Kids seem to have an affinity for electronics, especially the cool, touch screen ones we often hesitate to hand over.  But have no fear, there are plenty of great Android apps designed specifically for children (and even some for those who are kids at heart).

Whether you need mindless entertainment or educational interaction, here are some Android games you’ll have an affinity for as well.

Interactive and educational Android apps

The Rescue of Ginger is an interactive narrative that combines colors, illustrations and music for a complete story-telling experience.  For 99 cents, you get 20 pages of fun that your little ones will enjoy time and again. Counting, colors, shapes and sizes are educational factors incorporated into this kids book.

Toddler Lock is one of the best Android apps for kids, and it gives you peace of mind as well. Free, the app has an enjoyable array of shapes and colors which light up, animate and play music at the touch of the screen. Best of all, your kids can play this till the battery runs out and not make any accidental phone calls or mistakenly hit any buttons.

Turn your kids into little monsters with the MouthOff app.  For about $1.75, the app provides animated mouths, voices and other effects to layer over your kids’ voice recordings.  Give it to two or more kids and let them shout, talk and laugh with each other.

Like a kids version of Google Sky, Celeste offers an animated overlay of the stars and planets when you point your phone camera to the heavens.  For $1.99, your kids can learn about the Earth’s position in the universe, watch the sun set in the sky, and see where celestial bodies are positioned in outer space.

 

Kids Numbers and Math is pretty self-explanatory, with educational games to help preschoolers learn their stuff.  The $1.99 Android app comes in several languages, and has a series of exercises such as matching to get your little ones started on the right path.

Android apps for kids of all ages

If you don’t want your Android home screen looking like a kindergarten work book, try Doodle.  The 99-cent Android app keeps things simple, which means you can use it to jot down notes or draw a simple sketch to help flesh out your ideas, but it also has an array of drawing features that can distract a child long enough for you to get your work done.

Nesoid may not replicate the real Nintendo Gameboy experience, but it’s just about as close as you can get for Android.  Whether you want to enjoy a few throwback games, or you feel particularly inclined to get your kids hooked on your favorite classics, Nesoid is $3.98 well spent.

 

Tub Thumper Pro is for those that can’t get tunes out of their head, or tap along with the radio beats.  Turn your Android phone into a drum kit, and rock on. For about $1.75, this app saves drum patterns, has different effects, supports multiple genres, and overall generates a lot of fun.

Two-player fun

2 Player Reactor is a collection of games designed for two players. Let the kids entertain each other, testing their reflexes in word games, color matching, mazes and more. Free, the app was smart to include multiple games in one pack, diminishing the need for you to constantly check in with the kids, or upload multiple apps to your Android.

Air Hockey is a great Android game for kids of nearly any age, with a two-player mode option that everyone will love.  The free game Android app has perks like custom backgrounds, and  penalties that keep game play exciting (and ongoing).