Our list of favourites:

Tozzle
Tozzle Words
Dr. Panda's Restaurant
Dr. Panda's Handyman
Dr. Panda's Veggie Garden
Dr. Panda's Hospital
Nighty Night Sheep - this one is beautiful
Talking Pocoyo
Nighty Night Circus
Little Fox Music Box - another beautiful one

Some Montessori ones that help them get started on writing and recognising letters and numbers:
Writing Wizard by L'Escapadou
Montessori Numbers by L'Escapadou

Everything in moderation peeps!
If you select what chn watch & do on an iPad very carefully & only allow at certain times (defintiely not at meal times!) then if you are on a long journey why not? It's like everything in life - a little of what you like does you no harm. The pipity activity cases look BRILLIANT so a very good addition - TY for sharing!

As iPads have only been around for a few years we have no idea what effect they're having on kids' brains on a long term basis. All I've noticed is that the crime rate has gone down significantly in recent years and I'm guessing it's because kids now have something to occupy them rather than hang around getting bored. I hate seeing tiny kids stuck in front of screens (generally watching films) at meal times but other than that I reckon they're much more interactive than watching a TV and most adults spend most of their working lives in front of screens nowadays.It's the way the world is going and I rather think the naysayers are just like King Canute trying to stop the waves.

Must agree with Geo72 although perhaps in less dramatic terms. Wiuld add crayons, pencils and paper to the list though.
We got to central africa with 2 connections and delays making it a 24 hr trip on charter type flights without any issues with our 2 year old and 4 year old.
Same goes for those back of headrest car DVD players. Yuk.

My post above might not make sense without seeing the thing I'm talking about... www.pipity.com
(a little film about it all popped up on my FB page a couple of days ago)!

Just had a read through!!!! I posted this yesterday "Should I get these for our holiday..." as I think like many am just trying to find a reasonable balance. With not responses to my post I have just bitten the bullet and orders a blue and red Activity case for my son (4) and daughter (6). We're flying to Italy for the first time with 3 and thought that these might be a good solution for keeping them busy at the airport, on the plane and while we're away (especially as I think I'll have hands full with the baby). I have downloaded some of their favourite programmes onto the ipad, but my son loses interest quickly and is a monster when he watches any screen for too long, so wanted an easy alternative/balance.
I ended up speaking to Kate at Pipity, who was lovely and helpful, and hope that they're going to be good. I have just ordered a plain paper pad for my son as the activity books might be a bit to advanced for him, but he's happy drawing! Also, we have agreed that we're not going to take any screens with us when we go out to eat as really don't want to get into the habit of the kids using them at the table at meal times... so hope these will be good for eating out too. My package should arrive tomorrow so will post feedback on it all when they arrive!

Hi Original Poster

To answer your question rather than judge it, my little one loves In The Nightgarden, not an app per se obviously but you can download episodes to the ipad from BBC iPlayer. I bought some Peppa Pig episodes on itunes also as I couldn't download them from iplayer, they tend to amuse for a while too.

Best of Luck on your flight and I hope you don't feel bullied by previous posts; for me there are days when the iPad is a lifesaver, not just on a plane, I'm sure my little one is going to end up with all sorts of problems later in life!! x

Argh what is wrong with some people! Why must you impose your holier than though attitudes on everyone! Perhaps if you got of your high horses you'd realise the question was not whether people think iPads are good for children or not, but rather if anyone knows any good apps. Your opinion is totally irrelevant.

One of my daughters has just turned 3 and enjoys the duck duck moose apps, the monkey preschool playbox apps and the Mickey Mouse math challenge apps. There are some good peppa pig ones too. There is a good Disney storybook apps where you can record your own stories and it plays them back to you- my eldest daughter loves that one too.

most people here will still ask if there is an app for it

yes I have noted that the Twitter mob mentality can rule here

People think that it is something new but I recall reading a book about people with pitchforks by a nice lady called Mary Shelley.
It as old as the hills and in America they call them lynch mobs with an emphasis on "mob" whereas in the UK we stopped this when we enacted the Witchcraft Act 1735.

screens are dreadful things for all of us.
iPads are some of the very worst things invented.
Parents who give this crap to children are not displaying good parenting skills and by doing it in public are setting a very poor example to us all.

There is no nice way of putting this.

There's lots of free colouring apps that my daughter enjoys (easier than pens on a plane!) I also took one of those pads where you use a pen you fill with water to colour in the pages- usually they have clouded up again by the time they have done all the pictures and can re-start. Good luck with the flight.
I am obviously unlike Geo72 as would prefer not to spend my whole flight listening to parents reading aloud to pre-schoolers- or maybe they think everyone enjoys their little darlings as much as he/ she does!
Using an app to keep your child quiet on a plane is irrelevant to their links - none of which show that a couple of hours in the I-pad does any harm.
Nowhere has anyone here stated this is instead of reading or playing with their children the other 99% of the time so not sure why the judgemental response was necessary.
Pet peeve of mine when someone comes on here to ask for advice re something practical and gets someone's personal opinion instead (there was another recently where a mum asked for recommendations for a girls make up party and got chastised for letting them play with make up)
If you don't have anything nice to say- move to another thread. Unless someone has asked for opinions- no need to rebuke them for theirs!
(Lots of threads here where people are asking for opinions so knock yourself out on those Geo

Geo72,

Firstly, the original poster specifically said she was looking for apps to use on a plane. This therefore has no bearing on her willingness or lack of, to read with their child. Its a short term temporary solution to keep a child happily occupied on a plane.

Secondly, if I could be bothered, I'm sure I could find an equal number of web links to promote the use of ipads for children, not just including the fact that most schools use them in many ways as learning aids.

Thirdly, from a personal point of view, I was diagnosed with breast cancer when my daughter was 11 months. I have spent a great deal of time in hospital waiting rooms and on occasion, I need to take her with me. I can't take an endless stack of books, stickers, toys, paper and pens. Being a cancer centre, there are plenty of people being given really awful news, and having a lively toddler in the waiting room can in some cases cause extra stress on these people. Ditto, when I am in an appointment with my own Oncologist I need to be able to give my full attention to understand what is happening to me and my treatment. Amongst the varying things I take to occupy my daughter is the ipad. From about 20 months onwards she has enjoyed playing games on it.

I make no apologies if that's how you see it then yes, I use it "to plug a dummy in my child's brain".

But, I can only speak for myself to say that the ipad is used sparingly for these occasions. Its not like its used every day for 2 hours a day, every day. Its useful, amongst other things, for her to do when being made to sit in a small room for sometimes, long periods of time, something that is well known to be against all instincts of a toddler.

What a ridiculous comment from Geo72. There are times, like travelling, in an sensitive environment like hospital etc when they need to sit quietly and the Ipad is excellent for keeping them happy and still. Its not a replacement for reading, but nor does the original poster ask for one, she specifically asks for travelling. Why are people on the internet so happy to be rude for no good reason?

Anyhow.

My 2 year old LOVES the duplo games - free on app store!

Bit of an unhelpful and harsh response Geo72.

For anyone that is interested we downloaded the sago mini apps which she absolutely loved and many of them educational and could be done together with myself or my husband.

And for the record, we did take books as well but there's only so many you can carry in your hand luggage!