Modern life can feel incredibly busy, especially for parents. Thankfully, as technology has progressed and improved, many parenting apps have been developed to make things feel just a bit more effortless and organized. Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite picks of apps for parents.
Starfall Series
Starfall has a collection of apps that would be especially helpful for parents working through at-home education challenges. With reading games, comprehension activities, and memory challenges all presented in user-friendly formats, Starfall is able to offer something for young learners across many age ranges and activity levels. Their catalog, which has tablet and phone-friendly apps, includes many free options, while their most expensive paid option is offered at $4.99.
Chore Monster
This app was designed to try and make checking chores off the to-do list as fun as possible. Chore Monster helpfully includes two different user interfaces: one designed for parents, the other designed to be as kid-friendly as possible. The app incentivizes completing tasks with a point system — points can then be applied to rewards designed by the parents, like television time or sweet treats. Parents can manage the app from their device and customize it for more than one child, making it easier than ever to bring chore scheduling into the 21st century. This is one of the apps for parents that you will want to download.
Kango
The kid-friendly response to Uber and Lyft, Kango, was originally conceived as a rideshare and childcare service. Kango founder Sara Schaer is a mother to two boys. She understands the need for safety when it comes to vetting someone with the responsibility of transporting and caring for children. As such, all of Kango’s drivers are background checked and fingerprinted as part of the vetting process. With most families still staying home and transportation relatively limited, Kango also offers delivery services and at-home educational resources as part of its offerings.
Cozi
For more scheduling help, consider Cozi. This award-winning app is free and has earned a reputation as the easiest app to get all schedules in one place. Say goodbye to the days of trying to remember which after-school activities coincide with sports practice or work schedules. This app is great to have built into a family routine as kids grow older and start to gain more independence into their teen years. In addition to scheduling, Cozi also features a “family journal” to which photo and video can be uploaded and easily shared via email.
Steller
If your family isn’t sure where to start when it comes to important photos and videos, Steller could be your new best friend. More of life’s important moments are being captured digitally than ever before, and it’s critical to make sure they’re stored somewhere safe and accessible for the long term. Steller is the perfect tool to keep your family’s story safe with photo books and video storage, while also introducing the user to create themes and ways to take your digital compilations to the next level.
Lala Lunchbox and Breakfast
Lala meal prep apps are useful in more ways than one: not only do these apps make packing food less of a chore, they’re also adaptable for picky eaters and even make kids feel like they’re part of the process. Lala Lunchbox and Lala Breakfast are also health-conscious, and the three priorities listed on their site are for users to save time, save money, and save sanity. By setting up a virtual lunchbox and choosing foods by feeding a hungry digital monster, Lala apps teach kids about balanced meals while also helping to cut down on wasted food coming back in the bottom of a lunchbox untouched after school.
Hopscotch
Introduce your kids to the world of coding earlier than ever before with Hopscotch. Game-based learning sets the stage for what the app creators refer to as “bite-sized coding.” The world is moving faster than ever before when it comes to technological developments, and coding is an incredibly valuable skill. Introducing kids and young adults to STEM concepts in such a digestible manner is incredibly valuable and can have positive effects on learning skills — even if coding doesn’t stay important to your child in the long run.
Dark Sky
As spring turns into summer, kids are going to be spending more time outside. If you’re ever worried about a sudden storm raining on the parade and ruining playtime or a family picnic, Dark Sky is the perfect app to have on-hand. This creation offers hyperlocal weather reports broken down by the hour, making it safer and easier than ever to plan for a day of outdoor activities. Next time you’re planning a hike or nature day for the family, let Dark Sky make sure you don’t miss the perfect weather window — or miss what turns out to be a lovely day because of some morning showers.
Peanut
As a parent, sometimes, all you need is a conversation with someone else who gets it. Peanut is designed to connect parents and build community among like-minded parents. Not only is this a great way to meet new people (whether you’ve just moved to a neighborhood or are looking to expand your social circles), it’s also a fun way to discover future playdates for your kids. Geared towards mothers, in particular, Peanut includes chat rooms, message boards, community activities, and local groups, all available at your fingertips. The fact that it’s a free app is the icing on the cake.
Conclusion
I hope you have found some useful apps for parents that will make parenting easier.
Featured Photo by Oleg Magni on Unsplash
