Learning with Leo’s Pad!

Shane loves using the iPad, and I love letting him, provided that he’s using the right apps. I don’t mind him playing “just for fun” games sometimes, but typically I prefer to have him play games that are educational. He likes to try new apps a lot, but many of them end up getting deleted after the first time we play with them.

Whether it’s because they aren’t as child-appropriate as they should be {any game that says “stupid” or makes gross noises falls into that category- he’s a three year old boy, so he needs no further encouragement to make those sounds} or because they provide little to no educational value, we delete more apps than we keep.

One that we’ve kept, love, and play with all the time is Leo’s Pad! Leo’s Pad is actually an “appisode” rather than a normal game, so it is basically an interactive TV show on your iPad! It’s educational, fun, and keeps Shane’s attention for a long time. In fact, he plays that app almost every time that he uses the iPad because he likes it so much.

Leo’s Pad is about a little boy named Leo {the young version of Leonardo da Vinci}  who likes to invent things. The first appisode finds Leo planning for Galley’s Birthday {Galley, who loves to look at the stars, is of course a young version of Galileo Galilei}. The appisode is basically a TV show, but at certain points in the “show” it stops for an interactive game. For example:

-In the beginning, Leo must find his dragon, Cinder. He asks for the player’s help finding her, and gives clues using shapes and colors for what she may be hiding behind.

-Leo asks for the player’s help to build the telescope for Galley. He encourages the player to use certain shapes, such as a rectangle or a parallelogram, and the player has to fit the pieces together.

As the episode continues, there are several more games for the player to participate in, covering such topics as shapes, letter identification, word building, counting, and puzzles. Each game enhances the episode and allows for interactive learning while enjoying a show that teaches as well.

While I know that Shane isn’t going to know everything about Leonardo da Vinci from playing this app, I love that it introduces him to important figures from history & science. I like the early introduction as it will make it easier for him to learn about them later {and it’ll make him more interested in them as well}. And I know that Shane is learning and practicing his skills now when he counts cloud puffs, finds letters in the sky & tries to make words by putting letters together.

Shane’s artwork- a birthday card for Galley!

And on top of all of the educational aspects, the graphics are completely amazing. I honestly think that the app’s graphics are better than several TV shows I’ve seen. The depth is unreal, the colors are beautiful, and it’s very fluid, unlike a lot of apps.

Shane draws a rocket in Leo’s Pad 2: Rocket to the Stars

If you have a preschooler & an iPad, you need Leo’s Pad! The first appisode is available for free in the iTunes store, and the second one, Leo’s Pad 2: Rocket to the Stars is available for just $1.99. More episodes are coming soon, as is a full parent’s dashboard where you will be able to follow your child’s progress with the app.

What is your favorite type of app for preschoolers?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. To learn more about Kidaptive please click here.