Best Christmas Apps For Kids

Which Christmas Apps Will Delight Your Kids?

Overview

Christmastime is an especially joyous time for children. This AppGuide spotlights some of the best holiday apps to bring a smile to your child's face.

Essential Apps

$6.99
A Charlie Brown Christmas

by Loud Crow Interactive Inc.

Charles Schultz' classic Christmas tale has taken on a timeless quality, which spans the gap of generations. With its balanced blend of homage and digital accessibility, Charlie Brown Christmas is great for both nostalgic parents and their children. The app is not perfect; it could use an auto-play mode, for example. It is also not cheap, at least not by app standards. But with its high production value, interesting in-app interactions, and narration by the original voice of Charlie Brown, the app is a fantastic way to introduce this beloved Christmas story to a whole new generation of children.

Notable Apps

$3.99
Elmo's Monster Maker

by Sesame Street

To many children, Elmo is a celebrity. While the wee ones may or may not recognize the likes of rock stars, pro athletes, or even the President, they squeal with delight at the first sign of the famous red Muppet. This trend should continue with Elmo's Monster Maker. The app doesn't simply borrow Elmo's likeness. It is infused with his personality and humor. There are plenty of Christmas themed features with which to decorate your monster, but the real joy of the app is hearing Elmo's entertaining commentary and witnessing his interactions with your creations.
$3.99
Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure HD

by Nickelodeon

Fans of Dora the Explorer should enjoy this Christmas adventure. In addition to appearances by show mainstays, such as Swiper the Fox and Boots the Monkey, there are plenty of fun ways to interact with the app. The app features an engaging story, complete with time travel, a grumpy old troll, and a dance with Santa himself. As to be expected from Dora, there's also opportunity to pick up some Spanish.
Free
Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift

by Chillingo Ltd

Like other popular games, such as Angry Birds and Doodle Jump, Cut the Rope has created a number of Christmas themed levels. Unlike those games, Cut the Rope offers its Christmas app as a free holiday gift. Fans of Om Nom will enjoy these new challenges. Even for those too young to enjoy the complexities of rope cutting, the app also offers a greeting card option, which allows you to share the holiday cheer.

Decent Apps

$1.99
Santa's Christmas Village

by EnsenaSoft

This app applies holiday packaging to classic games, such as Checkers, Sudoku, and Memory. In all, there are 17 activities and over 25 Christmas tunes, to get you in the holiday mood. Given the proven appeal of many of the games, Santa's Christmas Village should be a fun-filled visit for the entire family this Christmas.
Free
Toca Hair Salon - Christmas Gift

by Toca Boca

There are many Christmas apps, which require you to decorate a tree or dress up Santa Claus. This app allows you to give both Santa and tree a nice haircut or shave. Or maybe instead of cutting hair, you may decide to dye Santa's beard and give him a blow dry. This app offers a unique spin on typical Christmas decoration apps and is a worthy diversion for kids this holiday season.
$1.99
Picture Me Christmas Cutie

by Oceanhouse Media

This e-book does not present a particularly memorable tale. What distinguishes it is the ability for parents to put their children's pictures into the book, making them part of the story. This feature will bring smiles and laughs, as kids see themselves as stars, dressed up in a variety of adorable costumes.
$1.99
Dr. Seuss Camera - The Grinch Edition

by Oceanhouse Media

It is difficult to think of Christmas without thinking of the Grinch who stole Christmas. This app allows you to give the gift of Grinch by making your very own Grinchmas cards. Please note that this app is not optimized for the iPad. It is, however, capable of making unique photos, which capture the look and feel of a Dr. Seuss book.