We often think of screentime as being disconnecting relationally. But, it doesn’t have to be. Your phone can be a tool (that you almost always have in your back pocket) for connectivity with your child newly home or home with you for a while.
Here are some of our favorite mobile apps for supporting parent-child and sibling-sibling relationships.
Developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this app is designed to create back-and-forth interactions between grownups and kids. With your child, you can take turns choosing facial expressions expressions and recording dialogue (or noises) for silly animals in different scenes. It can be used with children who do not yet speak English.
This app is appropriate and helpful for all kids. In this app, you can help your child create artwork using shapes. It can be used with children who do not yet speak English.
Breathe, Think, Do With Sesame
Developed by Sesame Street, this app is designed to create back-and-forth interactions between grownups and kids. The goal is to help a Sesame Street monster calm down and solve problems. It can be used with children who do not yet speak English and can be used with English and Spanish.
A personal favorite, this app has dance videos, brain breaks, games, and mindfulness activities for grownups and kids to do together. It gets everyone moving and laughing like all the GoNoodle materials do.
Remember those hidden picture puzzles in Highlights magazine? Now they’re in an app. This app encourages a monthly subscription program that delivers new puzzles weekly. But, the app is free and includes a limited number of puzzles that you and your child could have fun with over and over again sans subscription.
Developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this app is designed to create back-and-forth interactions between grownups and kids. With your child, you can take turns decorating selfies or photos already on your phone and playing hide-and-seek with the photos. It can be used with children who do not yet speak English.
Developed for toddlers, this app is fun for grownups and kids to do together and use as an English-language learning tool as you narrate words for simple things. There is a cost, but it’s nice to have no ads and be able to play without wifi. Watch a little trailer HERE.
This app offers ideas for over 130 games you can initiate with your child in “real life.” Games are organized into three categories: Keep Busy, Move Your Body, and Calm Down. This can be helpful for when you feel like you need some fresh ideas.
Developed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this app is designed to create back-and-forth interactions between grownups and kids. With games and songs, it can be used with children who do not yet speak English. Watch a little trailer HERE.
You may hate us for recommending this app as the song is kinda catchy. But, this app really is a lot of fun for grownups and kids to create a musical number (and then play it over and over again!). All the Toca Boca apps are pretty fun, so check out their other apps too. It can be used with children who do not yet speak English.
Exactly what it says it is, this app is includes all sorts of mini games that can be played on the same screen by two players—bowling, race cars, ping pong, soccer, etc. It can be used with children who do not yet speak English.
When traveling on an adoption trip, don’t forget the impact of your own photos and camera. Consider flagging photos of particular interest so you can easily scroll through the flagged photo folder to show your child photos or allow your child to scroll himself or herself. These photos could include ones he or she may recognize from a photo book you sent before traveling; photos or a video tour of your home, a playground you visit, or pets; photos you received of your child while you waited; etc. And, use your camera not only to take pictures but to communicate to your child how important they are to you and to have fun! Quite possibly, selfies are a universal language for fun. There’s no need for silly filters; simply taking turns mirroring each other’s funny faces with the camera capturing it all really is enough. Ridiculous creates laughter, and laughter is contagiously connecting.
How do you use your tablet and phone for family connectivity? We’d love to hear about your ideas and know your favorite apps so we can keep growing our list and sharing them! Email us at info@sparrowfund.org.