Children’s apps are moving away from being a “digital babysitter” (we’ve all seen a parent hand their phone to a toddler to keep them quiet for a bit) and becoming a tool that focuses on sharpening kids’ skills for real world experiences. Children’s app trends for 2015 include a strong push towards storytelling, with apps differentiating themselves from books by combining text, animation, and interactivity to capture attention, and allowing kids to create their own stories as well. Apps for young users are also becoming more parent-friendly by involving an adult’s participation during play and giving them tools to check in on their child’s progress. (The Guardian)