Macenstein

While it may sicken many of us, the fact is that many young children (we’re talking as young as 3 and 4-year olds) have iPod touches and iPhones – MY kids included. And as disappointed as I am in myself as a parent for giving them such an expensive gift, I’ve actually found that my 4 and 6-year olds both take excellent care of their iPods and (so far) treat them with an appropriate amount of reverence. This is likely due to their coveting my iPhone when they were younger, and realizing it was an honor to hold Daddy’s phone and play games on it.

Well, apparently I’m not the only negligent parent out there, as evidenced by the abundance of games and educational applications geared towards pre-schoolers (and younger) for the iPhone. As an iPhone addict and Mac Blogger I have exposed my kids to a larger selection of iPhone/iPod touch games than most, so I will share our experiences here and make some suggestions that will hopefully give you an idea what apps might be worth taking a chance on and plopping down your hard earned cash on. Most of these games are not specifically made FOR young children (in fact most are decidedly NOT) , but I have found that young children can not only handle them, but actually find them more engaging than the predominantly lame kid titles. And believe it or not, kids actually DO learn while playing games. For instance, my kids know if they blow up 6 Orange Robots in Fieldrunners, at $20 each, they can afford to buy a lightning tower and upgrade it once. I’m so proud. 🙂

I’ll break the games down into “Girls”, “Boys”, and “Both”, although many of these games, even the ones I am gender tagging, might be popular with either sex, depending on your kid.

Let’s start with “girl” games. These are games that my 6-year old daughter plays more than my 4-year old son, although there is some crossover here (Chocolate Shop Frenzy, for example).

Girls

Chocolate Shop Frenzy ($4.99 – a light version is available to test) – In this game you help a young woman named Emma start her own chocolate shop, starting out with a run down shack, and eventually building it into a thriving business. As you progress, you are able to add and upgrade new chocolate making machines and offer new services to keep your customers happy and coming back. The graphics here are VERY cute, and if your boy can get over the fact that he’s controlling a female character, there is no reason this game needs to be a “girl”-only game. There are over 48 levels, but the game-play is engaging enough and the learning curve gradual enough that my 6-year old daughter (who can be easily discouraged by tougher games) loves this game, and has stuck with it. It helps if your child can read, as there are occasionally instructions that pop up explaining the challenges of the level, how to operate the new machines you have bought, etc., but even with my 4 year-old son, who is only just learning to read, if you sit with them through the first couple levels or read the pop-ups the first time around they will quickly get the hang of it, and you can ignore them and play your OWN games. There’s also a decent “Bejeweled-type” bonus game sprinkled in between levels. I rate it at age 5 and up.

Sally’s Salon ($0.99) – OK, this one IS a girl game, as no amount of trickery was able to convince my son that doing girls’ hair and nails is fun. The gameplay is almost identical to Chocolate Shop Frenzy, however, where the idea is to grow your beauty salon business, upgrading machines, hiring workers, and above all else, keeping the customers happy. Because there is an element of “beauty” (you can decide which hair styles and looks the customers get) it gets extra girly points. Eventually, however, some male customers do come into the salon looking for some haircuts, but it’s too little too late to “man” the game up. And actually, my daughter is a bit freaked out by them, but she loves the game. I rate it at age 5 and up.

Daycare Nightmare ($0.99) – This is the 3rd game in a row that follows a similar theme – namely, run around making customers happy and collect money. This time around, however, your customers are monster parents who have left you in charge of their baby monsters so they can enjoy a night out. The problem? Well, these are baby monsters, and as you might expect, they don’t always play nice. You need to try to keep them all happy, juggling naps, playtime, food, all the while making sure nobody beats up anybody else. The baby-sitting aspect will appeal to the girls, and the monsters are cute enough not to scare them. I rate it at age 5-6 and up.

Suzy Dress Up ($0.99) – This is your basic dress up doll type app where you drag clothes and accessories onto the doll. There’s no real game here, but as stereotypical as it may be, girls love dressing up dolls, even MY daughter who can name every DC Comics super hero. The illustrations in Suzy Dress Up are a bit reminiscent of the slutty Bratz Dolls, which I personally do not like and won’t buy my daughter, but this app doesn’t bother me. I find these dress up apps are fun for kids, and they love showing you what they’ve done. Plus you can add wings, which is more or less a slam dunk with fairy obsessed little girls. Teach your kid to take screenshots of their creations, and you’re good to go. I rate it at age 3 and up.

