Android

Build a rocket (or castle or pirate ship or bunny rabbit or hamburger) from "blocks" or mix and match the blocks to create your own wacky tower! As an extra bonus, the blocks are moved into place (and eventually knocked down) using a giant construction crane. There's some minor physics lessons involved here (if your block isn't balanced well, it will fall off) as well as some silly animated surprises just for fun.  No timers, score-keeping or rules, just open-ended play accompanied by calming music.

The creators of Endless Alphabet and Endless Reader turn their talents to the realm of numbers.  This app sneakily teaches so many different math concepts (counting by ones, twos, threes; addition; place value, etc.) and yet it's simple enough for a preschooler to navigate without problems. Each number features a short, humorous animation to illustrate the quantity, which kids will want to watch over and over.  The free version gives users access to numbers 1-5 and then in-app purchases give you the opportunity to expand all the way to 100.

Kids learn about temperature, seasons and weather of all kinds in this weather app from marco polo.  Choose from three different characters to place into the environment, then make sure they're wearing the proper clothes and accessories for the temperature you've chosen or they'll get very uncomfortable! In addition to dressing the characters, players can also feed them or give them toys to play with (like a kite that helps to illustrate the windiness level users have chosen). For an fee, you may choose to unlock more extreme weather conditions like a tornado.

A classic picture book that works well in the app form.  The developer has also added some additional features including several narrator options (one is even a sung version!) or a read-it-myself option.

Similar to Minecraft, this app allows users to build a world using cubes. There are six characters, each with a specific skill. Learn how each character works and you can build whatever you can imagine!

This simple little app aims to promote emotional intelligence–a lofty goal for an app–and does it well (no surprise, knowing it’s from Sesame Street).  There are 5 scenarios in which  a little monster is feeling strong, uncomfortable emotions [frustration, nervousness/separation anxiety, disappointment, impatience, apprehension (about bedtime)].  Players use the prescribed three-step process to help the monster come up with a plan to help him feel better.  Note:  If you’d like to develop this concept further, away from the screen, the

This app features three songs (Old MacDonald, London Bridge and Evening Song).  For each song, you can either listen to the recorded voices singing OR record yourself or your child singing the song OR choose the "Karaoke" option on the main page and just listen to the instrumental version. While you listen (or sing along) you can interact with some small, silly animations on the screen that relate to the song.  In the Old MacDonald screen, you can choose which season you want the scene to be. You can also choose to hear all of the songs in German instead of English.

If you don’t know this app already and if you DO know a child, go get this immediately. It teaches letter names, letter sounds, spelling and vocabulary words with the most charming and hilarious monster illustrations and animations. I especially love that the vocabulary words they choose to include aren’t always everyday words, but are often "rare" words like quarrel, demolish, gargantuan and famished. Because the app is so easy and attractive to use, my own kid plays it over and over and I’ve even heard him working those new words into his own vocabulary!

Endless Alphabet has developed a sequel that is (if possible) even better than the first.  Or at least an excellent successor.  Endless Reader incorporates both spelling simple words (letter-by-letter) and then building sight-word skills by reconstructing a sentence that the wacky monsters have scattered.  Players are then rewarded with humorous animations that illustrate the sentence.  The app itself (with some words) is free, and you can purchase more "word packs" as your child progresses.  Very highly recommended.

A unique app from the creators of Sesame Street.  This app suggests "off-screen" games for you to play with your child.  It starts by asking a few simple questions (what kind of play do you want (move your body? calm down?) where you are (kitchen? bathroom? in a video chat?), how many kids are playing and what common household materials you might have close at hand) then it chooses a game to recommend, explains the rules and tells you what benefits your child gets from playing this game together with you.  It’s sweet, well-designed and has a wide variety of fun game ideas!