Looking for some holiday apps to use with your students?

Digital Storytime provides great reviews and deals on apps for children and students. Their Daily Deal Page, Holiday tab lists 9 different holiday apps for free. The apps feature drawing, educational content, stories and fun content. Searching other Digital Storytime tabs (check the Home, Books and Games tabs) you will also find holiday for-pay apps you may want to peruse. Although most of the apps are based on Christmas themes, one of the free daily deal apps is a Hanakkah and another a Snowman Builder HD app to stay culturally sensitive (see reviews and links below). Most of the apps also have winter activities such as snowman or tree activities that can be used during the winter months.

Here are some of of the apps that are my favorite for fine motor development that will be included in my OT iTools kit:

(Warning ! Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift is very addictive – trialing the app cut may interfere with holiday prep time!)

 Toca Boca Hair Salon – (Free) – Cut, color and style Santa Claus beard and hair or shape the pine needles on the christmas tree!  Simple but fun fine motor app the students (and adults) will enjoy!

Snowman Builder – (Free) Choose from several backgrounds then create and customize a snowman! Choose from a variety of parts and pieces. Provides opportunity for sizing the snowballs, adding body or snowman parts to create your own customized snowman. App allows you to email your creation.

123 Color: Hanakkah Coloring Book – (Free) 123 Color Hanukkah Edition now teaches numbers, letters, and colors, with voice-overs spoken in 12 languages and dialects.

  iLuv Drawing Santa HD – (Free) A drawing and tracing app appropriate for younger students. Provides lines to trace to create santa, christmas tree, bells, snowman so it can be used during the winter season. Step by step instructions are provided to add details to the drawing. Blank pages are provided to draw your own. Good for eye hand coordination and great for children who have a difficult time holding or prehending drawing or coloring tools due to strength or developmental skills.

Other available free holiday from Digital Storytime are stories that will support students who are emergent readers or have difficulty accessing a hard copy book if the student is able to swipe to turn the page when using an iPad. Check out the other free holiday apps or all the other apps reviewed at Digital Storytime. It is a great educational resource!

I am sure there are many other holiday apps available.  Here are just a few more apps, some that focus on other cultural seasonal celebrations to stay culturally diverse:

Christmas Tale II HD – (Free) A story book that provides read to me (read aloud) of the story line for emergent readers. Adds are posted and cost to remove.

Kwanzaa app – (Free) 7 Principles – Daily affirmations of the principles of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa Puzzles – (Free) – Educational game app featuring Kwanzaa art.

Have any other favorites? Please share!

Apptivate them this holiday! More for your iTools tool kit!

Carol