Fantasy Dolls ($0.99) – If you didn’t like the look of the Suzy Dress Up girls, maybe the more “Manga-esque” gals in Fantasy Dolls are more your style. I don’t know, as a guy, I just see “hot cartoon chicks” on both of these, and while I know it is wrong to instill the “beauty is very important” thing into young girls, let’s face it, as shallow as guys are, little girls don’t want to play with fat ugly girl dolls, so get past the “beauty is only skin deep” thing and let your girls play. I rate it at age 3 and up.

Disney Fairies Fly! ($4.99) – Kids are suckers for well-established characters, and Disney’s Tinker Bell is a fan favorite. Unlike Nickelodeon’s rushed out SpongeBob titles, however, Disney decided to put an actual game in Fairies Fly!, and this side-scrolling “pick up the good stuff, and avoid the bad stuff” game has some really nice visuals, as you might expect from a Disney title. The game gets a bit repetitive, so how much your child will like this game may depend on how into Fairies they are, but it is an easy game to pick up, and, let’s face it, Tinker Bell is HOT!

Boys

Missile Command ($4.99) – Every boy loves blowing things up, and Missile Command is a classic. This game made our top iPhone games of 2008 list, and as cool a game it is for adults, it is a very easy game for a child to pick up as well. All you have to do is tap to launch rockets to defend your cities from the alien invasion, and aside from the possible psychological trauma a child might experience if they realize that each city they fail to protect could mean millions of lives lost, odds are that will go way over their head and they’ll just have a blast. Literally. I rate it at age 4 and up.

MazeFinger (free)- The basic concept here is to move your finger along a maze like path as quickly as you can, without going off the path or hitting obstacles. This is a great game for improving motor skills, and the robotic voice that rates you at the end of each level makes the kids laugh. There’s no real reason this one has to be a “boy” game, but my daughter didn’t love it, and my son does, thus the ranking. I rate it at age 4 and up.

7 Cities ($4.99) – This tower defense game is more involved than Fieldruners and The Creeps, but if you are not opposed to exposing your son to cartoon violence, then have at it. I think my 4-year old doesn’t fully understand the logistics of the game (using power crystals and such) but he loves sinking enemy ships, and knows how to position the weapons for maximum damage. If you wish to raise a little military general, this is a good start. I rate it at age 4 and up. (6 really, to understand the “real” way to play)

Warfare Inc ($4.99) – OK, combined with 7 Cities you may think I am pushing violence on my kid, and I have no argument. But if you could see the look of joy in his eyes when the robotic “lobsters” (as he calls them) blow up an enemy ship… well, it’s a Kodak moment to be sure. If your kids like things like Star Wars and such (and understand the concept of “blowing up bad guys), this is a cool game. However, there is a LOT of reading here at the start of each mission, and even after reading the story-lines to my son, I don’t think he really understands the missions, so while he is 4-years old and can handle the first 5 or so missions, odds are you should be about 7 to really “get” this game. I rate it at age 6 and up. (7 or 8 really, to understand the “real” way to play)

Cannon Challenge (free) – Geez, now that I look at this list, I am getting worried. Well, here’s another “blow them up” game, this time you control a mortar canon and you try to target enemy outposts before you run out of missiles. No reading necessary, and my son can do this pretty well on his own with minimal parental intervention, aside from initially showing him the controls. I rate it at age 4 and up.

Both

i(fluff) Pets (free) – Kids love virtual pets, and i(fluff) friends is one of the cutest around – at least on the iPhone. It’s got your standard feed and pet options, but you can also race your pet against other fluffs to win money you can then spend at the i(fluff) store. I rate it at age 4 and up.

SuperPoke Pets (free) – Another virtual pet for the iPhone, SuperPoke! Pets is pretty similar to i(fluff) Pets, so it all depends on which pets your kids think are cuter. I find my kids like both apps and have pets of both kinds, so assuming you have room on the kids’ iPods, why not put both on? I rate it at age 4 and up.

Chimps Ahoy! Spooked! ($0.99) – I could also have put the regular version of Chimps Ahoy! ($2.99) , but my kids seem to like the Halloween themed version better. It has only 28 levels versus the original’s 100, but the gameplay is the same. Basically you use two monkey-head paddles on either side of the screen to bounce a ball back and forth, trying to break all the blocks. Think Pong crossed with Breakout. Pretty much any kid can pick this game up quickly, and the fun music and colors make it a kid favorite. I rate it at age 4 and up.

