There are so many great apps out there. Many are free or only cost a buck or two and there are others that are also wonderful but their price means they aren't every-day purchases. These apps that are a little more expensive, but still good value for money, make excellent gifts to others as stocking stuffers.
In case you don't know how to gift an app, take a look at the screenshot below. Instead of clicking on the Buy App button, click on the drop-down arrow to the right of it and select the first option: "Gift This App". All you need to gift an app to someone is their email address but **please note that you can only gift apps to someone who uses the same iTunes Store as you**. So, for example, as I use iTunes in Canada, I can only gift apps to people who also use the Canadian App Store.
The list I've compiled covers all age ranges from toddlers to adults and, with one exception, are year-round apps rather than Christmas-themed ones. They are also apps chosen because they are great fun. In the case of apps for the younger set, "great fun" has been defined by my children. I also play with or read all of these apps regularly (other than the toddler apps, I'm still trying to maintain the illusion of adulthood) and if I were reviewing them I would say of them all: "Highly recommended."
If you're looking for Christmas-themed apps then the lovely list put together by Ellie at Smart Apps for Kids is worth checking out (A Charlie Brown Christmas would likely be on my list if she hadn't picked it first). Another list of great apps to gift to folks who facilitate communication and the kids they work with can be found at Praactical AAC.
iPad and iPhone: $3.99 each for Pack 1 and Pack 2.
Your friends just got an iDevice, they have a toddler and they're looking for great, easy to use, cause and effect style apps for little ones. Or maybe they have the iDevice and they just had a baby - either way, these packs are great value at only $3.99 each.
Each pack contains five apps and it's tough to pick which one is better so if you can afford it, just gift both! Pack 1 contains the classics Sound Shaker and Sort Slider as well as Count Caddy, the other app pictured here. Pack 2 contains two of my personal favourites - Bug Builder and Boogie Bopper - nicely alliterative also.
iPad and iPhone: $3.99
The Boynton board books have always been a huge hit in our house. Now they are apps, both boys enjoy them on their iPads as well. This one is Owen's favourite and it's not hard to see why. The narration and background music are just perfect for bedtime but so is the interactivity - generally not something I look for in bedtime stories, after all, the kids are supposed to be winding down and not ramping up.
In this book though, the interactive elements are gentle and delightful. The only exception is when Oliver gets the pyjamas to explode out of the dresser (see the picture shown above left). It makes him laugh and he comments about the clothes going "all over the place" which in turn makes me giggle. Other than that, everthing is very soothing and calm. My favourite part is when you turn the hot water tap on and then wipe the steam off the screen.
Owen just loves the whole thing. It's his go-to app when he's not feeling well.
iPad and iPhone: $14.99 each for Collection #1 and Collection #2
Each collection consists of five classic books from Dr. Seuss - another author that's a huge hit in our house even in non-app form. If I was only going to buy one of the collections it would probably be #2 as it includes two of Owen's favourites - Green Eggs & Ham and Dr. Seuss' ABC. Every home needs Seuss of course but why are the apps in particular worth buying? Well, they're faithful to the source material in terms of presentation and the narrators are well-chosen...
...but what I really like about these books in app form is how they ramp up the support of early reading skills. Not only are words highlighted as they are read but items on the page are labelled when tapped, as you can see in the case of 'alligator' on the right. With other great features like the ability to record and share your own version of the story, these apps are awesome. Owen reads at least one every day.
