Kid-friendly apps: Noggin

The Noggin app is loaded with games that teach everything from counting and matching to language, plus, it features all of the characters that kids adore, like the Paw Patrol pups, Dora the Explorer, and Bubble Guppies.

Kids have the ability to pick what games they would like to play using different categories, like science or math, or they can choose which characters they want to hang out with. There are games, e-books, and play-alongs, and the app features a huge selection of Bob Books, which are narrated and highlight words for easy reading.

The app allows users to create profiles, so families with multiple kiddos can share a subscription without interrupting each other’s progress.

The app is easily one of my daughter’s favorites, and she has a blast interacting with her favorite characters. To say she shocked me when she looked at me one morning said ¡Hola! Cómo estás?, after playing a game featuring Dora and Boots would be an understatement. The app has inspired a love of the Spanish language, which I feel I could not have done alone.

The app does require a subscription, which costs $7.99 per month, and is my biggest complaint, however, if you go to Noggin.com, they are partnering with the National Head Start Association to offer Noggin for free, for nine months. The app is available on Amazon devices, in the Apple Store for iPhones/iPads, Roku devices, and on the Google Playstore for android devices.