Great kids apps for Spring Break 2013

It’s officially Spring Break 2013, and into every Spring Break a little boredom must fall. If this happens to you, you’ve got to dig deep into your bag of tricks and pull out something great to entertain the kiddies.

I love Googling “Things to do on Spring Break 2013 for kids” and seeing what comes up. Bowling pins made from soda bottles? Been there, done that, decided to recycle instead. Spend a day looking for Ogopogo in Okanagan Lake? I lived near Okanagan Lake for almost 8 years. Trust me when I say you’ll spend your day staring at a lake you won’t swim in, just in case he’s actually in there.Exciting for children it is not.

One of my absolute favorite search results was  “Jump in the puddles downtown Vancouver.” Now I’ll give you the puddles, because it never seems to stop raining in March, but you’d take your life into your own hands jumping around down there. The bus drivers are crazy and people are too impatient to get to Starbucks to stop for some nutty family jumping around on the side of the road. If your idea of a fun Spring Break is ending up in the emergency room, this is a great idea.

So as far as boredom is concerned, isn’t it nice to know that Apps will do the trick almost every time? Whether you’re on the road and just need a half hour of silence between rest stops or you want to plan Family Game night with a techy twist, here’s a few great apps to get you through Spring Break down time:

For little people:

Tizzy Driving Adventure

If you’ve hit the open road for a Spring break road trip, why not let them hit the road with their very own car? Tizzy Driving Adventure goes beyond the simple steering wheel and windshield wiper apps to let your child go on a driving adventure.

Take a cruise or play games in your camper, pick strawberries, or play with the duckies – They can do it all as they drive down the road behind the wheel of their very own car. Tizzy Driving Adventure kept my 3 year old entertained for a record 20 minutes at a time, and he asks for it every time we get in the car.

For the bigger kids:

My Create

Stop motion animation is a fun way to kill a few hours. All you need is a pile of lego and some lego guys, then download My Create and watch them come to life. My daughter spent a few hours on a rainy afternoon making several Lego Friends videos with My Create, and I was in awe of the funny little scenarios she came up with.

You’ll need a 2nd or 3rd generation iPad to use My Create, but I believe you can also download it on the web.

For big and little kids:

Toy Story Smash It

Take a tour through Andy’s room in, what I feel to be, one of the best Disney apps to come out in awhile. It has 60 levels, and is so bright and colorful that it’s sure to engage even the most active toddler. It actually reminds me a little of Toy Story Midway Mania at Disneyland, which gives it two thumbs up in my book.

Check out Toy Story Smash It on Google Play or the iTunes Store.

The Game of Life: Zapped Edition

Put your iPad in the center of the table and get ready for some family fun with the Game of Life. I loved this game growing up, but it was always kind of predictable. Now, with The Game of Life: Zapped Edition, it’s even more fun now. Just tap to spin the wheel and see where you’ll end up. At the very least, it’s teaching my kids to always make sure my kids take the College track, because just getting a job out of high school seems to end up with you having to pay someone a lot of money.

You’ll have to pick this game up at your local Target or Walmart, but once you do, the app is free to download.

Here’s hoping your Spring Break 2013 is full of fun and excitement, but if it’s not, there’s always an App for that.