If you love the idea of gifting Seuss but can't afford a $15 pricetag, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is on sale for a limited time for only $2.99 and I'm buying it right after I've published this post.
iPad and iPhone: $5.99
It's tough to recommend just one app by Nosy Crow. Oliver loves all of them, at the moment his two favourites are Rounds: Franklin Frog and Animal SnApp: Farm - he loves telling me that the goat eats the cream, strawberries AND the bowl. We then laugh at the silly goat. :)
I decided to choose The Three Little Pigs though, as both my boys love it - typically a good indication that the app will appeal to everyone on the planet given how diametrically opposed Oliver and Owen's tastes tend to be. We love scrolling to discover where the spider is hiding, blowing into the mic when the wolf huffs and puffs and listening to the slightly bizarre pig-family chatter. Most of all though, the boys love it when the wolf chases the pigs in his pork pie van. Who knew that a little feature like making a van somersault could create so much joy and laughter?
iPad only: $4.99.
Yes, I wrote the abridged version of the story that's used in this app, so some of you might conclude that my putting Heidi on this list is a case of bias. (But if you can't self-promote on your own blog, where can you?) :)
However, I genuinely do think this is an app that should be on the iPad of all families that have girls in its target age range. Partly it's due to feelings of nostalgia; like the Dr. Seuss books, many of us read Heidi when we were little.
Mostly however, I think it's because it's a really great app. I worked hard to write an abridged text that would convey Heidi's environment and old world charm but also appeal to girls living in the 21st century. The narration is professionally and superbly done, the ambient sound effects build atmosphere nicely but unobtrusively and there's tons of extra material in the bits and bobs section.
There is a reason that Ellie at Smart Apps for Kids wrote in her review "It is an app that feels as though it should be bound in leather, given a silk bookmark and cherished for future generations."
iPad only: $4.99.
We're now getting into the realm of apps that should probably be on all iDevices, regardless of your age. Bobo Explores Light is a wonderful example of how to create an app that conveys scientific information in a way that's accurate, meaningful, easy to comprehend but not patronizing, and fun with a capital F.
Also, Bobo could easily win a prize as the most adorable character in app world. He's a cute and quirky robot who is on a mission to discover information about light.
Each chapter is about a different aspect of light, from things like fire and lightning, to photosynthesis, bioluminescence and lasers. On most of the opening pages there is some form of interactivity, usually beautifully and creatively presented. The picture on the right is in the chapter on photosynthesis - it starts as a bleak and desolate forest but when you use your finger to direct sunlight over the page, everything starts to blossom. You even see a monkey with an iPad at one point - if anyone knows how to grow iPads using photosynthesis, please contact me immediately. Drop down menus present additional information using graphics, pictures and videos.
There is a chapter on Thomas Edison so, if you're a Tesla fan you might want to skip that one, but still get the app - it really is terrific.
iPad and iPhone: $2.99
This app combines simplicity with relaxing but addictive gorgeousness. I turn to it when I want to both mellow and tune out.
The classic mode is inspired by Tetris but instead of ensuring that blocks fall into the best position, you are shaving them off a solid grid that slowly moves down from the top of the screen. The object is to remove as many lines as you can before the grid gets low enough that it disappears into a white cloud. There are other modes including Nightmare, Shattered Dream, Pro and Puzzle - in which you need to wipe out a dream completely using a certain number of blocks (see picture below right for an example).
The screenshots really don't do the game justice at all. The app emits a combination of hypnotic music and liquid, vivid and ever-changing colours. There are misty objects that have wispy outlines and everything seems covered in a sparkly, dream-like haze. Playing this game is almost like meditation or yoga - I get into a rhythm of play and afterwards I generally find myself more relaxed but also alert and refreshed.
I'm starting to sound like a tech-hippy but seriously, this is a lovely, gender neutral game.
iPad and iPhone: $5.99
DragonBox+ is just awesome. You journey to five different worlds in order to raise five different creatures. There are twenty levels on each world - when you successfully complete the problems on each level your creature is fed and grows a little more until after 20 levels it's fully mature and you can move onto the next world. At the start of each level you are presented with a set of cards and to successfully solve the problem you have to eliminate all the cards on one side of the screen, in the correct number of moves and using the right number of cards.
