Anyone with an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad will tell you that small children love them. They understand the touchscreen interface very quickly and app developers have been quick to cater for them. There are now many great apps for children, from big-name publishers and from small developers. Here are some of the best according to Shane Richmond, [Telegraph Head of Technology (Editorial)] seen this year.
1. Charlie Brown Christmas (iPhone and iPad, £4.99)
This is a seasonal entry but it is so good that it might just stay on your iPhone or iPad all year. The app takes the 1965 cartoon and turns it into a virtual picturebook narrated by Peter Robbins, who originally voiced Charlie Brown. It's beautifully designed, with characters and objects that slide into place as you turn the page and pop out when you touch them. There are games to play too and extras, such as Christmas decorations, to unlock. Children will love it, as will adults with fond memories of the Peanuts gang. It's a wonderfully appealing app that you will want to show off to everyone.
2. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore (iPad, £2.99)
It's lucky that this book app is so well made and intriguing for adults as well as little ones because if you download it for your children then you'll be seeing it a lot. Morris Lessmore evolved from an award-winning short film into an app that is part animation, part storybook and part game. It tells the story of a man who is swept away in a storm and finds himself in a country house inhabited by charming, friendly books. The artwork is lovely and filled with lots of pleasing details. The app encourages a variety of different interactions both to move the story along and to play with the various interactive pieces.
3. Toca Robot Lab (iPhone and iPad, 69p)
This is a very simple app but one that seems to provide endless entertainment. Various robot parts scroll onto the bottom of the screen. First a selection of heads, then bodies, then legs and arms. It's up to you to assemble the parts into a robot which you can then fly through a short maze to collect some stars. Then you can do it all again. That's all there is to it but children seem never to tire of it. It shows just how important repetition and experimentation are to children's learning and play.
4. The Going to Bed Book - Sandra Boynton (iPhone and iPad, £2.49)
Sandra Boynton's books have been delighting children for more than 30 years and Loud Crow - the developer behind A Charlie Brown Christmas - has done a great job in adapting them for the iPad. There are four Boynton titles so far but I've picked this one because, in a move that will delight grandparents and Merseybeat buffs, it is narrated by Billy J Kramer.
5. Ladybird Classic Me Books (iPhone and iPad, 69p plus £1.99 for each extra book)
Another app that provides a sizeable dose of nostalgia for parents along with plenty of entertainment for children. The Me Books app gives you access to digital versions of the classic Ladybird books that have been around since the 1940s. The books are narrated by a range of celebrities, including David Jason and Adam Buxton, and it's possible to record your own version too. The only downside is that each book has to be bought separately and, at £1.99 each, building a collection can quickly get costly.
6. Cars 2 AppMATes (iPad, free - cars available separately)
Disney's AppMATes are among the most innovative iPad accessories to emerge this year. The first batch of AppMATes are characters from Cars 2: place these plastic toy cars on the iPad and you can interact with the virtual world of the app. The app is free and it's possible to play it using 'paper' versions of the cars but the real fun comes from using the toys.
7. Postman Pat SDS (iPhone and iPad, £1.99)
This app marks the 30th anniversary of Postman Pat and includes eight mini games featuring the postman and his friends. The tasks vary from sorting the mail to directing trains and there is a range of difficulty levels, making the app suitable for a range of ages.
8. DK My First Word Play App (iPhone and iPad, £2.49)
Dorling Kindersley has a wide range of apps available for iOS devices but has recently added some children's apps. This one, as the name suggests, helps pre-school children to learn their first words. The design emphasises bright colours and large images across a range of simple games.
9. The Original Tale of Peter Rabbit (iPhone and iPad, £1.49)
Beatrix Potter's classic children's tale has been turned into a lovely app by Penguin Books. It features the original text and illustrations from the book, which celebrates its centenary next year. The pictures are subtly animated and there are added sound effects and music composed by Carl Davis. Beyond the book itself, there are a range of games, including a matching game and a Hungry Bunny game in which Peter has to catch falling vegetables in his basket. The app also lets children colour-in scenes from the book.
