be “cut” and stitched together afterwards. There are certain apps for this, in which texts, sounds, etc. can also be added. For iOS devices we recommend iMovie, for Android devices PowerDirector. You don’t necessarily have to talk during the filming, but you can also do that afterwards via the app with your smartphone.

Making videos yourself is always a team effort. Someone has to film, someone else is responsible for painting or moving objects. Maybe there are also people who are supposed to explain things. So here the whole family can join in!

Quiver – bring colored pictures to life with the creative app

Digital media and analog leisure activities can be wonderfully combined with Quiver. If your child likes coloring and you want to show them the possibilities of digital media at the same time, this app is a lot of fun.

What is Quiver?

Quiver is based on the principle of augmented reality. This is called augmented reality. You may know this from the game Pokémon Go. You look at something through the smartphone camera and figures and objects appear on the screen against the real, filmed background. Quiver brings to life characters that you have previously colored on a sheet of paper. There are dancing bears, speeding cars and some more.

Quiver is recommended for children between 6 and 8 years.

How does it work?

If you want to try this out, you will need the Quiver coloring sheets (Coloring Packs). These can be downloaded and printed for free or for a fee from the quivervision.com site. Also, the “Quiver – 3D Coloring App” must be installed on the smartphone or tablet. The app is available for free for Android and Apple devices. For special coloring templates, there are additional free apps with “Quiver Fashion” and “Quiver Masks”. The app “Quiver Education” costs money and is intended for learning and school.

First, your child should color the printed coloring pages. Then open the app and allow camera access. Also, you have to choose which Coloring Pack you want to play in the app. These can be selected and then automatically load into the app. Then you get started by tapping the butterfly icon at the bottom center. The image appears on the display of the tablet or phone and the character comes to life. Certain symbols in the picture make the character do things like score a goal when you tap the soccer ball.

What is there to consider?

Quiver is an app from New Zealand that is available in German. The app is simple and easy to understand. The website is only in English, but still easy to understand.

The providers of the app quite openly cooperate with various companies. That’s why there are painting templates from car manufacturers, a cafe chain and other companies. If you would like to print these templates for your child, you can use this as an opportunity to talk to him about advertising.

However, there are also many ad-free templates. Look at them beforehand and make a pre-selection for your child. When selecting, look for the icon at the top right of each template package. This indicates whether you can download it for free (FREE) or not ($). Payment is made via the respective app store. Certain templates (Fashion and Masks) can only be played with the special Quiver apps.

The app is a lot of fun and a great introduction to virtual worlds, especially for younger children. With your help, they can learn that not everything you see on the screen has to be real.

Tablets in the Kita!?!

Almost every family has smartphones, and many families also have tablets. Children adopt these mobile devices from an early age with their parents and older siblings. But do they belong in the daycare center?

Why tablets can be useful

Since media are part of children’s living environment, they should also be a topic in the daycare center. The children come to the group with media experiences from home and tell what they saw on YouTube yesterday or what big brother played on mom’s smartphone. At this point, the daycare center is in demand as an educational institution. This does not mean that the children learn how to swipe around on the tablet. This is not even necessary, because the little ones learn the wiping technique quite naturally at the age of one to two years. It’s more about the children learning what media actually are, what they’re about, and what you can do with them.

How tablets can be used in the daycare center

Digital media should be used in the daycare center just like other media, e.g. books – to learn and discover through play. You can use these devices to express yourself creatively instead of just passively consuming: discover the forest on a photo safari, make an animated film together, watch a multimedia picture book, and much more. The aim of using media in daycare centers is to promote media literacy. This means making children strong enough for a sovereign life in dealing with media. Of course, media work in the daycare center should be age-oriented to the basic needs and interests of the children and support their development in every way. And most importantly, the children’s media skills are promoted jointly by the daycare center and parents. Do you know if your daycare center has a media concept? Just ask!

Puppet Pals

With Puppet Pals you can easily and quickly act out little stories with your child on a digital fairy tale stage.

In a nutshell:

  • Animation app for iOS (Apple devices)
  • for children from approx. 5 years
  • Available in different versions (free and paid) and via in-app purchases with different scopes
  • Photo function allows you to add your own figures and pictures

What is Puppet Pals?

Puppet Pals is an app for tablets that allows your child – even at a young age – to easily create their own little cartoons. A wide range of themes and figures are available for this purpose. The photo function allows you to insert your own photos and images as figures and backgrounds. This way, your child can immerse himself in the story by taking a photo of himself, outlining the figure with his finger, and thus detaching it from the actual background. With the record button, your child or you can record the story together with distributed roles. In addition, the movement of the figures is recorded. The figures are moved by sliding them back and forth on the touch display with your finger.

The app’s simple operation and child-friendly themes, such as fairy tales, make it suitable for use by children as young as five. The paid version of the app – “Director’s Pass” – costs around €6 and allows you to add your own photo and use the app offline.

What should parents pay attention to?

The app is a great way to get creative together with your child and try out and experience one of the most important media for children – the animated film – for yourself! Since the app does not collect data and content and share it with third parties, you can use it safely.

However, you should still accompany your child when using it. This is a great way to spend time together, learn more about your child’s interests and stories, and encourage safe and creative use of media in your child.

 

Is it reasonable for my child (5 years old) to already be using our tablet?

Dennis has a fight with his girlfriend. She doesn’t want to let their shared 5-year-old son play on the tablet. Melanie Endler from Elternguide.online gives him a few tips and advice.

 

 

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