Many games are free downloads that offer in-app purchases. Other games cost between $.99 and $2.99, with the expensive games rarely going for more than $6, so you don’t have to break into your kids’ piggy bank to pay for their entertainment. Candy Crush has taken on a life of its own since its release. It mixes the classic connect-the-matching-symbols gameplay with everyone’s favorite pastime: eating candy. Candy Crush Saga is good for toddlers, too, because just tapping the screen results in a lot of graphical fun. Older kids will enjoy the puzzles the game presents, and even adults will find it engaging. Candy Crush is a free download with in-app purchases available. The endless runner game has exploded since Temple Rush hit the app store, and although many games in this genre are just Temple Rush with new graphics or a new theme, Minion Rush adds fun new gameplay mechanics and includes the humorous charm of those cute little minions. Kids will enjoy this game because it’s quick to play and fun to compete for the highest score. Minion Rush is a free download with in-app purchases available. Miracle Merchant players are apprentices of a master alchemist, where they learn to mix and match different ingredient cards to make potions for their customers. The cards change daily, and daily tasks keep players coming back for more. The gameplay is Solitaire-style and offers amazing graphics and fun music. The basics of the game are easy to learn, but mastering it is difficult. Miracle Merchant is a free download with in-app purchases available. Few games have as many customer reviews as Fruit Ninja 2 and manage to stay above 4 stars, and there’s a reason for that. Fruit Ninja 2 is good old-fashioned slicing and dicing fun, with a simple concept and yet enough challenge to keep kids swiping. The goal: Slice as much fruit as you can without slicing through a bomb and blowing your virtual finger off. Fruit Ninja 2 is a free download with in-app purchases available. Alto’s Adventure is a infinite runner-type game, where the player is on a snowboard racing down mountains and doing backflips. The game is not too hard and not too easy. The graphics are stunning and the story is interesting, if limited. This app is designated as an Editors’ Choice game by Apple. Alto’s Adventure costs $4.99. If cleanliness is next to godliness, Swampy is going to make one fun little deity. Rather than slinging birds at boards and stones, Where’s My Water? concentrates on teaching kids the value of bathing by helping Swampy the alligator stay clean despite the actions of Cranky, the antagonist of this story. Where’s My Water? is one of the best games for kids on the iPad. Where’s My Water? costs $1.99 and offers in-app purchases. Om Nom loves his candy, but he needs a little help getting it. Cut the Rope GOLD is a physics puzzle game in which kids use ropes to move a piece of candy, swinging it across the screen and — with luck — into Om Nom’s mouth. Fortunately, it’s not as simple as it sounds, forcing kids to think about how to get past the various obstacles standing between Om Nom and his candy. Cut the Rope GOLD costs $1.99 and offers in-app purchases. Many kid-friendly games are about having fun, not about learning something new. Plenty of educational apps in the App Store can engage a child’s mind, but when a game blends having fun with learning, it definitely deserves a mention on this list. Slice Fractions manages to capture fun inside a game that’s all about learning fractions. It’s ideal for kids who are ready to move beyond whole numbers and conquer division. Slice Fractions costs $3.99. What do you get when you have an addictive physics-based puzzle game made by a kid rather than just for kids? You get Bubble Ball. Developed by 14-year-old Robert Nay, Bubble Ball enjoyed a million downloads in its first two weeks on the App Store. The game doesn’t have the fun graphics found in titles like Cut the Rope and Fruit Ninja, but it does contain engaging play that will please puzzle lovers ages 4 to 94. Bubble Ball is a free download with in-app purchases available. Would a list of the iPad games for kids be complete without a matching game? Whether you use playing cards spread out on a table or cute animals aligned on a tablet, there’s just something about matching up pictures that can delight your little ones. AniMatch: Animal Matching Game is a great iPad game that a two- or three-year-old can enjoy — if you can get the iPad away from the older kids. AniMatch: Animal Matching Game costs $0.99. Last on this list is an app that’s not a game. Drawing Pad is simply a vehicle for an activities that all kids enjoy: drawing and using their imagination. Not only can your kids use the virtual crayons in Drawing Pad, but they can save their work and even share it by email or on social media. Drawing Pad costs $5.99 and offers in-app purchases.
