I’m not big into decorating for the holidays or seasons. I simply don’t have the money, time, space, or motivation to buy, assemble, display, and then pack away all the minutiae that come with being a festive decorator. As a mom, I, of course, feel guilty for this, as though I’m depriving my children of a fundamental childhood experience. However, I make up for our lack of window clings by loading up our family iPad with season and holiday-themed apps for the kids. So forget about the pumpkins, hay stacks, and autumn wreaths! With just a few clicks and a few dollars, you, too, can deck out your iPad for Fall and Thanksgiving with these apps:
The Turkey Who Forgot How To Gobble by Alexis H. Purcell
Perfect for preschoolers, this interactive book app tells the story of Joey the Turkey, who has forgotten how to gobble and turns to his animal friends for help. Teach your children about friendship, working hard, perseverance, and loyalty as you enjoy the hilarious ways each animal friend tries to help Joey gobble. Don’t forget to touch each animal to hear the sound they make. This app does not contain ads or in-app purchases. $2.99, 4+ rating.
Whack a Turkey by HalOtis Inc.
What’s more fun than whacking a mole? Whacking a turkey, of course! This app gives you 15 levels that progressively get more challenging. Collect all the stars for all the levels and get a thumbs-up from the farmer for a job well done. Mindless fun for the entire family! $0.99, 9+ rating (for infrequent/mild cartoon or fantasy violence).
Turkey Match-A-Roo HD by Power Up Education Inc.
Enjoy the spirit of Fall and improve memory and cognitive skills with this app, which is the classic matching game with a Thanksgiving twist. Features include catchy background music, cool effects, and fun graphics. $0.99, 4+ rating.
Turkey Season by Gibbed Games, LLC
If your older children are looking for fast, frantic, turkey hunting fun, then this is the game for them! Features include 3 challenging hunts to master, as well as upgrades in skills, weapons, and ammo as their score improves. $0.99, 9+ rating (for infrequent/mild carton or fantasy violence).
Ninja Turkey Dashing War by Nob Studio
Step aside, Ninja Turtles, and make room for Ninja Turkeys. Probably better suited for the older crowd, this app gives you a team of ninja turkeys to dash as far as possible into the enemy’s territory. Features include traps such as spikes, bombs, and iron balls; gold coins as you complete stages; cute and exciting graphics; and 18 special turkey ninjas to choose from. $0.99, 4+ rating.
Corn Mazes by Mike Hempfling
Thanks to scary movies from the 80’s, you won’t be finding me anywhere near a corn maze. With this app, however, I don’t feel so guilty depriving my children of such a popular Fall activity. From the safety of the iPad, children can navigate through a 3D-style virtual corn maze. The goal is to find the pumpkin in each maze to unlock the next maze. There are 25 mazes and also a trail of popcorn where the player has been to help avoid getting lost. This app comes without freaky kids with axes hiding in the corn. $0.99, 4+ rating.