Crazy Penguin Catapult ($4.99 – a light version is available to test) – From the makers of Chocolate Shop Frenzy comes a very different type of game where you launch some fearless penguins at evil Polar Bears. The game is ridiculous, but fun, and the graphics, like in Chocolate Shop Frenzy, are very cute. There is some “mild cartoon violence”, but nothing your kid hasn’t seen on SpongeBob. This game is actually fun enough for adults to play as well. I rate it at age 5 and up.

Sneezies ($0.99) – This game is adorable, easy, and can be played by a 1-year old. Basically, you just touch the screen once per level, popping a “Sneezy”, who then causes other Sneezies to sneeze, and pop, and so on and so forth, causing a chain reaction. If you can cause enough of the Sneezies to pop on a level, you move on to the next, if not, the level starts over. The sound effects here are cute, and the physics are nice as well. I rate it at age 2 and up.

Tiki Towers ($0.99) – This game reminds me of the awesome “World of Goo” for the Mac. Basically you build towers from one area of the screen to another, trying to get some monkeys across various obstacles. This one will take you explaining the game basics to your kids first, but they should get the gist in about 5 minutes, and the charming monkey characters and well-designed backgrounds should hold their interest even as the levels get harder. I rate it at age 5 and up.

Crazy Tanks ($0.99) – You might think a “blow things up” game like this should be in the boy category, and I won’t argue with you, but my daughter also likes this one (she thinks the tanks are cute) and quite frankly I got depressed at all the blow things up games I had already in the boy category. Here you use the iPhone’s accelerometer to drive your tank around an arena, looking for bad tanks to blow up. The controls are easy to pick up (for a kid at least) and both my kids like this game. I rate it at age 5 and up.

Alphabetic ($0.99 a lite version is available) – I actually find Alphabetic to be challenging, and I think if its makers are reading this they should add a slower, easier level for kids, but still, the basic concept (click on a sequential letter on each board – such as “level 1 A”, then “level 2 B” etc.) before time runs out. The colors and animations are great here, and it can even help kids practice their letters. I rate it at age 4-5 and up.

Kyodai ($0.99) – This is a puzzler that actually my wife can’t seem to figure out the rules to, but my daughter loves it. Basically, it is a matching game where you need to click on pairs of matching items that are not blocked by other items. You are allowed to “draw” a path with 2 bends in it to connect these items – no more. It is a little confusing, but once you get it (and odds are your kid will pick it up before you do) it is very fun, and challenging. I rate it at age 5 and up.

Snail Mail ($1.99) – The first 3D racer of the list, Snail Mail puts you in charge of “Turbo”, a little snail who loves to move fast and hates salt. A bit similar to Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road, the map is fast-paced and colorful. Doing well here might actually take more skill than most little kids have, but if they have any racing game experience, they will likely fall in love with Turbo. My kids love his voice. I rate it at age 6 and up.

MotionX Poker ($2.99) – OK, blowing up stuff is one thing, but teaching kids Poker? Yes, I am a monster. But the game is fun, and no more evil than Yahtzee, really. Basically you try to win money by rolling a winning poker hand against the computer. Along the way you unlock new dice and gems, as well as new boards. Both my kids love this game, so hopefully they will be able to pay their ways through college by hustling other kids in basement poker games (lord knows I won’t be able to afford their tuition). You may recognize MotionX Poker from the iPhone commercial which showcased iPhone gaming. I rate it at age 5 and up.

The Creeps! ($4.99 a lite version is available) – If you are itching to introduce your kids to the joys of the Tower Defense genre, this is your tool. The game centers on protecting a little kid from the nightmarish creatures that live in his closet. To do this, you use a range of really cute weapons, from ray guns, to boomerangs, to bottles of glue to stop the bad guys from reaching the child. Although the game centers on monsters, the illustrations and sounds are so cute, only the wussiest of kids would be scared. The Creeps is fun for kids and adult alike. I rate it at age 5 and up.

BeJeweled 2 ($2.99) – The concept of “match three of the same” is very easily picked up, and hard to put down. While this game classic is not made for kids, per se, kids love it, and can do just about every bit as well as adults – especially in our house. I rate it at age 4 and up.

ChocChoc Pop ($1.99 a lite version is available) – Basically “Bejeweled” with a candy theme, ChocChocPop pus a kid-friendly spin on the match-three genre. As levels are completed, new candies are unlocked, as well as bonus tools you can use to help you clear the board. Kids may actually like this better than Bejeweled 2 because of the candy theme and characters, although the bonus items make it slightly more involved than Bejeweled. I rate it at age 4 and up.