10. Huddlestones (iPhone and iPad, £1.49)
This set of children's flashcards is an absolute delight. All it contains are the letters A to Z - in upper and lower case - and an illustration for each, but it's the design that makes it special. The cards are drawn to look like an old-fashioned children's toy, complete with faded textures for the background and wooden toys among the illustrations. Navigation is very simple: swipe horizontally to flip a card over and vertically to move to the next or previous card. That's all there is to it.
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| Best iOS apps for children |
2. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore (iPad, £2.99)
It's lucky that this book app is so well made and intriguing for adults as well as little ones because if you download it for your children then you'll be seeing it a lot. Morris Lessmore evolved from an award-winning short film into an app that is part animation, part storybook and part game. It tells the story of a man who is swept away in a storm and finds himself in a country house inhabited by charming, friendly books. The artwork is lovely and filled with lots of pleasing details. The app encourages a variety of different interactions both to move the story along and to play with the various interactive pieces.
3. Toca Robot Lab (iPhone and iPad, 69p)
This is a very simple app but one that seems to provide endless entertainment. Various robot parts scroll onto the bottom of the screen. First a selection of heads, then bodies, then legs and arms. It's up to you to assemble the parts into a robot which you can then fly through a short maze to collect some stars. Then you can do it all again. That's all there is to it but children seem never to tire of it. It shows just how important repetition and experimentation are to children's learning and play.
4. The Going to Bed Book - Sandra Boynton (iPhone and iPad, £2.49)
Sandra Boynton's books have been delighting children for more than 30 years and Loud Crow - the developer behind A Charlie Brown Christmas - has done a great job in adapting them for the iPad. There are four Boynton titles so far but I've picked this one because, in a move that will delight grandparents and Merseybeat buffs, it is narrated by Billy J Kramer.
5. Ladybird Classic Me Books (iPhone and iPad, 69p plus £1.99 for each extra book)
Another app that provides a sizeable dose of nostalgia for parents along with plenty of entertainment for children. The Me Books app gives you access to digital versions of the classic Ladybird books that have been around since the 1940s. The books are narrated by a range of celebrities, including David Jason and Adam Buxton, and it's possible to record your own version too. The only downside is that each book has to be bought separately and, at £1.99 each, building a collection can quickly get costly.
6. Cars 2 AppMATes (iPad, free - cars available separately)
Disney's AppMATes are among the most innovative iPad accessories to emerge this year. The first batch of AppMATes are characters from Cars 2: place these plastic toy cars on the iPad and you can interact with the virtual world of the app. The app is free and it's possible to play it using 'paper' versions of the cars but the real fun comes from using the toys.
7. Postman Pat SDS (iPhone and iPad, £1.99)
This app marks the 30th anniversary of Postman Pat and includes eight mini games featuring the postman and his friends. The tasks vary from sorting the mail to directing trains and there is a range of difficulty levels, making the app suitable for a range of ages.
8. DK My First Word Play App (iPhone and iPad, £2.49)
Dorling Kindersley has a wide range of apps available for iOS devices but has recently added some children's apps. This one, as the name suggests, helps pre-school children to learn their first words. The design emphasises bright colours and large images across a range of simple games.
9. The Original Tale of Peter Rabbit (iPhone and iPad, £1.49)
Beatrix Potter's classic children's tale has been turned into a lovely app by Penguin Books. It features the original text and illustrations from the book, which celebrates its centenary next year. The pictures are subtly animated and there are added sound effects and music composed by Carl Davis. Beyond the book itself, there are a range of games, including a matching game and a Hungry Bunny game in which Peter has to catch falling vegetables in his basket. The app also lets children colour-in scenes from the book.
10. Huddlestones (iPhone and iPad, £1.49)
This set of children's flashcards is an absolute delight. All it contains are the letters A to Z - in upper and lower case - and an illustration for each, but it's the design that makes it special. The cards are drawn to look like an old-fashioned children's toy, complete with faded textures for the background and wooden toys among the illustrations. Navigation is very simple: swipe horizontally to flip a card over and vertically to move to the next or previous card. That's all there is to it.
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