JibJab Jr. Books

Animated, personalized books make your kid the star of the show

Grade: B+ | Age rating: 2+ | Price: Free

JibJab Jr. Books has launched a story app that includes a free introductory book  called “The Biggest Pizza Ever”.

Simply upload a photo of your child’s face, trim and resize it to fit, and the app plugs your child into the animated story.

If you like the experience enough, you can buy additional stories a la carte for $7.99 or subscribe to monthly stories for $3.99.

Why we like it:

If you’re one of those people who can’t get enough of  Elf Yourself , this is the app for you.  There’s not quite as much dancing as in the web-based JibJab applications, but so what?  It’s still funny.  Since there’s only one character (your kid), it’s also much less work.

This is not award-winning children’s literature (spoiler alert: child makes ridiculously large pizza and must deal with the consequences), but it’s fun.  Don’t overthink it.

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We tested version 1.1, which is compatible with the iPad (version 4.3 or later). Developer JibJab Media Inc. Read our disclosure policy.

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Best Android Apps for Kids

Looking for the best kids Android apps?  Look no further

Those of you who didn’t jump on the iPhone and iPad bandwagons are finally being rewarded for your patience.  The Android Market has finally gone online. Internet heavyweight Amazon.com has gotten in on the action too with their own Appstore for Android, which offers a free app of the day every single day.

Looking for the best free, fun, and educational Android apps and games for kids, toddlers and preschoolers?  Here you go.

1. ABDUCTION!
Grade: B+ | Age rating: 2+

Buy on the Android Market

Imagine for a moment that you are a cow and your cow friends have been abducted by aliens.  Now it’s up to you to save them! Follow the platform trail as you hop ever higher upwards into space, grabbing power-ups and rescuing friends as you go. Watch out for parachute bombs and other hazards.  Destroy the mothership if you can, and make sure you don’t fall.

Best part of Abduction?  You can set it to kids mode which prevents the cow from ever falling.  Why don’t more platform games do this?  It’s great for frustration-free learning.

2. FRUIT NINJA
Grade: A+ | Age rating: 3+

Buy on the Android Market

Use your finger as a blade to swipe and slice various pieces of fruit that fly up in the air in this juicy action game.   In classic mode, you also have to avoid the bombs.  It’s very simple, but the best things often are — also no gore and questionable ethics!

At the end of every round, you are served a Sensei’s Fruit Fact such as “In some parts of the world, trained monkeys are used to harvest coconuts!”  Sweet.

3. JEWELLUST
Grade: A- | Age rating: 4+

Buy on the Android Market

A connect-three puzzle game with an ancient Egyptian flavor.   Swap and line up matching jewels to burst them and collect tiles before time runs out.  Advance through 30 levels in 7 pyramids and choose from survival and story mode.

Compete on leaderboards, if that’s your thing, or just entertain yourself and your kids when you have a spare moment.

4. DOODLE JUMP
Grade: A | Age rating: 4+

Buy on the Android Market

The insanely addictive platform jumping game is now available on Android.  Tilt your device left and right to make the Doodler jump from platform to platform, avoiding the brittle brown logs that break and make you plummet earthward.  You can even exit the right side of the screen and come in on the left.

Jump, jump, jump your way to the top and try not to think about the many hours you’re spending doing it.  This too shall pass. Read more…

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BrainPOP Featured Movie

A free educational app that serves up an animated movie every day

Grade: A| Age rating: 6+| Price: FREE

BrainPOP Featured Movie is an innovative educational app that delivers one — yes, just one — short animated educational movie every day on a variety of topics.

Your kids watch the hosts Tim and his robot pal Moby explore tons of subjects ranging from dinosaurs and aliens to natural disasters and the U.S. Constitution.

What’s Hot:
The movies are very subtly amusing and very informative.  Best of all, they are really short.  Pretty much anyone can stay tuned in for four minutes, right?  Right?

Kids will love the quiz that they can take immediately following the movie.  The app tracks and records your score, which is fun.  Let’s be honest, plenty of adults will like this app too.   I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch a 4-minute video about Yo-Yo Ma? Read more…

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Fling Free

A simple board-clearing strategy game for the iPhone and iPod touch

Grade: B | Age rating: 4+ | Price: FREE

Fling Free is the no-cost version of a fun and challenging app called Fling, and a great way to try before you buy.   The object of this addictive game is to “fling” the fuzzballs into each other across your iPhone screen and knock them off the grid until there is only one remaining.

Like puzzling over challenging mind games to which there is only one solution?  This is the app for you.

What’s Hot:
The undo button is a fantastic and essential feature–it allows you to go back and try different scenarios when you get stuck.  An untimed mode for people like me who don’t enjoy racing against the clock.  Read more…

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Paper Toss

A fun, free aiming and shooting app for the iPad, iPhone, and Android

Grade: B | Age rating: 4+ | Price: Free

Paper Toss is exactly what it sounds like:  a dumb but harmless virtual office app where kids can try their hand at lobbing crumpled balls of paper into what one hopes are recycling containers on the iPhone screen.

A fan blows at varying speeds from the left and right to keep things interesting, but it’s a pretty one-dimensional game.  There’s a little skill to it, but not much.

What’s Hot:
Funny background noises (phones, colleague cat calls, and typing at the office, and boarding announcements at the airport) .   Read more…

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The Best Free iPhone Apps for Kids

Free apps and lite versions are a great way to sample fun iPhone and iPod touch games for kids without spending a dime.  Ready to back up the truck and start downloading?  Here are a few of our favorites:

1.  Flashlight

Forgot your book light?  Lost a toy under the couch?  This handy and free utility app will save your bacon.

2.  Tweezzle Lite

A simple, but addictive puzzle game that challenges kids to see patterns and clear the board.

3.  Chicktionary Lite

A funny, educational word search game with hints and 12 free levels.

4.  Fling Free

The lite version of one of the most original puzzle games in the iTunes store.  Only four levels, but better than nothing.

5.  Paper Toss

Ready, aim, and fire crumpled balls of paper at trash cans in various office environments.

6. Touch Physics Lite

An educational app that teaches and entertains, provided your kids don’t get so frustrated they throw your iPhone at the wall.

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