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Snow Day! I've heard that shouted down the stairs one too many mornings lately. Here on the East Coast we've been slammed with snowstorm after snowstorm this winter. Sure we've had a few reprieves in the form of bizarrely placed 80 degree days, but other then that it seems the whole world is just shades of grey.
On heavy snow days my husband has worked from home and my daughter has of course, been off from school. This can get tricky. Our house is 246 years old so it's not exactly possessing of an "open floor plan". This means that when the three of us are home at the same time we are mindful of each other's space. We generally handle this quite well. But add two dogs and two cats to the mix and this careful choreography starts to miss the beats.
The dogs and cats, usually with free and easy access to and enthusiasm for the outdoors, are now refusing to go outside. They are depressed, and mopey, and consequently, constantly underfoot. I've taken to mocking them and posting photos of their sloth on twitter, in the hopes that the public shaming of their uselessness will inspire them to get back to work doing doggy and catty things. No luck yet.
Fortunately with my daughter I have not had to resort to such tactics. Typically she's pretty good at the self amusement thing and will flow organically from computer, to reading, to playing outside, to practicing guitar, with little prodding from me. But these endless blankets of crystal mire have taken their toll on her as well, and in her search for something, anything stimulating she's taken to borrowing my iPad. It's been rather handy. Not only for watching movies on Netflix while cuddled up in a cozy chair, but for playing board games together (no missing pieces on the iPad) and exploring new games. Below is a list of some great iPad apps, for curing your snow daze. Keep in mind many of them are available on the iPhone or iPod touch too.
Comics
For kids who are comic and manga addicts the iPad can be a beautiful thing. While digital comics offer little for the hardcore collector (no first editions), for the avid comic reader an iPad app allows you total portable access to your complete collection, as well as instant access to new releases.
- Marvel Comics app is free with users paying for individual comics. The app offers an enhanced "guided view" or traditional reading.
- Viz Media's Manga app (iPad only) gives you instant access to the best of Japanese comics. The app is free and offers monthly freebies and previews of new content. You can instantly buy full copies of the issues you wish to read. This app features a reading experience in the traditional manga style (right to left) and carries a nice selection of old favorites and hot new releases, includingBleach, which GeekMom Corrina Lawson reviewed over at GeekDad, and the manga of the popular anime series, Naruto.
Creative
- Art Rage - For your budding artist try out Art Rage an incredible app for hands on painting on the iPad. At $6.99 this app is way cheaper then Photoshop and a graphics tablet, but still offers incredible versatility.
- Let's Create! Pottery - Hypnotic, relaxing, meditative - these are the words that come to mind with this app. With delightful background music of birds chirping, this simple app let's you make pottery without "getting your hands dirty" which is sometimes a plus to busy Moms! Free with a $4.99 upgrade, the paid version features more materials and options.
Hot Games
Naturally Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds continue to be addictive and popular games at our house. But they are losing ground to a few new favorites:
- Unblock Me ($.99) is a puzzle solving game where you move around wood blocks to release a single colored block. This game is really challenging and a lot of fun.
- Stroke of Midnight__ __ I cannot say enough good things about this game. Free to play at first it does require a $3.99 upgrade after you reach a certain point. These clever developers know that when you get to that point, you're hooked. This game is well worth the upgrade price and kept my daughter occupied and fascinated for quite a while. Beautiful graphics, with an interesting mystery story and intriguing game play.
Classic Games
- Family Feud is a hit again on the iPad. I don't think my daughter has ever seen an episode of this classic game show, but she sure loves playing it on the iPad! At $1.99 it's been a good investment.
- Fantastic Four in a Row ($.99) is an iPad version of the popular Connect Four game. I'm a master of this game, but playing against the computer with this app is incredibly challenging. Thankfully the app allows for two players so you can play against your kids, or your spouse (who has to let you win sometimes)
For Mom
- Fireplace - Last but not least, a great little $.99 app to provide you with some warming ambiance during the chilly evenings. I literally set this up on my kitchen counter while having my afternoon tea. So cozy!
What are your favorite apps for snowed in entertainment? Share them in the comments!
