Children and Technology Blog

Safeguard Your Online Assets with Backblaze [iPad Mini Giveaway!]

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:02:07 +0000

We live in such a digitized computer and device-centric world now that most of the important data that surrounds our lives – whether it’s bank account information, online photos, videos, documents, and more – are safely housed in our computers and phones. But what would happen if the computer or device were damaged and those crucial assets were lost forever? The effects would be traumatic. I know that if I lost the 2,000+ photos of my kids I have on my phone, I would be devastated.

App of the Week: Felt Cards

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:57:13 +0000

Felt Cards
Works on: iOS (iPad only)
Cost: FREE

Interactive Pajamas Is A Thing That Actually Exists

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:20:17 +0000

There are a lot of “smart” products out there already, from phones to cars and even kitchens. Now you can add interactive pajamas for kids to that list.

Smart PJs, as they're called, have a special, scannable pattern printed on them from which an app can pull up bedtime stories onto any compatible mobile device.

App of the Week: UrbanSitter

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:03:59 +0000

UrbanSitter
Works on: iOS
Cost: FREE

A Handy Sanitizing Wand that Uses UV Light to Clean

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:01:26 +0000

When my kids were babies, I remember judiciously carrying my disinfecting wipes and using them on questionable table tops, public high chairs, shopping cart handles, basically anything they would be touching before putting their hands in their mouths.

App Pick of the Week: Puppet Workshop

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:02:27 +0000

Puppet Workshop
Works on: iOS
Cost: $1.99 (lite version available as well for free)

Teaching Kids About How Electronics Work

Deborah Skolnik — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:47:47 +0000

Your child spends hours a day staring at a screen—but have you ever talked about what's behind it? Stimulating his curiosity about the tech that goes into his toys is a smart idea: He'll gain new respect for his favorite gadgets, and maybe even grow up to help build them (a great career option). Some ideas on how to start:

BellyBeats Lets You Hear Your Baby’s Heartbeat at Home

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:46:08 +0000

In the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, it can be hard for anxious moms-to-be to wait a month between each appointment to check in on the baby. The reassuring thump of the baby’s heartbeat at each month’s routine appointment is such a wonderfully reassuring sound that gives moms the confidence that baby is safe and sound inside.

Who Should You Not Friend on Facebook?

Jennifer Kelly Geddes — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:46:24 +0000

If you're spending all your time wading through risqué photos, crazy rants, and awkward posts, it's probably time to reassess your posse of Facebook pals. “Ask yourself what your true motivations are for being virtual friends,” says Andrea Bonior, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and author of The Friendship Fix. Keep this handy cheat sheet as a guide when you next log on:

Who: Your Kid's Teacher

App of the Week: Coin Flip by Story Bots

Jeana Lee Tahnk — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:24:31 +0000

Coin Flip
Works on: iOS
Cost: FREE

If you have multiple kids, how many times have you found them arguing over who gets to go first, who picks first, who gets what…those sibling arguments are endless – and countless. My kids always revert to Rock, Paper, Scissors, but then 2 out of 3 inevitably becomes 3 out of 5 which then becomes 5 out of 7. Endless negotiations.