The iPad is one of the hottest gifts for children, and there are loads of great apps and games to keep them entertained for hours. We’ve rounded up our picks for the top 10 games for kids to help you sort through all the available apps to find the best:
Angry Birds This popular game has you trying to get back bird eggs from some evil green pigs who are hiding out in their castles. To break down their defenses, you use a slingshot to send tiny, angry birds through their walls. Intended for ages 4 and over. $0.99.
Scribblenauts This puzzle game puts your child in different scenarios and asks him to think of objects that can help solve the problem. For example, objects needed on the first day of class might include “desk” or “stapler.” Simply type an object name, and it appears. Just about whatever you can think of will appear, whether it helps you solve the puzzle or not, including mythical creatures like zombies and yeti. Intended for ages 9 and over. $0.99.
Cut the Rope Kids must navigate a series of ropes to help try to feed a mysterious green monster candy in this fun game. The laws of physics and gravity work against kids’ efforts to get through the ropes. Intended for ages 4 and over. $1.99.
Bumpy Road A simple road trip becomes an obstacle-course adventure in this brightly colored game. Help the road rise up to meet this driving couple to avoid water holes, grab coins, and jump over obstacles. Intended for ages 3 and over. $2.99.
Pictureka! Kids have to find hidden objects in the picture based on different themes and prompts, such as “musical instruments” or “sharp objects.” Intended for ages 3 and over. $4.99.
Doodlecast for Kids Kids use their fingers to draw based on a series of prompts from the game. Prompts include adjectives like “yucky” and “loud,” as well as elements like “mouth” or “water.” The app also records narration from your child, then plays back the sound with a moving picture. Intended for ages 2 and over. $1.99.
Musical Me Kids can learn about music notes and rhythm with this game that follows a mouse named Mozzarella. They can make animals dance to the beat, make their own music, or play along with a song on an instrument of their choice. Intended for ages 2 and over. $1.99.
Kid Art There are over 20 pre-drawn backgrounds on which your kids can create their own pictures with different brushes and a cartoon animal. Different themes provide different backgrounds and stamps. Intended for ages 4 and over. 0.59 euro.
Tiny Wings Help teach a baby bird to fly by running down a steep hill and picking up momentum. Race the clock to beat nightfall and pick up coins along the way. Intended for ages 4 and over. $0.99.
Where’s My Water ? Help Swampy the Alligator find the source of his missing water so that he can take a shower and clean off all that sewer sludge. Intended for ages 4 and over. $0.99.
Do you have another favorite kids’ game for the iPad that didn’t make our list? Tell us about it in the comments!
About the author: Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on educational grants for minorities and wisconsin education grants.
Image credit: bengrey