Most apps aimed at toddlers are neon-colored slot machines that scream "GOOD JOB!" every time a kid touches the glass. Sound Touch has been around since the early iPad days for a reason: it refuses to do any of that. You get a clean grid of cartoon icons, and when a kid taps one, a full-screen, high-resolution photograph of a real animal, vehicle, or household item pops up with its real-world sound.

Each icon rotates through up to six different photos and sound clips, so tapping the dog doesn't give you the exact same golden retriever bark every time. That variety is why speech-language pathologists have kept this in their toolkit for over a decade.

It works best when you sit together and treat it like a sturdy board book—naming the items, imitating the sounds, and pointing out details in the photos—or when you need ten quiet minutes in a waiting room without handing over an algorithmic video feed.