My three year old is always asking if she can use my iPad. It is amazing how much a three year old can accomplish using an iPad. All the kids love using it. I have uploaded several apps for them since the app store is overflowing with wonderful educational apps. However, some apps have ads that lead a child to the internet. The Internet is not always the safest place for little eyes or even little ears (YouTube, ads with audio). I am not the only parent with this concern. Dad and app designer, Brian Monnin, became concerned when his young child ended up on YouTube and heard cussing after hitting an ad from within an app. He decided to design Happly.
Happly is designed to allow children to discover information without stumbling upon the worst the Internet has to offer. The content is carefully designed by experts to offer age appropriate and exciting material. The categories within the app are: “Did you know?,” “How to do Stuff,” “Space & Beyond,” “Weird & Wacky,” “Dinos,” “Funny Videos,” and more, can all be toggled on and off as the parent chooses. Each child has a pin protected login so it can be customized to the child. Parents even have the ability to add in content from their own profile. Children cannot search beyond the approved content. The content varies from stories, videos, to fun games. It provides an interesting, fun, and educational experience.
I set up profiles for three of my kids and myself. We can message each other from within the app as well. The content is so much fun that the kids like sharing their pages with each other. I enjoy the fact that I can allow them to search and learn online without worrying about them stumbling upon inappropriate sites.