December 2012
The Archives
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12.31.1230 Best iPhone and iPad apps for kids from December 2012Happy new year! Nearly... But before 2013 kicks off, there's time for one more monthly roundup of the best apps for kids covered here on Apps Playground in 2012. December was a really busy month, too, with some of our favourite developers releasing new children's apps in time for Christmas. Also don't forget to check out our 100 Best Apps for Kids from 2012 end-of-year feature. Read on for the 30 picks of December though. 1. Sneak (iPhone / iPad) "As inventive children’s app ideas go, Sneak is a beauty. It gets your children physically sneaking up on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. ...
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12.29.12Rastamouse finally gets an app: Ride da RiddimFrom the moment we clapped eyes on children's TV show Rastamouse, we thought it'd be perfect for apps. Now we'll find out for sure, thanks to the release of Rastamouse: Ride da Riddim. It's an iPhone and iPad game based on the adventures of the crime-fighting cheese-munching mouse and his friends, focusing on his nifty skateboarding skills. "Da likkle orphans are all hungry and Bandulu has run out of cheese," explains its suitably-Rastamousy App Store listing. "So this is your chance to help Da Easy Crew make a bad ting good by collecting as much cheese as possible for Bandulu's famous cheese ...
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12.24.12Apps Playground’s 100 Best iPhone and iPad apps for kids from 2012So this is Christmas, and what have we done? Well, in 2012 we wrote more than 560 posts on Apps Playground about the best apps for kids, and attracted more than 100,000 unique visitors over the course of the year. No wonder we need a festive rest! But not before writing one last big-list post, just in time for any parents looking to download some new apps for their children over the Christmas period. This list is highly subjective, obviously: it's us looking back through all the apps we wrote about in 2012, and picking our 100 favourites. Bear in mind we ...
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12.21.12More ace December kids’ apps: Magic Jar, Where’s My Holiday?, VTech and moreWe have to front up here: we've run out of writing time for December. We want to do our monthly roundup as well as a Best Apps of 2012 post, yet this month we've also been overwhelmed by the sheer number of interesting new apps for children. So, here's a post wrapping up the apps we want to have written up as full articles, but ran out of time for. Note, though, this doesn't mean 'apps that weren't good enough to justify a full post'. All of these apps could have justified a proper article. (i.e. if you're a developer of one ...
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12.21.12Nemo’s Reef freemium game swims onto iPhone and iPadWe hope Disney's app developers have a relaxing Christmas: they'll need it after all the apps they've released this month. Disney Fairies Lost & Found, Numbers With Nemo, Monsters Inc. Run, Disney Carnival, UP: My Name is Dug, Cinderella: Storybook Deluxe, Monsters Inc. Storybook Deluxe... It's enough to make anyone feel Disney-dizzy. Now one more for the list: Nemo's Reef. Yes, another outing for that orange fish and friends, although this time it's not a story or education app. Nemo's Reef is a free-to-play game that gets your child to build an underwater reef for Nemo and co. Continue Reading...
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12.21.12Get creative with Leonardo da Vinci and PlayART X’MAS iPad appsChildren and art don't always mix well. I remember visiting the Louvre in Paris on a school trip, and having a spectacularly-angry teacher due to the fact that 15 boys were loudly protesting their boredom rather than gazing at the Mona Lisa. We were horrible little tykes, of course. But one of the interesting things in 2012 is the idea of using apps as a way to make art more immediately engaging for children. Two new examples: Play With Leonardo da Vinci and PlayArt X'MAS, which were both released for iPad this week. Continue Reading...
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12.21.12Monsters, Inc gets a Deluxe storybook appIt's been a great month if you're a fan of Disney-Pixar's Monsters, Inc movie. We've already written about the official game of the film, but now there's a storybook app too. It's called Monsters, Inc. Storybook Deluxe, and tells the tale of Sulley and Mike Wazowski, two monsters whose scary tables are turned by a girl named Boo. The story is told through text and pictures, with a few clips from the film thrown in for good measure. There's also voice narration, Scare cards of the various monsters to collect, and a mini-game set in the Monsters, Inc simulator room. Monsters, Inc. Storybook ...
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12.21.12Appy fun with Mr. Potato Head Create & PlayWho could have predicted that Mr Potato Head would still be a popular toy in 2012? The Toy Story films helped, of course introducing the character to new generations of children. Now he's starring in his first mobile app: Mr. Potato Head Create & Play. Launched by Callaway Digital Arts, it's a creative app where you customise your own Potato Head. Callaway promises more than 200 body parts which can be mixed and matched, with no restrictions: "Put an arm where an ear should be, and any other crazy combination..." Continue Reading...
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12.21.12Pippi Longstocking’s Villa Villekulla gets playful on iPhone and iPadWhoever your children's favourite book characters are, there's a good chance they star in some apps too. Swedish character Pippi Longstocking is a good example. She's just made her second appearance on the App Store in an app called Pippi Longstocking's Villa Villekulla, released by developer Filimundus. Set in Pippi's house, it'll have your child dressing Pippi and her friends up, baking virtual cakes, juggling crockery, creating music, playing hide-and-seek and a range of other activities. 20 in total, with a choice of English or Swedish language. It looks great fun. Pippi Longstocking's Villa Villekulla costs £0.69 for iPhone and iPod touch, or ...
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12.21.12Sneak up on monsters hiding in your iPhone or iPadAs inventive children's app ideas go, Sneak is a beauty. It gets your children physically sneaking up on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Why? Monsters. Five of them, supposedly living inside your device. "First you must select the bait, then run off and hide. If you’re quiet a little beastie will appear, at which point you have to sneak up on it," explains the App Store listing. "If you make the slightest sound the beastie will bolt. But if you can get close enough to tap the screen you’ll successfully take a photograph of it." Continue Reading...
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