Do insects give you the creepy crawlies? Your kids can get their hands on bugs big and small and explore their world without ever bringing any insects into the house, thanks to these buzz-worthy games for your smartphone or tablet.
Each app will have your children bugging out while they learn more about insects and other creatures, play fun games that help them identify patterns and practice math skills, and even draw and design their own bugs.
>>First: Audubon Insects and Spiders
Audubon Insects and Spiders
Grab your phone or tablet and head outside! The Audubon Insects and Spiders field guide can turn an afternoon family stroll into a bug-hunting adventure. The guide includes an introduction to over 500 species that live in North America, with dazzling color photographs and information about each one.
You can even search by features to find out just which kind of spider has taken up residence on your porch. Looking for butterflies this spring? Find them in Audubon Butterflies, another fantastic field guide.
$4.99, iPhone/iPad, Android
Bug Art
With whimsical music and bold, colorful screens, Bug Art is a must-have for any mini entomologist-artist. (Which is just about every preschooler.) Kids can draw freehand on any scene they choose, design their own butterfly or beetle, and then play mini-games with their creations.
With six activities in one low-priced app, you’ll get a lot of bug bang for your buck.
$0.99, iPhone/iPad
Bugs and Buttons
Bugs and Buttons is the first in a series of incredibly fun, unique apps for your toddler or preschooler. (The sequel was released last fall.) Each app features a number of games, from sorting to mazes to bug races, all with a sense of humor and quirkiness, and all perfect for young kids who love all things squirmy.
If your kids 5 and under are fans of the creepy crawlies and ready to practice some introductory math skills, Bugs and Numbers will get them counting to 100, tracing numbers, and even playing with pizza slice fractions.
$2.99, iPhone/iPad, Android
Grandma Loves Bugs
Kids 4-6 will love playing with the wacky grandma in Grandma Loves Bugs. If your preschooler longs to catch fireflies in a jar on a summer night, this is their chance to catch the glowing bugs any time they want to.
Little explorers can go into the forest with Grandma to build a spider web, spot the differences in bug pictures, and more. Kids who love to see bugs up close can even be treated to high-quality photos and videos showing their favorite insects in action.
$1.99, iPhone/iPad
>>Next: Meet the Insects: Village Edition
Meet the Insects: Village Edition
This app may be pricey, but a lot of facts and information about insects from around the world is packed inside.
This comprehensive encyclopedia is a young entomologist’s dream come true. School-age kids can delve deep into facts, including the scientific name of insects, where they live, what they eat, and, as one parent reviewer warns, how they mate.
$6.99, iPad
>>Next: The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends
The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends
Almost every young kid has read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Thanks to this incredible app, now they can play with him! The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends: Play and Explore includes clear narration for preschoolers who can’t read yet. In each “Did You Know?” chapter, they will learn about caterpillars and other animals like the kangaroo.
The app even stars other familiar faces from Eric Carle books, like the Brown Bear and the Mixed-Up Chameleon. Together with these beloved characters, your kids can feed the hungry caterpillar, catch bugs, place the pieces of a puzzle, and more.
$3.99, iPhone/iPad
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