Top 5 Kids Apps: Best Games

1. 1. Bugs and Bubbles

   Ages 3-up

   Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars

   Why we like it: Fun, fast and good for building emerging math skills, Bugs and Bubbles contains 18 leveled sorting, classification games set in Uncle Bob's Bubble Factory. The goal is to collect stickers by harvesting bubbles, requiring kids to apply skills of counting, sorting and remembering patterns in an elegant fashion.

   Need to know: The better you do, the greater the challenge, and progress can be saved over time on different devices. Watch a video review of this app here.

   Ease of use: 10/10
   Educational: 10/10
   Entertaining: 10/10

   $2.99

   

2. 2. Sort And Stack Toys 3D

   Ages 2-7

   Overall rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

   Why we like it: Jigsaw puzzle apps abound. But few are as beautiful or as fun to play as this one. Designed in Romania, the colorful app contains 13 shape/color/sound puzzles that were inspired by stacking toys of the variety you'd find on a shelf in a preschool. Each part is shown in 3D, and they give a satisfying "snap" when they pop into place.

   Need to know: There's plenty of room for trial and error ... mistakes simply drop to the bottom of the screen, which makes experimenting fun.

   You can toggle the background music or sounds, and there's a nice challenge range.

   Ease of use: 10/10
   Educational: 10/10
   Entertaining: 9/10

   $1.99

   

3. 3. Build and Play

   Ages 3-up

   Overall rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

   Why we like it: Last week, we reviewed Sort and Stack Toys 3D; this week we were thrilled to discover another 3D puzzle from the same publisher. In this game, children snap together machines and vehicles, putting last week's shapes into context.

   Need to know: If the looping background music gets annoying (it will after a few minutes) show children how to toggle it on or off.

   Ease of use: 10/10
   Educational: 10/10
   Entertaining: 9/10

   $1.99

   

4. 4. Rush Hour

   Ages 6-up

   Overall rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

   Why we like it: From Thinkfun, the creators of the original Rush Hour game, comes a well designed touch screen version with slide-to-park interactivity.
   The goal is to arrange a set of tightly parked cars in order to get one car (colored red) through the parking lot exit. The challenges take a lot of trial and error, and the overall experience is excellent for testing your spatial problem solving ability.

   Need to know: There are 2500 games and four levels in all, and the game remembers your current level. Other smart features include an instant undo, a hint, and the ability to replay a level, letting you retrace your steps through the puzzle. Warning, once you start, you won't be able to stop.

   Ease of use: 8/10
   Educational: 10/10
   Entertaining: 10/10

   $4

   

5. 5. LEGO Creationary Halloween

   Ages 5+

   Overall rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

   Why we like it: Simple but fun, we liked this timed guessing game that lets you earn points by correctly identifying which object is being constructed (out of Lego blocks, naturally) on the screen.The sooner you make a correct choice, the more points you earn.

   The more you play, the greater the challenge. In addition, there are different "packs" of Lego that you can toggle on or off depending on the season. This could be a fun social game because of the timed element.

   Need to know: The app if free, but they do promote awareness of the LEGO kits that are used to make the models. So your child will have fun, but it may increase the chance you'll be asked to buy a $29.99 LEGO kit.

   See the video review here.

   Ease of use: 9/10
   Educational: 9/10
   Entertaining: 9/10

   Free

   

Chris Crowell is a veteran kindergarten teacher and contributing editor to Children's Technology Review, a web-based archive of articles and reviews on apps, technology toys and video games. Download a free issue of CTR here.

While you're at the grownup table this holiday season, the kids could be eating their vegetables and sitting quietly -- what's more likely is they'll be playing on their smart devices.

So we've rounded up the best 5 games that were included in this year's Top 5 Kids Apps. All these games are not only a lot of fun, they're also educational for your kids. The top game, Bugs and Bubbles, got 5 stars out of 5 for its perfect mix of entertainment and math teaching. There's also room for pure fun with games like Build and Play and Rush Hour.

SEE ALSO: Mobile Apps Under Scrutiny: Is Your Kid's Privacy at Risk?

Our friends at Children's Technology Review shared with us these 5 top apps from their comprehensive monthly database of kid-tested reviews. The site covers everything from math and counting to reading and phonics.

Check back next week for more Top Kids Apps from Children's Technology Review

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