BattleAtSea ($4.99) – This is a Battleship rip-off, and a good one. If you are a household with more than one iPod touch or iPhone (or any combo, thereof) then this is a must have game that is actually better than the real physical Milton Bradley version when it comes to playing with small kids. You can play each other over WiFi, and the best part is kids cannot cheat, lose pegs, or screw up peg placement. It also doesn’t take 10 minutes to clean up when you’re done. I rate it at age 4 and up.

Just Fillin’ ($0.99 a lite version is available) – This game is very easy to play, and for 99¢ it is a decent buy. Each level you need to “blow” bubbles by holding your finger to the screen. You want to blow as many and as large bubbles as you can in order to raise the water level to the top of the screen. But be careful, there are bouncy spike balls you must avoid while blowing your bubbles, lest they pop. The game gets kind of hard around round 7 for little kids, but they can handle it with practice, and it is a nice touch-based concept for a game. I rate it at age 4 and up.

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D ($5.99) – The 2nd 3D racer to hit the list, and this one is still the best – everyone needs this game. Offering hours of gameplay fun, Crash Kart is a fun, colorful, and exciting, racer for both kids and adults. I like this better than Cro-Mag Rally-style racers for kids, as the course kind of keeps you on track and not driving all over the place. Even if your child is not coordinated enough to win a race, they will enjoy the characters and colorful world, and if they stick with it, odds are they WILL be winning races in a day or two. I rate it at age 4 and up.

Dizzy Bee 1 ($2.99) and Dizzy Bee 2 ($2.99) – Dizzy Bee, and its sequel Dizzy Bee 2, are further examples of games that are both fun and challenging for kids and adults alike. By tilting the iPhone, you move Dizzy Bee through a maze, freeing your little friends and trying to get them to the exit without running into any bad guys. Dizzy Bee was one of the first iPhone games I bought, and it is still one of the most enjoyable to play. I rate it at age 4 and up.

Crazy Skeleton ($1.99) – This isn’t exactly a game, but I’m listing it because kids seem to love it. We discovered Crazy Skeleton last Halloween and my kids still occasionally bring him out, especially when showing off their iPod touch to friends. Basically Crazy Skeleton just says and does silly things each time you shake him, but there’s a decent variety and the things he says are funny enough to a kid that they end up quoting him, which so long as you are an Ed Wynn fan (Uncle Albert from Mary Poppins) should be fine. I rate it at age 3 and up.

Fieldrunners ($4.99) – OK, you knew this was coming. Obviously I had to include this game, because it is MY favorite game, and because Daddy loves it so much, obviously the kids love it too. So I can’t guarantee your kids will love it, but mine certainly do, and they’ve gotten quite good at it. The game is a tower defense game, where you try to stop the “fieldrunners” from running from one side of the field to the other by building a maze of deadly weapons. This is another “violent” title, but it is cartoon violence (no blood), and not at all disturbing to me. However, the latest update added some cool new fire-based weapons, and watching them incinerate the poor little bad guy troops might unnerve some people. But hey, kids these days are too pampered, if you ask me. Besides, they have to learn about napalm somehow. Better here than out on the streets. I rate it at age 5 and up.

Bonus App – Absolver of all parental guilt

FlashMath ($1.99) – OK, this one is not a game at all, but I feel using it can remove the guilt from letting your kids play all the games listed above. FlashMath is an app that can test your kids’ math skills from age 2 to 20, and I force my kids to get a score of 90% or better before they are allowed to play any games on their iPods. You can customize the type of questions FlashMath will ask (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square and cube numbers, or any combination of the above) as well as the number ranges FlashMath uses. So for instance, for a 3 or 4 year-old, you might set it to ask your kid 10 addition questions where no number will be larger than 5. For an older child, you might set FlashMath to ask questions with a mix of addition and subtraction with numbers between 10 and 35, etc. I love this app and I have seen real improvements in my kids’ math abilities that I attribute to the app, and its flexibility means it can help them grow as they get older and their skills improve. I rate it at age 4 and up.

Final thoughts

Obviously every kid is different and has their own favorites, but these are games I have found my kids enjoy and still play after a month or two. But I’m always on the lookout for new games my kids might like (and I might like, for that matter), so if you have any suggestions of games I may have missed, let me know in the comments.