It's a big world out there and if you search carefully in the app market you can find touchscreen experiences to help kids gain an interest in the rich diversity of people, customs and creations we have among us.
As an educator who promotes weaving topics of gender and diversity into academics and entertainment, I particularly like this set of 5 multicultural and multilingual apps for their exploration of vocabulary, alphabet letters, music, rhyming, puzzles, dressing up, cultural tales, and more!
1. Drum Kids for iPhone (by SPYE Studio) lets kids create rhythmic music in a day or nighttime outdoor scene. Join a drum circle of multicultural girls and boys playing a West African djembe, Cuban conga, Caribbean steel pan, Chinese drum, and American tom & cymbal trap set. Create your own score for a world of fun. Kubwa!
2. Round Is A Mooncake (by PicPocket Books) is a charming, interactive story app that brings the popular children's book by Thong & Lin to the touchscreen. Explore shapes, rhyming structure, items from Chinese culture, and more. English text is highlighted and recorded for those just learning to read. Dà!
3. ABC Music (by Peapod Labs) is outstanding for all those interested in the sights, sounds, and vocabulary of music from around the world. Select English, Spanish, or the dual language setting. If you have not seen the inspiring videos and photos in the Peapod apps, you are in for a big treat.
4. Bilingual Toddler Flashcards (by YanJiYun) is more than its name implies. Create customized photo-cards in any language with the easy recording, labeling, and camera mode. The preset English & Chinese cards teach numbers, colors, animals, vehicles, world flags, fruits, vegetables, shapes, musical instruments, and more.
5. The Dream, An Arabic Story Book and Games (by Swipea Kids Apps) narrates the tale of Ahmad, who follows a mysterious dream to a bazaar in Cairo, only to discover his treasure is back at home. Kids of all ages can enjoy the full version with games of musical instruments, dress-ups, and postcards, but the puzzles and recipe tasks are for 1st grade and up.
I look forward to writing on this theme again soon and invite you to share your favorite multicultural apps with us on our Facebook page!
