parents with elementary school-aged children? Here are ten great iPad apps for young children that are worth downloading right away.
Magic Fiddle ($0.99)
From Smule, the makers of Magic Piano, comes another magical musical instrument. You can hold the iPad like a fiddle and let a teacher with a kooky sense of humor teach you how to play the fiddle. Magic Fiddle is fun for kids of any age, though very young kids won’t have the dexterity to master it. Elementary school kids will love learning to play, and it may inspire them to pick an instrument in the 4th grade band.
Ragdoll Blaster 2 HD ($4.99)
Physics games are ideal for kids who need to think they are wasting time playing a game, when they’re actually training their brains. The graphics in Ragdoll Blaster 2 HD are beautiful, the puzzles increase in difficulty, but are all easily solvable and winnable with some advance thought and planning.
Chop Chop Ninja HD ($0.99)
All the titles in the “Chop Chop” series, which also includes apps around Hockey Caveman and other genres are worth downloading. The controls are easily mastered by kids of almost any age, while the gameplay is fun and engaging. The graphics of Chop Chop Ninja HD are funky, and there is Game Center integration so kids can compare scores with their friends. Although anyone can play these games, they seem made for the elementary school set.
Great Migrations HD ($4.99)
This app is a great companion to the National Geographic Channel series. Great Migrations does a very good job mixing in some educational information withgreat gameplay. The purpose is to guide animals on their migrations, and then keep them safe from predators and dangerous situations.
Rocket Math ($1.99)
Rock Math succeeds in making math fun by letting kids earn parts for their rocket as they solve math problems. Once their rocket is complete, they can blast it off to space. There are 56 different “missions” that cover everything from simple counting to division and more. The app deserves extra points for fun sound effects and music.
SUPER WHY! For iPad ($2.99)
Based on the PBS Kids series, this game is best for young players who are learning how to read. Players do this by identifying letters and their pronunciations, and then learning to write them. The app also encourages players to choose words to complete the sentences, which all helps kids take the first steps towards reading.
Word Search for iPad – Young Readers Edition ($1.99)
The iPad offers scores of different word lists to choose from with varying degrees of difficulty. Word Search for iPad – Young Readers Edition is the best choice for elementary school-aged children. Geared towards the early-reading bunch, the app includes word lists that are curated with care by parents and teachers. Regular updates to the app include suggestions made by players and their parents.
Asphalt 5 HD ($6.99)
There are few things young children wish they could do more than drive! As far as racing-car games go, this one works specifically well for elementary-school-age kids. Bluetooth connections can let kids play with a total of six friends. As is the case with the entire Asphalt series, version 5 HD offers nice graphics, a wide selection of dream cars, and customizable controls.
Stack the States ($0.99)
In this fun geography education game, kids learn capitals, the shape of states and their locations on the US map. In fact, I can think of a few adults who could benefit from playing Stack the States. As they learn, kids unlock bonus games. Any elementary school teacher with an iPad should have this app.
WORLD BOOK – This Day in History for iPad (Free)
Many of us grew up referencing the World Book encyclopedia to find facts for term papers and book reports. This free app offers a multimedia daily digest of each day’s notable historical events. This is an app your kid will literally want to tap into everyday.
Others in this series:
Apps for parents: Best iPad apps for babies and toddlers
Apps for parents: Best iPad apps for teenagers
