The Week in iOS Apps: Kids’ stuff

This week’s roundup includes apps that help kids do math, read, and even build stuff. Can we build it? Yes we can! Read on!

Bob the Builder: Build City ($3) lets your child choose from multiple vehicles to build landmarks, construct buildings, and fix the roads. Kids can use their imaginations—and there are no in-app purchases for parents to worry about.

Dora is counting to 10 ($3, iPad only) helps young children learn basic math—counting, addition, subtraction—using the Hejny method of teaching, which is used in Canada and several European countries. Say the makers: “By playing and enjoying the game with Dora the children build a positive relation towards mathematics and education in general.”

We’re not quite sure how to describe Gemini – A Journey of Two Stars ($3) beyond how its developers explain it: Gemini “is an interactive poem and video game about two stars flying into the heavens together.” This video offers some perspective. Lovely, right? It’s the first game ever to remind us of Wall-E’s space dance with Eve.

Melodist (freemium, iPhone only) composes a “unique melody” for each photo you put through the app, creating the music by analyzing the colors and and brightness of your pics. You can set the parameters, including how fast the music goes, and there’s even a sleep timer so you can nod off to family pics and New Age-style instrumentals.

Primary (free, iPhone only) is an app for parents: It offers daily parenting tips, a chance to chat with other mamas and papas, helpful articles, and ideas for activities to do with your children. The end goal: To encourage kids to be positive and engaged as they go about the learning process.

Read With Homer (freemium) has been updated with back-to-school-themed content about dinosaurs, giraffes, and presidential pets. As ever, the app features more than 1,000 phonics lessons to help kids ages two through eight learn to read.

Solitairica ($4) lets you mix RPG combat and solitaire. Because why not? 

Space Marshals 2 ($6) is a rootin’, tootin’, top-down shootin’ game that puts old-timey cowboys in charge of enforcing laws throughout the galaxy. In space, no one can hear you YEE-HAW! 

Instagram now offers a “pinch to zoom” feature to look at pictures … Snapseed now supports editing RAW-format photos … the new Snapchat (pictured) update supports improved captions.