Anna’s Favorite Apps, Part Four

Photo: Julia Ozab

We bought Anna an iPad for her birthday, and what’s an iPad without apps? I took a  look at an iPad at Anna’s elementary school while Julia searched online, and together we found a wide variety of educational games along with some just for fun. Now that a few weeks have passed, I asked Anna what some of her favorites were? She likes a lot of them, so I’ll be featuring them here each Tuesday over the next few weeks.

Check out Part One: Spelling, Grammar, and Reading, Part Two: Math and Science, and Part Three: Geography and Foreign Language.

(Note: specs and screenshots via the App Store)

Part Four: Just for Fun

Monsters University

• $0.99
• Category: Games
• Updated: Nov 05, 2013
• Version: 1.1.1
• Size: 60.5 MB
• Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese
• Seller: Walt Disney
• © Disney 2013

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad Wi-Fi (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini Wi-Fi, iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (4th generation), and iPod touch (5th generation). This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Free version: Catch Archie.

Description: Catch Archie the Scare Pig, run the Toxicity Challenge, and Avoid the Parent (aka the 50 foot librarian) in three fun games based on the film Monsters University. Each game features thirty stages of increasing difficulty. Play as Mike, then unlock Sully, Squishy, and Don Carlton, as you move up in levels. Earn coins and buy boosts and second chances.

Anna’s favorite part: Spending coins in the store.

Julia and I are both hooked on this app. She’s played all thirty stages of Toxicity Challenge and Avoid the Parent, and I’m on Stage 28 of Catch Archie.

Wreck-it Ralph

• $0.99
• Category: Games
• Updated: Oct 09, 2013
• Version: 1.6
• Size: 56.7 MB
• Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish
• Seller: Walt Disney
• © 2012 Disney

Rated 9+ for the following:

• Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence

Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Free Version: Fix-it Felix Jr.

Description: Welcome to Game Central Station. Choose between five arcade games based on the film Wreck-it Ralph: Fix-it Felix Jr., Hero’s Duty, Turbotime, plus Sweet Climber (based on the candy-tree scene) and Hero’s Duty: Flight Command.

Anna Favorite Part: Flight Command.

Julia has the top score on Fix-it Felix, Jr. and is pretty good at Flight Command too. I can play Fix-it Felix Jr. pretty well, but stink at the others. Anna is the only one that’s figured out Sweet Climber.

Toy Story: Smash It!

• $1.99
• Category: Games
• Updated: Aug 01, 2013
• Version: 1.2.1
• Size: 48.5 MB
• Languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
• Seller: Walt Disney
• © Disney 2013

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description: Toy Story: Smash it! is a 3D physics-based puzzle game featuring your favorite Toy Story characters. Help Buzz defeat the Pizza Planet Aliens in games like Zurg’s Return, Most Wanted, and Fairy Toy Tale. Master the easier episodes to unlock more challenging  ones.

Anna’s favorite part: Knocking down the aliens.

Julia’s played this for a while too and gotten pretty good. Anna started teaching me yesterday.

Barbie® Fashionistas® Endless Closet

• Free
• Category: Games
• Updated: Dec 03, 2013
• Version: 3.4
• Size: 244 MB
• Languages: English, Bokmål, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
• Seller: Mattel
• © Mattel, Inc.

Rated 4+

Compatibility: Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Description: An endless closet for a collection of virtual Barbies. Mix and match outfits, change colors, and accessorize.

Anna’s Favorite Part: Matching Barbie’s hair to her clothes.

I can’t wait until she wants to color her own hair!

Does your kid have an iPad—or play with yours? Have you found any other great “just for fun” apps? Tell me in the comments.