There are obvious advantages to owning a mobile device: music in your pocket, an endless supply of games, a personal organizer, Internet on the move, silly things like making phone calls – the list goes on. The most unsung feature, though, involves being a digital pacifier to throw at the kids when you're trying to do important things like watch football or sleep in. Today, we highlight some of the best games that are perfectly suited for the little ones, aside from the usual suspects, AKA Angry Birds, Where’s My Water?, and Cut the Rope.
Sonic The Hedgehog
Show 'em how much better the good old days of gaming were with the classic 2D platformer re-made for touchscreen devices. You should know the score by now – Dr Robotnik threatens the wildlife of Sonic's world, and you need to spin the blue blur around the beautifully-crafted landscapes, gathering rings and taking down his arch nemesis once and for all, at least until the sequel, anyway.
Download Sonic the Hedgehog (iOS)
LEGO Harry Potter
We provided both links to the LEGO Harry Potter games on iOS, but if you can only choose one, we recommend the original title that covers Harry's earliest years. Hopefully, the sequel will eventually see an update that improves the controls, but there's more than enough content in Years 1-4 to offer great value for the money. Bottom line, kids of all ages will love exploring the inventive world and unlocking every last one of the collectible sets that the LEGO games have become famous for.
Download LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (iOS)
Download LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (iOS)
Elmo's Monster Maker
A title best suited to younger players, this award-winning game from the Sesame Street gang is still just as likely to put a smile on your face as it is your kid's. Build your monster from a selection of different features, then bring it to life and watch Elmo play with your latest creation. Even better, your kids can store pictures of their monsters on your device.
Download Elmo's Monster Maker (iOS)
Bookworm
Disguising education as entertainment, Bookworm is a great way to keep kids enthralled and improve their vocabulary at the same time. The objective couldn't be simpler, as you aim for a high score by linking letters on the grid to make the longest words possible. Bookworm also makes use of a family-friendly filter, so you can be confident your kids won't be making any high scores from ****, ****, or even ****.
SpongeBob Diner Dash
Featuring many of the characters from the cartoon loved by adults and children alike, Diner Dash has SpongeBob organizing a busy restaurant, seating and serving a wide variety of outlandish characters. While the basic game is free, you should be warned that there are a large number of in-app purchases available. You might prefer to buy the full version if this is a game that grabs your kids' attention longer than a few minutes.
Download SpongeBob Diner Dash (iOS)
Airport Mania: First Flight HD
We're not embarrassed to admit that Airport Mania (and it's outstanding sequel) is one of our favorite mobile games of all time. The strategy may not be very deep, but it is incredibly satisfying to pull off, making it extremely well suited to young kids. The game gently introduces more challenging mechanics, and it's all topped off with a lovely art style and soundtrack that children will dig.
Download Airport Mania: First Flight HD (iOS)