Handing the kids our technology is all too familiar. Giving kids the opportunity play and learn by sharing iPhones, iPads, Kindles, and Nooks can be a scary thought. With a world of knowledge at their fingertips, the possibilities are infinite. That’s why we’ve found the best age-appropriate, fun, and educational apps for your kids. Be sure to also check out our 15 Top Android Apps for Kids by Age.
Youngins (Ages 4-7)
Drawnimal $1.99
iPad, iPhone, iPod
Perfect for young, creative children. This well-designed app gets kids drawing on paper, while learning the alphabet. Screens provide animated animal faces that are placed on a sheet of paper, giving them the creative freedom to draw the ears, legs, arms, and bodies. There’s an animal for every letter of the alphabet!
Faces iMake – Right Brain Creativity $2.99
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
One of the most highly acclaimed kids’ games, Faces iMake is an easy-to-use game that develops creativity. Kids are given more than 200 item images to make a face. Each item can be rotated, flipped, or scaled to just the right size. You can also import your own images. Once you’re done, share, send, or print wonderful pieces of art!
DigitZ $.99
iPad, iPhone, iPod
A Tetris-style math game teaches arithmetic and problem solving skills for math-learners of various levels. Number blocks drop down like Tetris blocks and players tap the blocks needed to combine to reach the target number. This helps kids commit number combinations to long-term memory.
Feel Electric Free
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
Feel Electric is a fun app that teaches kids to express their emotions in an appropriate way. Photos, videos, and vocabulary games teach language skills, emotional awareness, and facial expression. Parents can join in on the fun and talk to their kids about the skills they’re learning. A fantastic free app!
Where’s Waldo? Hollywood $0.99
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
The newest Waldo app draws from an old source: Martin Handford’s 1993 book Where’s Waldo? in Hollywood. The app, however, makes use of interactivity in ways the original Where’s Waldo? series never could. Featuring everyone’s favorite hide-and-seek star lost deep inside 10 famous film sets (from Robin Hood to The Three Musketeers), Where’s Waldo? in Hollywood lets you play alone or in “Versus” mode, where you compete against Waldo’s nemesis, Odlaw. You can also use your gadget’s touch capabilities to get closer to Waldo’s world than ever before, thanks to the ability to zoom in on details, scroll through maps, and touch key locations to reveal clues about hidden items.
Kids (Ages 8-12)
Hotel Dash Free/$2.99
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Kids love to play pretend. In this high speed, time management game, kids have to check guests in rooms, drop off luggage, bring guests meals, and check them out. The free version gives several levels of fun and an updated version comes with 30 different levels and countless challenges. The directions are clear and concise, making this game easy to learn and fun to play.
Marble Math $2.99
iPhone, iPad
Developing math skills is fun and engaging with an app that gives kids the ability to tip, roll, or drag a marble to solve a math equation. Mixing up the typical format, Marble Math turns math into a fast-paced game. Different levels and skills are available. Also, there are other versions of the game for different age groups, including a free version for young math students!
Cut the Rope: Time Travel Free/$2.99
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Part of the Cut the Rope family, this classic iPhone game takes place in history. Levels of dinosaurs, pirates, ancient Egypt ,and more use a little monster named Om Nom to teach the basic concepts of physics, gravity, and motion while remaining fun and interactive. Cut the Rope: Time Travel is a subtle way to teach and a potential new favorite for the whole family.
Hopscotch HD Free
iPad
Hopscotch is a cool new interactive program that teaches kids the basics of programming. The visually appealing app allows kids to create their own animations by dragging and dropping blocks to create their own code. Intuitive and attractive, Hopscotch HD could spark your child’s dream of being a computer programmer.
Math Matthews $1.99
iPad
Math is fun to learn with this engaging pirate adventure. The story leads them on a journey towards finding a necklace by solving multiplication problems along the way. Each problem is presented multiple times throughout the story, ensuring the solutions are learned. Parents can even look to see how their kids are doing. This app is aesthetically pleasing and strikingly educational.
Teens (13+)
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
It may seem steep for an app, but this app gives you the resources for completing a real life treasure hunt! The app provides the coordinates, GPS services, and database for finding treasure. Each cache has its own difficulty. All you have to do is click “find nearest cache” and begin searching. The app allows you to track your progress, take photos, and create caches for more hunters. Hours of family adventure await!
Algebra Touch $1.99
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Algebra Touch clearly covers the basic skills of algebra. Simplification, Order of Operations, Factorization, Prime Numbers, Distribution, and Substitution are a few skills taught. By tapping and dragging, learners of all ages can understand and master basic algebra. Great for tutoring and homeschool!
Pixel People Free
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Your own pixelated metropolis awaits you! Taking place in the futuristic world of Utopia, kids create and splice workers to create new characters and grow their world into a better and brighter place. Simple game play and quick progress teach time management skills in a fun and creative way.
Cubie Block Free/$.99
iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Cubie Block is a simple and addictive puzzle app. Users must move colored blocks into their appropriate position. Certain blocks have specific patterns of movement making the game more challenging. With over 200 levels, 10 block types, and different board sizes, this game is a deal.
7 Little Words Free
iPod, iPad , iPod Touch
Word puzzles test trivia, spelling, vocabulary, knowledge, and creativity. Each puzzle has clues for seven words. There is no time limit or specific order to solve the puzzle giving teens the opportunity to learn and apply wordy information at their own pace.
Which app seems the most interesting and why?