Recently, when I flew home to Philly for the holidays, some of you saw a story of my kids playing with different apps on the airplane and inquired about my favorite apps for kids. So, I wanted to share some of my recent favorites with you!

Now, since I know you will ask or may be curious about my opinions on screen time or how much time my kids get, I'll tell you what we do. We limit our kids' screen time (which includes TV and/or iPad) to less than one hour per day. Sometimes they use it, and sometimes we are busy doing things outside of the house that we never see a screen for the entire day. But, in general, an hour is the limit that works best for our family (which usually works out to 30 mins while I am prepping dinner and 30 minutes after dinner). However, I have noticed that when my kids are on the iPad, they sometimes get super zoned in and don't play with anything else at the same time, so now we limit iPad time to weekends only…or special times like long car rides, flights, or sick days. Of course, every family is different and every parent has their own rules, that's just what we've decided to implement. Now, onto some of my favorites and why…

Originator apps — Originator created one of my all-time favorite kid's app called Endless Alphabet which helps so much with letter recognition and learning the sounds of each letter. The animated letters and stories they apply to each word are so fun that I am mesmerized every time I've watch my kids play it. They've since expanded to Endless Reader, Endless Wordplay, Endless Numbers, Endless Spanish, and more!

Sago Mini apps — Kids love characters, and if you don't necessarily want them watching TV characters on an app, Sago Mini is one of my favorites. The animals are so cute and lovable and they go on simple, but fun adventures. This is a good series for a younger toddler as they begin to recognize cause and effect.

Storybots apps – Storybots mixes games, books, and videos from apps, online series, and a Netflix show to create a ton of fun interactive options for young kids. I love the topics like "How Does an Airplane Fly?" and "Why Do I Have to Brush My Teeth?".

Osmo apps – This set is for slightly older toddlers and kids, but I love the interactivity of Osmo which combines the iPad with physical objects that kids can interact with so it crosses real life play with virtual play. A couple of our favorites include the Tangram and Coding games which stimulate problem solving and creativity.

What I love about some of my favorite apps is they are part of a growing series. So, if your kids like one, chances are they will like others from that same company so there will be new versions that grow with your kids! If there are any others you guys love, please share, I'd love to hear!