Appy Kids

No ladies, that's not a typo. I mean Apps as in for iPhones, which I am not lucky enough to own, but I'm sure some of you are. Here are a couple kid friendly apps that you can pick up for next to nothing - and the peace and quiet they'll provide is priceless! There are tons and tons and tons available, but here are just a few that sounded like homeruns. $2 Each FirstWords: Vehicles or Animals This one is best for older kids. They use their fingers to push the letters into place to spell words, making the graphics come to life once they are spelled correctly.

Balloonimals Great for any age. When you blow into the microphone on your iPhone, a balloon inflates, then shake the phone and watch it twist and turn into a T-Rex, unicorn and other creatures.

Wurdle Ages 5 and up. Great for teaching spelling and phonics. Makes learning new words fun in a fast-paced way.

$1 Each Preschool Adventures Probably best for 3-4 years and up. Choose from six simple activities dealing with ocean colors, space shapes, a monkey body, farm sounds, animal matches and dot-to-dot numbers.

Scribble Great for any age. Draw and erase as much as you want with no mess to clean up afterwards!

iColoringBook Great for any age. This app gives you 30 pages to color, or you can download the Lite version for free (which gives you 10 pages to color). [For $2.99, there is also a Curious George coloring book with 48 monkey pages to color.]

Free!!Free!!Free!! BubbleWrap Just as it sounds. When your kid needs a distraction, let them 'pop' til they drop.

Dress Chica Probably more girl-friendly, but no one's judging : ) Choose hats, scarves and shoes for PBS KIDS Sprouts characters.

Brain Tuner Ages 5 and up. Test your basic math skills against the clock.

Worth the $4.99 Baby Monitor Going on a trip and don't want to pack your bulky monitor? Download this app and simply place the iPhone next to your baby's crib. If noise is detected, the iPhone will call a phone of your choice (like you're cell phone). That's awesome!