My daughter was three when I got my first iPhone. She is now six and fully integrated into the iPhone/iPad world. As parents we constantly struggle with how much time to let our children play on the computer or watch tv, but apps have relieved some of this guilt because there are so many great apps out there that actually teach your child something.

Whether you are in the car on a roadtrip, trying to keep your child happy on the airplane or just waiting in line at the grocery store here are some of the apps we love…

Duck Duck Moose ($1.99) These were some of the first apps we downloaded for our daughter. The interactive games teach the kids nursery rhymes, letters and numbers. Some of our favorites were Itsy Bitsy Spider, Baa Baa Black Sheep and Fish School.

Little Cook ($3.99) by Aqility This game allows you to make ice cream, pizza, etc. The child is given different ingredients to choose from and when they’re finished a little girl or boy tastes it and tells them if it’s good or not. After three years I have to say we are getting a lot more, “that’s delicious” responses as opposed to “that tastes bad.”

Matching Zoo (Free) by Tomato Interactive, this version of the game Memory is another one of our favorites. My daughter has always been better than me at this game, at any age. Note: You don’t need the volume to play the game. Hint, hint.

Toddler Teasers ($2.99) has both flashcards and “quizzes” to help your child with their letters, numbers and shapes. As the child answer questions correctly they earn stickers. Every kid loves a sticker, even if it’s electronic.

Maverick Software ($0.99) has a series of similar apps that allow your child to make everything from sundaes to salad. You are provided the ingredients and are then able to choose different toppings, etc. Our favorite was the cupcake maker, maybe not the most educational choice, but I was amazed how long kids will play.

Now that our daughter is six we have moved on to games like:

Road Trip Bingo ($0.99) by Bright Bunny is the bingo game app we used and found it to be very kid friendly. This is my favorite car game.

PicPocket Books ($0.99 – $3.99) Love this app, it’s like having a children’s library on your phone. You’ll find a large selection of  books and you can decide if you would like the book read to your child or you can turn off the audio and let the child read it themselves. This is a great choice for a child at any age, but especially an early reader.

Tales2Go (Free for 30 days) Another great choice to instill the love of reading in your child. These are purely audio books. Your child can sit back and let their imagination run wild – perfect if your child is prone to car sickness! Take advantage of the free 30 day trial, you’ll be amazed at the choices available.

And for fun…

The Secrets of Grisley Manor (Free) This app is not scary at all, especially if you turn off the music. My six year old needed help (from her mom and her grandfather), but it is great fun to wander through the rooms of the house searching for clues. A second version called, “The Lost City” was just released…we’re working on that one now!

The best tip I have:  Don’t forget the headphones!