It’s hard not to think of preschoolers or kindergarteners without thinking of hopscotch, jump rope, four square, and nursery rhymes. Okay, sure, these are very romanticized visions of childhood that may not stand true today (hello Bratz dolls and makeup kits for girls who should be outside riding their bikes, especially at the ripe old age of 8), but I’d like to think music holds an intrinsic appeal to all humans, starting at a very young age when mothers croon lullabies to their babies and speak at decibels higher than the normal adult conversation. Something about the melody, the mathematical patterns inherent in tunes register an involuntary emotion in people.

Kidzongs by Stepworks is an incredibly cute and heartwarming app for kids that features six universally familiar nursery rhymes, including the ABC song; 3 Little Monkeys; 1,2,3,4,5; Row, Row, Row Your Boat; Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; and the Incy Wincy Spider. Each song shows a hypnotizing animated background with childish drawings to keep children’s wandering eyes completely engrossed. Once selecting a song, your child may choose to sing by himself, or to have the app sing to him, a most enjoyable choice. Each song showcases an acoustic guitar, and Row, Row, Row Your Boat even has a lively harmonica crowing away in the background. The lyrics are available for your child to sing along to, and he’ll be delighted to hear another child singing along with him in the “Sing for Me” option. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is the only song sung completely by a child, whereas the others are sung as a collaboration between a an adult male singer and a child. To replay a song, simply exit to the main menu and tap the song again.

A great hidden benefit of teaching children nursery rhymes is the educational angle. Typically, a nursery rhyme consists of easy vocabulary and a catchy rhyme, allowing children to learn to sing while expanding their vocabulary. Many times counting is also present in a nursery rhyme, furthering their burgeoning number skills. Upon learning a certain nursery rhyme, children will also start following that particular rhyme or poem on the page, and in this manner many children start to autonomously learn the fundamentals of reading. A large number of nursery rhymes contain mathematical concepts, such as time, height, counting, measurement, temperature, position, weather volume, etc, all of which aid in a child’s knowledge base.

The only disappointment I found – and I had a tough time finding a disappointment in such a simple and cute app – was the lack of more nursery rhymes to choose from. I would have liked to see All Around the Mulberry Bush, Hickory Dickory Dock, I’m a Little Teapot and even This Little Piggy. There is a wide plethora of nursery rhymes out there, and I’m sure children all around would relish hearing more songs than a broken record of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I was also a bit confused by the “Incy Wincy Spider.” From my wracked memory, I recall it being the “itsy bitsy spider” or maybe even the “eensy weensy spider”; perhaps that original name is copyrighted and not within the public domain for use, thus prompting the creators of Kidzong to create a homophonic spelling that still got the point across.

No ill-will or malcontent can be given for Kidzongs. The app just radiates pure sunshine and total innocence, with happy play pictures and tunes for your child to entertain himself. Much like The Little Red Hen, Kidzongs is sure to entertain your child in an autonomous way, so that he doesn’t have to run into the kitchen and tug mother’s skirt until she drops her groceries. There are numerous benefits to be gained from learning song and nursery rhymes. It can help increase a child’s ability to learn, read and interact. Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun too!

For those interested in downloading Kidzongs, why not download it for free, our treat, just to bestow you with the gift of music for your child.

Promotion Codes:

49LNTRN6777H

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*When using the promotion code to download for free, it’s on a first-come, first-served basis. Out of courtesy, please leave a comment below mentioning you’ve used the promotion code.