You won’t have a child with these activity apps
Are you looking for a way to keep the kids busy at home and have you already had all the board games and activities? With the apps, games and services in this guide you can work undisturbed while the children are entertained or creative.
Apps to keep children busy
Are you working at home and do the children not have to go to school? Then it is nice if they have something to do so that you can concentrate on your work. Working from home with children is no problem with these apps, games and services.
- Apps
- Games
- Services
We have also selected a few educational apps, because every moment is suitable for learning. If you are looking for even more educational apps, we have made a separate list for this.
Apps for children
Are you looking for fun pastimes for the kids? Then keep them busy with these apps to pass time. As a parent, you may need to help out at the beginning, but these apps for kids are well designed so that working from home can go smoothly.
- NPO Zappelin
- YouTube Kids
- Procreate drawing app
NPO Zappelin
Does your child love the cheerful characters like Pingu and Miffy on Zappelin? Then download the NPO Zappelin app on your iPhone or iPad. In this app your child will find, among other things, videos, booklets and coloring pictures. If there is nothing on television, this app can offer a nice solution because of the many interactive puzzles that the app has to offer.
YouTube Kids
The Internet – and YouTube in particular – is an inexhaustible source of videos. But how do you ensure that your children do not come into contact with the material that you would rather not see? There is YouTube Kids for that. This official app only offers selected videos from many different makers. As a parent you indicate how old your child is so that the offer can be adjusted according to age. This age goes up to 12 years.
The offer is initially not selected by hand, but by smart algorithms as we are used to from Google. The company warns that this system is not 100% waterproof and that there is always a team of people ready to remove inappropriate videos. This is relatively unnecessary, so we don’t think it’s a reason to skip YouTube Kids.
As a parent you can also select content that your child can see. It is not the case that everything that is not on Kids is immediately child-unfriendly.
Serious drawing in Procreate
Do you have older children with a creative mind? Then the App Store offers many drawing apps, of which we highlight one in this guide. With Procreate you get everything you need to make the most beautiful drawings on an iPad. For this it is useful if you also have an Apple Pencil. This provides more precision.
Procreate offers numerous functions to use just the right color and brush. Colors can still be adjusted after drawing. This app is not specially designed for children and is not available in Dutch. There is a special app for the iPhone called Procreate Pocket. This is somewhat more limited in functions. Are you looking for a drawing app for the little ones? Then take a look at it Children’s coloring book for children.
We also have an overview of the best math apps, if the lack of a math teacher starts to make sense.
Games for the kids
Many games for children are not only fun, but also educational. That is why games for children are also worthwhile if you have to work from home. Your child can only play the games mentioned here so that you can focus on your work. At the bottom of this guide, we focus on Apple Arcade, an Apple game service. This includes games that are suitable for older children.
- The world of Miffy
- I
- Pango Build Park
- Fiete Sports
The world of Miffy
A lot of explanation is not necessary at Miffy. In this game the little one is taken to the world of this world famous Dutch rabbit. Your child can now do with Miffy what is normally only seen on television; baking cakes, gardening, drawing and many more quiet activities. The app is completely designed in the style that we are used to from Miffy.
Does your child love Miffy? Then this game is one must-have!
Collection of games in “I”
Although Miffy is also educational, it is better to go to “IK” for the really educational games. In this app, children learn about math, painting, music and more with their animal friends. Logical and conceptual thinking is also discussed – all at the beginner level, of course. The games are intended for children aged 3 to 6. Indicate how old your child is for the best offer.
There are regular updates for IK that in addition to improvements also bring new games. The app is free to try, but requires a subscription after 7 days. In the game you can see how much you have to pay for this.
Build an amusement park in Pango Build Park
Fanatic gamers among us may still know Rollercoaster Tycoon. This game is available for the iPad, but may be a bit too tricky for small children. A good alternative is Pango Build Park. The idea is the same; build the best amusement park. Everything is designed in a simpler and more child-friendly way in this game.
Kids can design their own roller coaster and then sit in it themselves! This gives them the opportunity to view their home-made park as if they were one of the visitors. Is it still a bit too difficult to build a park yourself? No worries; the game also offers pre-programmed parks to build on.
Fiete Sports
Does your child like sports, but would you rather keep him or her indoors? Then check Fiete Sports. There are many games that focus on one sport, but Fiete Sports has more than 20. The game was voted one of the best apps of that year by Apple in 2016. The creators designed the game for children aged 4 to 7. The intention is to grab as many gold medals as possible, but participating is of course always the most important thing.
The game is free to download, but some sports require an additional purchase.
Game and movie services for the whole family
The easiest solution to keep your kids entertained is by subscribing to a game or movie service. These apps are not only suitable for the smallest. You can also use it yourself. Because say it yourself: not only the children, but you too deserve some relaxation after a day of working from home.
- Disney + (and other movie services)
- Apple Arcade
- Temporarily free channels at KPN and Ziggo
Disney + and other movie services
We all know Netflix, of course, but we think Disney + is more suitable for children. Although both services have a separate offer for children, Netflix can not match Disney in our opinion. With Pixar alone, the service offers a huge range of child-friendly movies. On Disney +, children watch the most popular animations, including Frozen 2 and The Lion King. Most films are also recorded in Dutch.
Furthermore, Disney + is more attractive in terms of costs: you can close for a month for € 6.99. For a complete comparison of streaming video services, we would like to refer you to our separate guide.
Apple Arcade for the best mobile games
We’ve already noticed this service in this guide, but it gets a bit more attention here. With Apple Arcade you get a large number of games for the fixed price of € 4.99 per month, of which 1 month is free. The offer in this service is regularly expanded and updated. All games are Apple approved for quality and do not include any ads or in-app purchases. If you want to be ready in one go and just have a good offer, consider Apple Arcade. You can also close per month.
In the App Store there is a special tab for this service where you can also search for games for children. Want to know more about Apple Arcade? Then read our page with Apple Arcade explanation.
Working from home with the kids is now not as difficult as you might have thought with these apps. Do you have several children and do they all want to look differently? Then read about watching television on the iPhone and iPad here so that everyone can have their own way.
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