By Jaclyn M.
Have you ever spent ages looking for awesome apps? In this article, I have compiled the ultimate list of great apps. (Note: The LGG is not affiliated or sponsored by any of these, this is just my opinion. And, make sure to check in with your parent/guardian before downloading any app!)
I have divided the list into 11 categories: apps that help you explore nature, mindfulness, educational apps, animal apps, short fun games, high quality puzzle games, life/family games, multiplayer games or games to play with friends, creative apps, and other amazing apps.
Enjoy!!!
Nature
Plum’s Creaturizer
This one is actually from PBS kids, so it is meant for 6-10 year olds, but it is still fun. It has an AR (Augmented Reality) element to it, and you get to explore nature when you take the pictures.
Explore.org
Explore.org has a website and YouTube channel, but my favorite format is the app. On it, you can stream hundreds of live animal cameras from tropical fish to what they call “Nestflix,” and they even have the Northern Lights on there.
Mindfulness
Pause
There are in-app purchases (like most all apps these days!), but they do give you one feature which I like, it is called “finger Tai chi.” While I will admit I was skeptical at first, it is so calming, and I highly recommend it!
Breathing app
There are a ton of breathing apps out there, but this one is my favorite. It is simple with only 3 buttons: one lets you change how big the breaths are, one lets you set the timer, and one lets you turn on and off the audio. You have a choice of the ball that gets bigger and smaller or just audio with a soothing mountain background. I prefer the audio because I like to close my eyes when I do this.
Portal
Portal is just what it sounds like - a sound portal! Without premium, you have access to about 5-10 in depth soundscapes that are designed to transport you to another world while dozing off or meditating, but also to help you focus while you study or write.
Educational
Duolingo
I love Duolingo and I have been using it for about a year now. The short, yet comprehensive lessons are awesome and just enough to make me feel like I am moving forward, but not too long to where I get burned out. It is a great way to learn a language and I know quite a bit of Spanish now! They also have tons of other languages from French to Zulu!
Prodigy
This is a fun fantasy game for math and they have English, too. It is for grades 1st-8th.
Khan Academy
This website/app covers subjects from science to computer coding. I am homeschooled, so I use this on a regular basis for schoolwork. However, it can probably be a great supplement to school. I am currently also learning Java Script on it.
Light Bot
There are so many coding apps out there, but most are either too basic (like click the arrows to move the character 3 spaces) or super advanced. As I mentioned above, I am familiar with a few coding languages so I usually whiz through the ones made for kids in about an hour tops. However, Light Bot is awesome! It does start out easy, but don’t be fooled! I am still stuck on the last level, and even my dad who is a former engineer can’t figure it out!
Animals
These are all by the same developer and are pretty much the same, except with different animals, so I am listing them together:
Tortoise pet
Hedgehog pet
Rabbit pet
Parakeet per
Hamster pet
They are so cute and fun and they only have to be fed every few days.
Short
I won’t give much description to these, as they are short games with little to no depth, so there is not too much to tell.
Ball run
2048
Draw bridge
Hole io
Bridge race
Going balls
Hide n seek
Brain test
Coloring match
Color fill
Color hole
Playtime
Water sort
Paper io
Bubble merge
Tie dye
Happy glass
Crossy roads
Block scapes
Helix jump
Block scapes
Bored button
High quality puzzle games
Where’s Samantha
In this game, you play as a fabric square named George, who is trying to find his girlfriend Samantha. It is a really fun puzzle platformer game, and my favorite part is that you can multiply and combine fabric squares to solve the tricky weight puzzles.
Dadish
This is another really fun platformer, it is about a dad who is a radish (hence, the name Dadish). Personally, I have only played the original, but there is also a Dadish 2, Dadish 3, and Daily Dadish.
Two Dots
This is a merge dot/match 3 puzzle game. It has few to none ads and has a cozy color theme, which I enjoy as well.
