Calling all climbers, splashers & den builders
In the news
News and new releases
"New app launched to help families find playgrounds" — featured on The Upside. Read the story →
The Playground App on News10 ABC
"Free app helps families discover playgrounds near them, and across the country." Read the story →
BearsWithApps on Spectrum News 1
The Playground App on News10 ABC
Two kinds of days
Our story
A family business, still run like one.
My husband and I have always worked on projects together. When the iPad first came out, building these apps was a family effort — our kids tested "Dad's Apps," and I tested and wrote about them. Over the years his day job took over, health made it harder to keep up, and the apps quietly began falling out of the App Store.
I saw how many families still relied on them, and I had ideas for more. So I started BearsWithApps to bring them back and build what's next — with outside help on the parts I don't build myself. Kathleen, Nana to four, still reviews every app before it ships.
Read more at KathleenSmith.org
Values
What we're about
The directory
Our Apps
Maps, sleep sounds, math practice and pretend play — 23 apps built by one family.
Gets you outside
Four maps for finding somewhere to go.
The Waterfall App
Maps & Discovery
Discover waterfalls near you — then plan your trip in one place.
The Playground App
Maps & Discovery
Stop searching "playgrounds near me" — we've already found almost 1 million for you.
Christmas Markets
Maps & Discovery
Plan your perfect holiday season with the ultimate Christmas guide! Discover thousands of Christmas markets, public Christmas trees, and festive events worldwide. Whether you're looking for a nearby market to explore or planning a magical journey to iconic Christmas destinations, this app has you covered.
The Castle App
Maps & Discovery
Imagine stepping back in time to uncover ancient fortresses, hidden ruins, and majestic castles right from your phone. This app isn’t just about finding a location; it’s about experiencing history in a way that’s fun, informative, and easy. Whether you're planning a trip, want to see what's nearby, or feel like exploring a random corner of the world, we bring these iconic sites to life with a curated blend of content and navigation. Save time and elevate your travel plans with our app – the ultimate companion for castle enthusiasts and explorers alike.
For a rainy day
Math, spelling, pretend play and sleep — no account, no ads.
Walk Me To Sleep
Sleep & Stories
Fall asleep to slow walks through real cities and imagined evenings.
Toddlers Cash Register
Pretend Play
Welcome to the Toddler Toy Cash register! With this toy cash register, your toddler will learn to identify and count different fruits, veggies, and more. They simply need to press on numbers 1-3 and the fruit, veggies, and candy will show up according to the number they press on. This will also help them to learn the quantity of each item. When they press on the dollar signs they will hear the register open and they can then play with the money too.
Kids Toy Kiosk
Pretend Play
Turn your device into a fun pretend store for imaginative play!
Kids Writing-pad
Spelling & Writing
Learning how to write letters and numbers can be fun for your kids and your pupils! With the Kids Writing - Pad your kids or students can learn how to write letters and numbers and have fun. There are multiple colored pencils they can use. There is an eraser for your kids or students to use whenever they make a mistake. They can make copies of each page they write on (which is great for parents or teachers to look at to check the progress of your child or student). This app is easy to use whether it be on the iPad or iPhone. Kids can use it at home, in school or while in a car on a fun family road trip. And remember this app is ads FREE.
Flash Subtraction Game
Math & Trivia
Test your math skills! It doesn't matter if you are a kid or an adult this subtraction math game will help you to remember how to subtract and remember the answers each time you play this 60-second flash subtraction game. It's great for kids who are just starting to learn. And it's great for adults who are refreshing their memory. This can be a great game for the family as well. See how many answers you can get correct. See if you can beat your brother, sister, mom, dad, or friend. And have fun while you're doing it!
Flash Multiply Game
Math & Trivia
Test your math skills! It doesn't matter if you are a kid or an adult this multiplying math game will help you to remember how to multiply and remember the answers each time you play this 60-second flash multiply game. It's great for kids who are just starting to learn. And it's great for adults who are refreshing your memory. This can be a great game for the family as well. See how many answers you can get correct. See if you can beat your brother, sister, mom, dad, or friend. And have fun while you're doing it!
