What are the best learning apps?

This post brought to you by King Digital Entertainment. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Pulling Curls.

What are the best learning apps? Are they colorful or really stretch your brain? Are they filled with cognitive development?

Or, are the best learning apps the ones your kids will actually play?

I’d like to suggest that they are ones that really make it seem like a game, that they’ve just extended some cognitive development into. Enter AlphaBetty Saga

AlphaBetty Saga is the first word-based “saga” game from King Digital, creator of Candy Crush franchise and Farm Heroes Saga. To me, it’s some of my favorite games combined. You’re eliminating letters by making words. The best part, it’s free.

And true to a good tester, I had all my family try it:

6 year old (she is probably on a 3rd’ish grade reading level — I don’t think this game would be approrpriate for kids that aren’t really REALLY well on their own): She loved it. it was probably a little hard for her. She could probably get about every other word (3-4 letters) and then she’d bring it to me and say she couldn’t get a word. I would be happy to use it in a doctor’s office or something like that with her though. Especially if I was bored too, it would be great.

Husband: He really liked it. He LOVES word games, so this is totally up his ally.

11 year old son: He was frustrated that the “words” he put in wouldn’t work. I think his word was Taggart. Is that a word? I don’t know if it is, so I give AlphaBetty Saga a pass on that one. He really liked it though, and I think this would be GREAT for the upper elementary/Jr High sect. They’re still working on spelling, and they get easily bored. Win, win.

14 year old son (almost 15): After me prying him off of it (he’s lost his phone right now, so he had to play it on my own) he said it was “alright”. He’s 15. Everything’s “alright”… Frankly, I really had to pry him off, so again — it’s a win. I’d much rather him play this than some of his other obsessions. But I digress….

Me: I really liked it. I don’t often play games on my phone. I find my phone is less likely to get stolen from little hands if I don’t have games on it, but I think I’ll leave this one on it. I think it would be good to play to get my brain cells going when my kids have eaten them all. Darn kids.

Anyway, I think it’s a great game. I’d totally recommend it for all the moms. It’s especially great when families are traveling long distances, Beyond the game, AlphaBetty Saga’s creator, King, recently released a survey to help summer travelers avoid spelling mistakes during their summer travel. Maybe it will help them spell all the weird towns you go through (or prevent you from typing the wrong words in Google Maps)! You can check it out below: