Top fun and educational apps for kids ages 4-12 By Suzanne Hyman
Kids playing games on the iPad (Flickr: Paul Schultz )
With so many amazing apps available, it wasn’t easy narrowing down our selection to these eight. We wanted to offer a variety of apps that appeal to a range of ages, as well as games you can play together as a family, and a few that your kids might want to play on their own. After all, who doesn’t enjoy those rare moments of quiet?
These apps are not just a great source of entertainment. They’re educational. A few allow your kids to express themselves creatively through storytelling, while others improve their observation and thinking skills, their spelling, or their geography skills.
All of these apps have achieved high ratings, great reviews, are free or inexpensive, and many have even won awards. Did we mention that they’re fun?
(MORE: Download MiniTime’s kid-friendly car and vacation games for your next family vacation.)
Drawing Pad by Darren Murtha Design
Drawing Pad is one of the many fantastic downloadable games. (Drawing Pad)
Ideal Age: 5 and younger, for older kids try Art Set by LOFOPI
Requirements: iOS 7.0 or later for iPad only
Price: $1.99 + In-App Purchases (Free-$1.29)
Why is this app great? It’s a simple art app that has a whole lot of tools including crayons, that has a whole lot of tools including crayons, markers, paint, colored pencils, stickers, stamps, construction paper, and more. It’s also been featured in MacWorld Magazine, on nytimes.com, usatoday.com, the iLounge Buyer’s Guide 100 Essential Apps of 2010, Gizmodo’s 2010 Gift Guide, and it has won both the Parents’ Choice Gold Award and Children and Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award. It’s obviously receiving praise for a reason.
Mad Libs by Penguin Group USA
Mad Libs is a perfect app for family road trips. (Penguin Group USA)
Ideal Age: Ages 4 & up
Requirements: iOS 5 or later for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Price: Free to download + In-App Purchases of $1.99/21 stories
Why is this app great? With over 3.7 million downloads, everyone loves the app that teaches their kids the fundamentals of grammar while also creating silly stories. When the kids are asleep, try the adult Mad Libs for a little more uncensored fun.
Rory’s Story Cube by The Creativity Hub Ltd.
Ideal Age: Ages 4 & up
Requirements: iOS 4.3 or later for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Price: $1.99 + In-App Purchases ($1.99)
Why is this app great? All you need is an imagination and a good shake to reveal unlimited stories from the 9 pictures shown on Rory stories from the 9 pictures shown on Rory’s Story cubes. Move the cubes anywhere you want on the screen or shake again to create a new story. With 54 images and more than 10 million combinations, this app will win over even the shortest attention spans.
Road-Trip-Bingo HD by Bright Bunny
Ideal Age: Ages 4 & up
Requirements: iOS 6.0 or later for iPad only
Price: $1.99
Why is this app great? This classic family game keeps your kids busy looking for up to 40 different objects on the road. With thousands of bingo cards, two different player modes (one or two person), and interactive characters within the app, there’s no chance your kids can get bored.
StoryLines by Edmodo
StoryLines (Edmodo, Inc.)
Ideal Age: Ages 8 & up
Requirements: iOS 5 or later for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Price: Free + In-App Purchase of $.99 for StoryLines Basic Drawing Kit
Why is this app great? Noted by KQED’s MindShift as one of “10 Awesome Apps for Learning,” StoryLines brings the game “Telephone” to a whole new level with hilarious phrases and fun drawings all in the effort to build a story with everyone in the car.
Scribblenauts Remix by Warner Bros.
Ideal Age: Ages 9 & up
Requirements: iOS 4.3 or later for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Price: $.99 + In-App Purchases ($.99-$2.99)
Why is this app great? Scribblenauts Remix already has over 4 million Scribblenauts Remix already has over 4 million users who can’t get enough of this wacky app full of creative puzzles and vocabulary games. Let your kids go on an adventure, bringing life to any object that they type to pass new levels in new worlds with zany characters that they’re sure to love.
Geography Drive USA by Spinlight Studio
Geography Drive USA (SpinLight)
Ideal Age: Ages 9-11
Requirements: iOS 6 or later for iPad
Price: $2.99
Why is this app great? Featured on Fox News Gizmos and Gadgets and winning a Parents’ Choice Gold Award should be enough of a reason to try out this great app. Your kids will enjoy learning about U.S. cities, capitals, states, rivers, and flags with fun trivia and games galore. The only downside is that it’s not a multi-player app. If you have an older iOS, try Stack the States by Freecloud Design, Inc., which allows up to 6 players.
(MORE: Find out which car games are best for kids during those long road trips.)
FunBlast! Trivia by Fun2Go Trivia & More
Ideal Age: Ages 12 & up
Requirements: iOS 4.3 or later for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Price: Free + In-App Purchases ($.99-$2.99)
Why is this app great? As the name suggests, FunBlast! is a blast, testing your family’s knowledge of History, Geography, Literature, Pop Culture, TV, Movies, and more. You can play alone, with another player, or in teams. And with live animation, 4 different modes, and tons of sound effects, this app is sure to please. Keep this one for the older kids since the Bet Big mode includes a Las Vegas-themed casino.
