Amazing Ants is a basic platform game where you guide your ants through a puzzle landscape collecting fruit.

Kids will like the cute sound effects and innocent comic book-style graphics, and parents will like the low-stress problem solving dynamic.

Why we like it:
This is a very scalable app that adds skills one at a time.  First the ants just walk, then they jump, climb, fly, and float…once your child has mastered the previous skill.  Levels can be replayed to practice skills, and this also helps you rack up more coins (which can be spent on “unlockable extras”, like stylized ants and hints).

Watch out for:
In-app purchases are just a fact of life with these freemium games.  Level packs…  Ants in costume… there are a lot of temptations for players old and young.  Turn off in-app purchases if this bothers you.

Also, ads spring up more often than we’d like.  Often — but not always — in-between levels, you’ll see a “And now a word from our sponsor!” message.

Granny Smith is not the kind of white-bunned, sweet old woman to take petty agricultural larceny sitting down.

When a thief comes after her beloved apples, she takes to her skates in pursuit of her beloved fruit.

Why we like it:

Granny power!  There is just something inherently funny about an octogenarian on roller skates, never mind one who does ski jumps, crashes through houses, and hooks her cane on power lines to create a zip line.

Collect coins and trade them in for useful items, such as banana peels (to make the thief slip) or a helmet (to protect Granny from falls).

Watch out for:

It’s possible that your kids could “buy” more coins with real money, so be sure to turn off your in-app purchases if that’s a concern for you.

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Badly Drawn Faces Pro is not complicated, but it’s a hugely fun and original way to waste time on your iPhone or iPad.

Sharpy the Narwhal draws real and fictional faces on the screen.  Think you recognize them?  Quickly hit the guess button and type in your answer.  Answer accurately and you’ll get both points (yay winning!) and fish (which can be exchanged for hints when you get stuck).

Why we like it:
Play with your kids and everyone in the whole family will get a chance to feel smart.  You’ll recognize Elton John and George Bush, while they’ll recognize Scooby Doo and Harry Potter.  No one will recognize Kanye West, though.  At least not without a hint.

Watch out for:
Very young kids might get frustrated when playing alone, but it’s low pressure, so we kind of doubt it.  There’s a free version, but we think it’s well worth the $2 not to have to look at soup ads.  You may disagree.

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