Flash Add Game
Math & Trivia
Test your math skills! It doesn't matter if you are a kid or an adult this addition math game will help you to remember how to add quickly and remember the answers each time you play this 60-second flash addition game. It's great for kids who are just starting to learn. And it's great for adults who are refreshing your memory. This can be a great game for the family as well. See how many answers you can get correct. See if you can beat your brother, sister, mom, dad, or friend. And have fun while you're doing it!
AddingForKids
Math & Trivia
Practice adding, starting with the 1's and working your way up to the 12's. This app is easy to use and will help your kids practice adding.
Multiplying Multiples
Math & Trivia
Do you have trouble with your multiplications? With this app, you can choose which multiplication tables you would like to practice with from 1-12. Hit play and see how many answers you get right. There will be 4 answers to choose from One of the numbers will be the correct answer (obviously). See how many you can get right and try to beat your high score! This is a great way to learn your multiplications and remember the correct answers over time. How many can you get right in 60 seconds?
Sir Dress-a-Lot
Pretend Play
Embark on a thrilling medieval adventure with "Sir Dress-a-lot," the ultimate knight dress-up game for kids! Unleash your child's creativity as they customize every aspect of their knight's appearance, from the majestic shield to the heroic helmet and everything in between. Dive into a world of imaginative play, where little ones can craft their own medieval tales of bravery and chivalry.
Money Pit!
Pretend Play
Fast paced and action game with falling bombs and money! How much money (in real world currency photos!) can you catch in your bag? Catch the falling money before it hits the mud pit and avoid touching the bombs simultaneously. The more money you get the more the bag expands. Try to keep up with the speed as you advance to each level. See how high of a score you can get as you play.
Spelling with Bear
Spelling & Writing
Get ready to put your spelling skills to the test with 9 challenging levels! With each correct word, you'll advance to the next level and be rewarded with a beautifully illustrated drawing. But don't worry, you won't be going it alone - a computer voice will guide you through each level, providing the word and a sample sentence to help you understand the theme. Plus, you can play the first three levels for free! Are you ready to embark on this spelling adventure? Download now and see if you have what it takes to get all the words right!
9 Quiz
Math & Trivia
Are you a trivia master? Prove it with Nine Quiz! Test your general knowledge skills with nine challenging questions per level. With the first three levels free and the option to unlock more through in-app purchase, you can take a virtual pub quiz tour and put your smarts to the test. Get Nine Quiz now and see how you stack up!
JustSpellFree
Spelling & Writing
Get ready to put your spelling skills to the test with 9 challenging levels! With each correct word, you'll advance to the next level and be rewarded with a beautifully illustrated drawing. But don't worry, you won't be going it alone - a computer voice will guide you through each level, providing the word and a sample sentence to help you understand the theme. Plus, you can play the first three levels for free! Are you ready to embark on this spelling adventure? Download now and see if you have what it takes to get all the words right!
Kids Writing Pad Mini
Spelling & Writing
The Kids Writing Pad Mini has a couple of different lined papers for your child to choose from. This is a good tool for learning how to write letters and numbers. Especially if your child doesn't know how to use a pencil yet.
Cash Register For Kids
Pretend Play
Play and explore a cash register as a toy. This is not intended as a reliable cash register app but rather as a toy for children to explore, press the buttons, see the different items show on the receipt, and most importantly discover how to open the drawer and play with the money inside!
Fast Multiplication
Math & Trivia
How fast can you multiply? You have sixty seconds to answer problems....how many can you get right and how many in a row can you get right?
PopQuiz TV
Math & Trivia
Best out of 10-- Challenging Trivia Questions that you can jump in and answer right away. How do you do in the best out of 10? Can you handle the challenge?
Take the map with you.
Search the area before you set off and the playgrounds stay cached on your phone — handy when the signal drops.