Other
LMAO (laughing my app off)
This one is super funny! It gives you good jokes a few times a day, from knock knock jokes to “ I named my dog ‘5 miles’ so I can tell people I walk 5 miles every day.” This one nearly always makes me laugh.
Life/family
Stardew Valley
This one is the only one on the list you have to pay for. It is only 5 dollars and it is amazing! It’s a cozy life and farm sim where you play as a newfound farmer who moved to an old farm to get away from the city life.
Sims FreePlay
In this game you get to basically control an entire town! You can build and furnish buildings for your townsfolk (or sims as they are called), form relationships between them, and create scenarios.
Virtual families 2 & 3
In this one, you get to observe and slightly interfere with a tiny family. You can shop for them, upgrade their house, and make sure their needs are fulfilled. (Pro tip: who doesn’t get a bit down in a messy house? If you can’t figure out how to cheer up your family, try cleaning up a bit and removing the socks, wrappers, and smudges.)
Multi-player
Webkinz Next
In this one, you can explore a nice town, play with friends, and even play as an adorable pet! What more could you want?!
Virtual Sim Story Life & Home
In this game, you can work at various cafés and restaurants around town, then use the coins you earn to buy clothes, houses, furniture, and cars. And then show them off to your friends!
Star Equestrian
This one is by the same developer but adds a horse riding element. Also, my friend couldn’t find “Virtual Sim Story Life & Home” on her Samsung tablet, so I am not sure if you can get it on Samsung, however this one you can!
RecRoom
In this one, you can decorate your own room, make games and worlds. And play games with friends! A nice feature that sets this apart from other multi-player games, is that you have full control of your hands. You can wave, dance, and do whatever you want. Even high five your friends!
Crafty Lands
In this app, you can build with your friends! My friend and I love playing it. We are currently building a castle and it is turning out great!!! The only downside to this one, compared to other building games, is the small selection of furniture. You only get a few plant pots, beds, a chair, and two tables. So you have to use your imagination for other more elaborate furnishings.
Pkxd
In this one, you can play games with friends, decorate your house, take care of your own pet and more.
Sky
This one has a bit more depth than most multi-player games. Instead of putting the main focus on playing with friends, the gameplay and story lines are amazing even alone. However, there is a heavy focus on playing with friends as well, you can even do interactions like piggy back rides, holding hands, and high five ing!
My Town Play with Friends
In this one, there are four games that you can play with your friends, plus mini games. You can play hide and seek, parkour (an obstacle course), the floor is slime, and a mining simulator. In the game lobby you can also play mini games like egg hunts, pop as many bubbles as you can, and other fun games. And of course, you can dress up your character and get power ups as well!
Creative
Pic Collage
I LOVE this one! I use it to make flyers, party invitations, cute planner lists, and even a sweet birthday collage to send to my friends. There is a VIP membership, but honestly, you get plenty of great stuff without it. I know some people use Canva for the same sorts of things, however I tried it and was not impressed. Pic collage is much more user friendly, and you can create anything from cute and fun, to professional business flyers.
Procreate
This is my go-to digital art app. As I don’t really do too much digital art, I really just enjoy creating cool stuff with the effects, cartooning images, and doing the occasional Pinterest tutorial. However, I have a few friends who are a bit more artsy and they create stunning masterpieces on it as well.
Create a Card
I actually just recently found this one, the name kind of gives it away. It is - you guessed it! - an app that allows you to create digital cards and send them to friends and family. You can choose from a template, or be more artistic and design one yourself. Either way, I know you will bring a smile to someone’s face!
Stop Motion
For those of you who haven’t heard of stop motion, it is a basic animation form of taking a bunch of pictures and playing them in order, very fast to create the illusion that the item is moving. Have you ever made a flip book? It is the same idea, only digital. My friend who has a Samsung tablet can actually use stop motion with her device’s camera, but for apple devices you have to get the app.
Well, I think that just about wraps it up! Have fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment