What a year it’s been! The iPad has become so ingrained in our lives it’s hard to believe that it was just this past spring that it launched.
Now that there are hundreds of thousands of kids apps in the App Store, it’s more important than ever to have a good guide to the best kids apps. Here are ten apps that really stood out from the rest in 2010, in no particular order:
1. FRUIT NINJA HD
Grade: A+ | Age rating: 3+
The best iPhone and iPad game we have discovered in a long, long time. It’s a lot like Doodle Jump because it’s fun, easy, and very hard to put down. Using your finger as a blade, you swipe various pieces of fruit that fly up in the air, chopping them in half. In classic mode, you also have to avoid the bombs.
2. INTERACTIVE ALPHABET
Grade: A- | Age rating: 1+
An absolutely lovely way for kids to experience the alphabet! From a home screen they choose from among 26 colorful letters (that look a lot like refrigerator magnets). Each page has an age appropriate original illustration (like “D is for Dinosaur”), background music, and an animation for your child to discover.
3. MISS SPIDER’S BEDTIME STORY FOR THE IPAD
Grade: A | Age rating: 1+
A story book that other storybooks should aspire to. The high price tag ($7.99) is worth the cost because there are multiple ways to engage your child within the app, including movie-like quality video if you want to “Watch” the story, animations with the pictures when your child learns to “Read” the story, plus matching games, puzzles, a coloring book and top notch graphics and sound. If you liked Miss Spider’s Tea Party for the IPad, you’ll love this sequel too (if not more!)
4. PARK MATH HD
Grade: A | Age rating: 1+
Another smash hit from highly acclaimed developers Duck Duck Moose. There’s no need to wait for your child to learn addition and subtraction to enjoy this app. My two-year-old loves making the ducks go down the slide, and counts the numbers as the rabbit swings. Feeding the hippo the correct numbers of food items is also a big hit. This app is a great way to expose young children to numbers in a fun, playful environment that isn’t the least bit intimidating. Plus they can learn to follow directions as well.
5. ANGRY BIRDS
Grade: A | Age rating: 5+
We love the silly story line. Evil green pigs have stolen the birds’ eggs and are now hiding out in their castles. It’s up to your kids to wreak revenge on them using (of course!) little red and blue birds and a giant sling shot. Huh?
6. TALES2GO
Grade: A+ | Age rating: 3+
An all-you-can-eat story app for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, is hands down the best educational app we’ve ever seen—it’s going to change the way families kill time.
No longer do parents have to browse and buy audio books one by one. With a single touch they’ll have access to over 900 stories for kids aged 3-11, with more being added every day.
7. HIGHLIGHTS MY FIRST HIDDEN PICTURES
Grade: A- | Age rating: 4+
A fun app that will take you back to the dentist’s waiting rooms of your youth. It’s also a great way to introduce toddlers and preschoolers to the delight of hidden picture puzzles.
Kids can look for almost a hundred objects hidden in the eight included illustrations and get clues whenever they need them with no penalty.
8. CUT THE ROPE
Grade: A- | Age rating: 4+
Another cute story line: cut a series of ropes (negotiating the laws of physics and gravity) to feed candy to the world’s sweetest green monster. Perfect graphics, appealing music and sound effects, and a ridiculously cute character. Very challenging too.
9. POCKET STORY – THE BOY GIANT
Grade: A | Age rating: 2+
It’s hard to say who will love this story more, you or your child. Hujo, a baby that was born big continues to grow bigger and bigger and bigger. Follow Hujo on his adventures while author Allan Plenderith narrates. The illustrations are animated, story line endearing and parents will appreciate that this app has three different modes of story telling (Read to Me, Read Myself, or Autoplay) so the app can grow with your child. No pun intended.
10. TALKING BABY HIPPO
Grade: A- | Age rating: 1+
A huge hit with young children and adults alike. Touch the hippo to tickle it, talk to it and listen to it repeat itself, or let your child feed it carrots and give it a pacifier. There’s even a feature to record videos and upload them to YouTube, Facebook or send via email. Play with it in the car, bring it to the grocery store, or whip it out at a party – anywhere you play with this hippo you’re sure to get lots of laughs from a crowd.
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