Kids are picking up devices at increasingly younger ages, so by the time they hit age nine, they’re already well-practiced at swiping through apps on tablets and smartphones.
A recent NPD study found US kids’ use of smartphones and tablets outpaced all other electronics this year, with tablet ownership at 43% in US households, a number that’s more than doubled from 21% in 2012. In that same time period, the number of kids owning their own tablets rose from 13% to 31%.
What’s more, these digital connoisseurs have ranked the iPad as their favorite brand, according to research firm Smarty Pants. In its Young Love study, a nationwide survey looking at kids’ favorite brands, iPad nabbed the #1 spot, surpassing brands like Nickelodeon, Disney, McDonald’s and Netflix.
With an experience that’s intuitive and interactive, tablets fit this generation of kids’ needs to a tee. And in response, content producers are rolling out apps ideally suited for larger screens, like the House of Mouse’s Disney Karaoke: Frozen. To see which iPad apps are currently the most popular among kids ages nine to 11, iKids Weekly checked in with analytics database App Annie.
Educational and open-play apps continue to strike a chord with this demo, with apps like Freecloud’s Stack the States and Toca Boca’s Hair Salon topping the paid and grossing charts in six countries, including the US and UK. But iPad apps from recognized brands like Disney and Cartoon Network are holding their own along with indies like BrainPOP and Touch Press.
US
Paid
1. Stack the States – Freecloud Design
2. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
3. Stack the Countries – Freecloud Design
4. Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake – Cartoon Network
5. Disney Karoake: Frozen – Disney
Grossing
1. Club Penguin – Disney
2. BrainPOP Featured Movie – BrainPOP
3. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
4. Piano Maestro – JoyTunes
5. Stack the States – Freecloud Design
UK
Paid
1. Disney Karaoke: Frozen – Disney
2. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
3. Toca Tailor – Toca Boca
4. Foldify – Pixle
5. Move the Turtle, Programming for Kids – Next is Great
Grossing
1. Disney Karaoke: Frozen – Disney
2. Club Penguin – Disney
3. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
4. Foldify – Pixle
5. Toca Tailor – Toca Boca
Canada
Paid
1. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
2. My Incredible Body – Guide to Learn About the Human Body for Children – Visible Body
3. Machine Word – Trino
4. Barefoot World Atlas – Touch Press
5. Toca Hair Salon Me – Toca Boca
Grossing
1. Club Penguin – Disney
2. BrainPOP Featured Movie – BrainPOP
3. My Incredible Body – Guide to Learn About the Human Body for Children – Visible Body
4. Children’s Bible – Barcelona Multimedia
5. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
Netherlands
Paid
1. GeoFlight Netherlands HD – TopoMonkey
2. Disney Karaoke: Frozen – Disney
3. Dolphins of the Caribbean: Adventure of the Pirate’s Treasure – Tivola Publishing GmbH
4. Toca Tailor – Toca Boca
5. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
Grossing
1. Disney Karaoke: Frozen – Disney
2. GeoFlight Netherlands HD – TopoMonkey
3. Dolphins of the Caribbean: Adventure of the Pirate’s Treasure – Tivola Publishing GmbH
4. Toca Tailor – Toca Boca
5. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
Australia
Paid
1. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
2. Time Tangle – Adventure Time – Cartoon Network
3. Disney XD Grand Prix – Disney
4. Machine World – Trino
5. Calling All Mixels – Cartoon Network
Grossing
1. 4th Grade Splash Math Worksheets – StudyPad
2. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca AB
3. Disney Karaoke: Frozen – Disney
4. GuitarBots – Ovelin
5. Barefoot World Atlas – Touch Press
Singapore
Paid
1. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
2. MathBoard – PalaSoftware
3. Toca Tailor – Toca Boca
4. World Map for iPad – Appventions
5. Toca Hair Salon Me – Toca Boca
Grossing
1. BrainPOP Featured Movie – BrainPOP
2. Division for Kids – Internet Design Zone
3. Club Penguin – Disney
4. National Geographic Kids – National Geographic Society
5. Toca Hair Salon 2 – Toca Boca
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