All of this is accompanied by some awesome music. I just adore this game - when I discovered the bonus levels I got giddy and played them all immediately. In case you haven't worked it out yet, the unstated (at the outset) purpose of this game is to teach basic algebra to your child. Concepts are introduced in such a neat way - instead of talking about negatives and positives for example, each card has a 'night' version and when the two are placed on top of each other, they cancel out. Gradually and seamlessly, the cards are faded and replaced by symbols and numbers.
It's fantastic. Now I just want more levels...
iPad and iPhone: $1.99
It's the only Christmas-themed app in my list but boy, is it a goody and right now it's also a great price. From the early part of the book, when I saw Scrooge crunching through the snow on the page as the words of each sentence parted and then closed behind him, I was hooked. The text is an abridged version of the book but it's nicely done.
Oh, and the best part? It's a steampunk version of the story. Yes, I'm fairly sure you haven't seen a Jacob Marley quite like the one in this app...
The steampunk motif is integrated nicely into the story, not only in mechanical details like page turning but the character of Scrooge is presented as mechanical and soulless also. The ghost of Christmas past is nicely envisaged as a vision in steam. Press on through the 'meet and greet' chapter featuring The Ghost of Christmas Present because the final spirit is suitably petrifying and I particularly love the music that chapter.
It's a classic story, well-rendered.
iPad and iPhone: $9.99
If you know a child, teen or adult that likes board games, then this app is a must-buy for their iDevice. Just over a decade ago, the world of board games changed dramatically with the release of Carcassonne. There are now more expansions, spin-offs and copycat versions of this game than you can shake a stick at. Little wonder, because its easy to learn and play, can be played by two or more people, involves luck, but good strategic planning increases your chances of winning and unlike many other games that can go on for days, this one is fast and fun to play.
The basic premise is to build settlements in order to score points. You and your opponents take turns to place cards next to each other in order to build cities, roads, cloisters and farms and you can claim these as yours by placing tokens on them (affectionately known as 'meeple'). One of the problems with the game was always how much space was needed to play. You needed a big table or you could play on the floor - unless toddlers and pets were around of course. The game on the iDevice solves not only the space problem but also the "I want to play but have no-one to play with" issue. There's a solitaire version, you can play locally with AI opponents or you can play online with others as it's Game Center integrated.
This isn't a new app, it's been around for a couple of years now, but it's a wonderful version of a classic game, the developers are constantly updating it and have already added a couple of expansions which you can purchase in-app - Rivers (99 cents) and Inns and Cathedrals ($1.99).
Tickletap Toddler Pack 1 and Pack 2
The Going to Bed Book - Sandra Boynton
Dr. Seuss Beginner Book Collection #1 and #2
The Three Little Pigs - Nosy Crow animated storybook
Heidi story collection - 3 in 1
Bobo Explores Light
Dream of Pixels
DragonBox+
iPad and iPhone: $5.99
DragonBox+ is just awesome. You journey to five different worlds in order to raise five different creatures. There are twenty levels on each world - when you successfully complete the problems on each level your creature is fed and grows a little more until after 20 levels it's fully mature and you can move onto the next world. At the start of each level you are presented with a set of cards and to successfully solve the problem you have to eliminate all the cards on one side of the screen, in the correct number of moves and using the right number of cards.
A Christmas Carol for iOS
Carcassonne
iPad and iPhone: $9.99
If you know a child, teen or adult that likes board games, then this app is a must-buy for their iDevice. Just over a decade ago, the world of board games changed dramatically with the release of Carcassonne. There are now more expansions, spin-offs and copycat versions of this game than you can shake a stick at. Little wonder, because its easy to learn and play, can be played by two or more people, involves luck, but good strategic planning increases your chances of winning and unlike many other games that can go on for days, this one is fast and fun to play.
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So there you have it. It's always hard to pick just ten apps but these are all sure-fire winners in my opinion. I hope you agree and that if you gift them, the recipients love them as much as I do. Feel free to add your gift ideas in comments!
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