Moms want to be out and about, and anything that makes short errands or long road trips with a baby more peaceful is definitely a plus. Ease up on your screen limits and download these apps to entertain your baby.

This is part 1 of a 3-part series: For toddler apps, see Best iPad Apps for Travel with a Toddler. For elementary-school age apps, see Learning on the Go: Best iPad Apps for School-age Kids.

Dr. Suess’s ABC
The alphabet is invigorated with this interactive version of Dr. Suess’s popular ABC book. Your baby can learn her letters the fun and easy away, by seeing and hearing words and items put together on the page. Touch any letter to have it said aloud, or just go on reading for a fast look at the ABCs. You can get the first few pages for free in a Lite version, or buy the whole book at once to get the entire alphabet of Dr. Suess’s original artwork. If you’re getting an early start on preschool, this app is a great way to focus on the important lessons.

Cost: Free for the Lite version, $3.99 for whole story

123 Color HD: Talking Coloring Book
Teach your baby colors, numbers and letters with 123 Color, an educational coloring book app. There are so many coloring book pages to choose from, with every option from shapes and maps to holiday pictures. The names of colors are announced as your baby runs her hands along the crayons, so your child can learn while painting. With the “Perfect Paint” feature, coloring outside the lines is impossible. The app offers a lot of different settings so you can customize the experience, as well as the ability to save or email the work. It’s not likely your child will tire of the pictures available, but there are additional coloring book packs for purchase.

Cost: $0.99

Eric Carle’s My Very First App
Most famous for his books, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See,” Eric Carle has let developers adapt his simplistic art and color matching into a basic app. Children can match the color to the appropriately colored animal or the animal to his home. This app is made to use with a parent’s help and guidance. As your child gets older and recognizes the pictures from Eric Carle’s books, he may like the hard versions of the matching game. This app is worth it to help bridge the gap between book and screen.

Cost: $1.99

Phone for Kids – All in One Activity Center for Children HD
Phone for Kids has 18 simple, educational games in one, colorful, easy-to-navigate app. Your baby, toddler or preschooler can use your iPhone or iPad as a fake phone to dial, send pretend texts or play one of the many instructional games that teach numbers, colors and days of the week. A voice announces each letter, number or color as it is pushed to help your child learn quickly. With an easy racecar game, balloon popping and an animal guitar, this app gives your child a new and exciting experience every time. The free version comes with 6 games, and the full 18 are available for in-app purchase.

Cost: Free version (Good enough for babies) with optional in-app purchases

Hello Zoo for Kids
A colorful interactive zoo app made especially for babies, Hello Zoo puts the planet’s animals at the touch of a finger. Babies can learn touchscreen basics as they make animals jump and swim with just one touch, and older toddlers can play the memory match game and create special “Polaroids” with virtual animal stickers. The app gets parents involved too, with a Meet the Animals section. Some animals are included in the free app, and the rest are available via in-app purchase. Hello Zoo is a great app for introducing your baby to the virtual world.

Cost: Free with optional in-app purchase. Disclaimer: My husband made Hello Zoo to help Little J learn how to use the iPad as a baby.