Looking at the mobile app habits and preferences of kids ages two to 14, The NPD Group’s new study, Kids and Apps: A New Era of Play, has revealed that gaming apps are the most popular and the majority (88%) of apps kids have access to are acquired for free.

While gaming apps win the popularity contest (followed by listening to/downloading music and taking pictures), and are the apps most frequently paid for at 35% (followed by educational game and movie apps), parents who don’t own but are planning to purchase a mobile device (to allow their children to use) are more likely to be influenced by the availability of more educational apps and unlimited data from their carrier.

In addition, parents who already own a device but don’t let their kids use it would be more willing to let them if more educational apps were available or if mobile devices were more durable.

Other results include:

– An average of 12 apps were found on mobile devices that kids have access to.

– Kids spend approximately five day a week using mobile devices (smartphone, tablet or iPod Touch) with the average session lasting just under an hour.

– Boys are bigger gamers than girls (87% versus 80%), but girls are likely to have more types of apps than boys.