Apps to keep kids entertained

Designed to help young children learn to read, CBeebies Storytime has a variety of stories for different ages and abilities to keep kids entertained. Children can choose to be read to or read themselves. Additionally, CBeebies Storytime has offline options when internet access isn’t possible.

Age: 3+
Cost: Free
Available for: iOS and Android users

Sesame Street Yourself keeps kids entertained with games and sing-alongs with their favourite characters and Sesame Street friends. They can dress up with furry, funny character filters, masks and dress-up costumes.

Age: 4+
Cost: Free
Available for: iOS users

This is one of several Toca apps. Toca Life: Vacation lets children decide how the story should go.

Offering highly interactive open worlds, players investigate different holiday locations. From picking different forms of travel to all sorts of holiday activities Toca Life: Vacation will spark young children’s imagination like no other app.

Age: 3+
Cost: £3.99
Available for: iOS and Android users

Alto’s Adventure challenges users to ski down an infinite mountain to catch your escaped llamas. The graphics and super-simple controls support children of with various abilities. Simply tap the screen to jump over obstacles and hold your finger down longer to pull off tricks.

Take turns in the family to compete for the high score and unlock new characters. You will often find your children doing considerably better than yourself, which is great for their confidence.

Age:  9+
Cost: £4.99 (iOS), free with in-app purchases (Android)
Available for: iOS and Android users.

It’s easy to dismiss Minecraft since it’s so popular. However, if your family hasn’t tried the mobile version, it’s well worth a look. Not only does it include all the latest updates but offers a simple way to create new worlds on the go.

Keep kids entertained as you travel by taking turns to build and explore.

It’s worth noting if playing online, children can communicate with other players.

Age:  7+
Cost: £6.99
Available for: iOS and Android users.

This is a simple puzzle game from Kahoot about matching and manipulating different boxes to clear each screen. With beautiful visuals and great sound effects, kids will enjoy progressing through the levels.

It keeps kids entertained while they learn.

Age:  5+
Cost: Free (in-app purchases)
Available for: iOS and Android users.

Spaceteam keeps kids entertained through spaceship controls, teamwork and lots of shouting.

This app uses multiple devices and requires players to communicate with each other. Together, you must tell each other which buttons, levers and sliders need adjusting before the time runs out.

As the clock ticks down, it turns into a frantic game of communication and quick reactions.

Encourage your family to play together to discover just how good (or bad) you are working as a team — and have a lot of fun and laughs along the way.

Age:  9+
Cost: Free (in-app purchases)
Available for: iOS and Android users

Osmo is a range of educational apps for the iPad and Amazon Fire tablet. Each app requires a set of physical pieces to interact with and uses a special mirror to cast the gaze of the iPad’s camera down to the desk and the pieces laid on it.

This creates simple spelling, Maths and coding games to keep kids entertained. It’s the simplicity of the app that makes it great for families. There are even some multiplayer modes for parents and children to play competitively or cooperatively.

Age:  3+
Cost: From £39 (including hardware add-ons)
Available for: iPad and Fire tablets

This is a simple puzzle game from Kahoot that builds on Dragonbox Algebra 5+. It’s all about matching and manipulating different boxes to clear each screen. With beautiful visuals and great sound effects, kids will enjoy progressing through the levels.

It keeps kids entertained while they learn Maths skills.

Age:  12+
Cost: Free (in-app purchases)
Available for: iOS and Android users.

Like other Pokemon games, kids must find and capture Pokemon. Unlike other games, this is achieved with augmented reality (AR).

Like geocaching, it offers a perfect excuse for getting outside. Play the game together and compete to see who collects the most Pokemon. You can also visit special Gym battle locations to battle other Pokemon players in your city.

Age:  7+
Cost: Free (in-app purchases)
Available for: iOS and Android users.

Heads Up! is a fun app for families and friends that works like charades. The app offers a range of topics and activities like Act it Out to keeps kids entertained and spread laughter.

Age:  12+
Cost: £0-1.99 (plus in-app purchases)
Available for: iOS and Android

Oceanhorn is an adventure game for tablets and smartphones.

Like Zelda on Nintendo, kids can explore a variety of worlds, developing their skills and resources. Play the game together as a family and discover what monsters lurk under the seas.

Age:  7+
Cost: £6.99
Available for: iOS and Android

A Dark Room keeps kids entertained through unique experiences. Presented with a single button that lights a fire, the game is presented entirely in text.

From that single button, the story develops into an adventure with surprise enemies and a huge map to explore. It encourages exploration, resource management and real-time battles.

Age:  12+
Cost: £1.79-1.99
Available for: iOS and Android users.

Bounden is a dancing game for two players, with choreography by the Dutch National Ballet. Twist and twirl elegantly, or get entangled to keep kids entertained.

Holding either end of a device, your child tilts the device around a virtual sphere following a path of rings. They swing their arms and twist their body, dancing before they know it.

Age:  3+
Cost: £1.99-2.99
Available for: iOS and Android users.

Zombies, Run! is a running and adventure game where every run is a mission where your child is the hero. They can can jog in a park, on a treadmill or just walk to activate Zombie chases.

It keeps kids entertained by automatically collect vital supplies like medicine, batteries and food while escaping fictional zombies.

Age:  12+
Cost: Free (in-app purchases)
Available for: iOS and Android users.