The Cookie Doodle App!
Who doesn't love a really good chocolate chip cookie? Or
maybe you prefer oatmeal cookies with rainbow sprinkles? What about shortbread,
snickerdoodles or sugar cookies?
Whatever your preference, you can make all of these and many
more with just the click of a button and 99 cents! The only problem is...they are
NOT edible! No, these cookies are not for consumption. Instead of slaving away
in the kitchen, you create them using a wonderful app called Cookie Doodle!
As I mentioned in Tuesday's post, although many apps were not originally
designed to be used with children with special needs, they can in fact be an
extremely useful tool for developing a child's speech and language skills.
With the Cookie Doodle app, a child can choose:
-
Whether to make instant cookies or follow a
recipe
-
The type of cookie dough recipe they would like
to make (which includes everything from cranberry to peanut butter to mint and
chip!)
-
The cookie cutter shape they would like to use
(which includes letters and numbers, animals, holiday shapes and a wide variety
of other familiar shapes, such as flowers, stars, etc.)
-
The color frosting they would like to use (25 color
options!)
-
The type of sprinkles they would like to use (a
variety of sizes and colors)
-
Candy toppings (everything from butterscotch
chips to marshmallows)
-
And other tools such as piping and writing a
message on the cookie
As you can see, there are a multitude of choices leaving
much room for vocabulary growth and development, not to mention creativity!
Additionally, as the child follows the recipe the iPad
becomes very interactive, helping to hold the child's attention, build vocabulary
and use fine motor skills!
Some of the interactive recipe steps include:
- Sifting
the flour (turn the sifter wheel!)
- Cracking
the egg
- Slicing
the butter
- Pouring
the vanilla (turn the iPad as if to pour out)
- Shaking
the salt (gently shake the iPad)
- Squeezing
the food coloring
- Measuring
out the baking powder
- Baking
the cookie
- Eating
the cookie (of course!)
Each recipe is different; therefore, the ingredients vary,
helping to expand vocabulary and adding a bit of wonder to this imaginative
program! It is definitely one of my iPad favorites!