Sort and Stack Play Smart and Learn

$1.99, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

Teaches: spatial relations, shapes, colors, numerals, animals

CTR Rating: 96%

CTR Review

Note: Pronetis Kids is now called Croco Studios. Jigsaw puzzles apps -- where you drag and drop the pieces into place-- abound. But few are designed as well as this one. Designed in Romania, the colorful app was inspired by existing stacking toys, where your job is to figure out how things fit together using color or shape clues. There's plenty of room for trial and error -- the mistakes simply drop to the bottom of the screen, which makes experimenting fun. Options let you toggle the background music on or off, as well as the sound effects. An easier hint mode can be toggled on from the main menu, which makes it possible for very young children to succeed with this app. The puzzles are fun because the pieces "snap" into place -- just like real parts, and you are rewarded with animation and sounds when they fit into place. Content includes 12 puzzles, each in 3D and arranged from easy to harder. Chris Crowell said "I thought this might be below my (kindergarten) students level but they love playing with it, and I was able to see some gaps in their development with regards to sorting and classification." All in all, this is a must download app for any ECE setting.