I feel like all kids, boys and girls, go through a phase where they are fascinated by cars and trucks. Not sure what is so interesting, maybe it's the wheels and noise. Anyway, this week's Best iPhone and iPad App for Kids turns this fascination into an educational and interactive experience. The app, Cars in sandbox: Construction (Thematica - apps for kids), has an 86 AppScore and allows kids to the explore the world of construction vehicles. It comes in both an iPad version (Cars in sandbox: Construction (Thematica - apps for kids)) with an 86 AppScore for $2.99 and an iPhone version with a 90 AppScore for $0.99 (Cars in sandbox: Construction for iPhone). The app is clever in that it presents all the vehicles in a relatable way - by making them toys in a sandbox. Videos and colorful animations explain what each vehicles does. Plus kids can play with and move around the vehicles going on little missions with each to learn more about how they work. It's a simple concept but I think an effective and fun way for kids to explore and learn. Check out more about the apps below and let us know your thoughts.

AppScore rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web. Click on an app's name to see all the professional reviews.

		Cars in sandbox: Construction (Thematica - apps for kids)	86
		$2.99: iPad
		From the app description: "Many parents find their young children to be particularly fascinated by construction vehicles. We've made it easy and exciting for your child to explore them. Different types of construction vehicle and road-building machinery are presented as toys in a sandpit, making the process of learning familiar and appealing. Throughout there are lots of beautiful animations, with great video and sound effects. These make clear what each vehicle can do and how it helps people in the real world. All the vehicles are charmingly but accurately depicted, with little surprises such as opening doors and horns which sound. It is really easy to make vehicles move by touching or tipping the screen. Your child will also be able to do things such as extend the arm of the crane or operate the dumper by simple touches. Each vehicle comes with an involving little mission to complete, such as moving toys around, which will help your child discover what each kind of construction vehicle can do. This exploration will be great for fine motor skills, and success at each stage will be made clear by the award of another gold star." Check out a quote from Crazy Mike's Apps: "Cars in sandbox: Construction is a fantastically well done children’s Education app that any parent will want for their own child" (June 22, 2012). Here is another quote from PadGadget: "If you have a little one in your life that loves cars and other vehicles, this is a fun game that also happens to be educational at the same time" (January 11, 2012).

		Cars in sandbox: Construction for iPhone	90
		$0.99: iPhone
		The iPhone version of the app. Check out a quote from Lowdown Mag: "Overall, Cars In Sandbox is a an enjoyable little game designed for kids. With a colourful and fun sounding soundtrack, and with various levels full of user interaction, this is certainly one of the best child games I have seen available" (July 23, 2012).

So this week we have three apps in our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Apps of the Week series. Three because only three met our AppScore and release date criteria. In first with an 88 AppScore we have Camp Myth. It's a kids/young adults eBook that's based on a series of physical books. The setting reminds me of Harry Potter set in modern day so if your child is into wizards, you might want to check this one out. Next up we have The Thirty-Nine Steps with an 85 AppScore. It's also an eBook/app based on a physical book but this one has a much different setting and audience. It takes place in London, 1914 and is an interactive murder mystery you help solve. From the screenshots I'd say it looks more like an app than a book but that's not a bad thing as the pro reviews indicate it's a great mix of story, interactivity and visuals. With an 80 AppScore, our third and final app this week is Monkey Math - Jetpack Adventure. It's a kids education app geared towards teaching, well - as the title indicates, math. It does this through a series of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skill tests (some might call them games). There are 65 levels and kids have to solve equations to pass them. So whether you consider this a game or an education (the official category) app is probably up to you but either way kids have a good chance of improving their math skills. That's it for this week. Come back next when we'll have a new set for you.

Rank based on averaging professional review scores of non-games released 2 - 3 weeks ago to allow reviews to accumulate.

1.		Camp Myth	88
		FREE: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Universal)
		From the app description: "Based on the recent Camp Myth book series, this all-new visual novel allows you to experience the fun of earning amazing merit badges. Whether it's Golem Building, Kelpie Racing, or Basilisk Tracking, there's always something happening on the grounds!" Check out a quote from The iPhone App Review: "Considering the amount of detail that has been put into Camp Myth and the fact that it’s universally compatible with both iPad and iPhone, I can’t recommend this app enough if you’re looking for fun new books for your child" (April 16, 2013).

2.		The Thirty-Nine Steps	85
		$6.99: iPad
		From the app description: "It’s London, 1914, and Richard Hannay is framed for a murder he did not commit. Now he must escape the capital and stay alive long enough to solve the riddle of The Thirty-Nine Steps. Immerse yourself in an incredible story: the perfect pairing of great writing and the latest digital storytelling technology. " Check out a quote from 148Apps: "Capturing the intrigue and mystery of the original book, The Thirty-Nine Steps is a visual and aural feast for interactive novel fans" (April 24, 2013).

So this week only four games met the criteria for our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Games series and two of them tied for first with an 87 AppScore. Gemini Rue is a sci-fi adventure that was originally made for the PC. It's in the mold of a classic point-and-click game but redone for iOS. Personally, I like the way it reminds me of old childhood standbys like King's Quest and Space Quest. TouchMii is our other game tied for first this week. It's actually a collection of mini-games and the pro reviews say it's a great time waster that will keep you busy striving for Game Center achievements. Next we have another tie, this time two games in third with an 80 AppScore. Bottle Cap Blitz is a 60 second race against time where you fire bottle caps to blast cubes. With power-ups mixed in, some of the pro reviews compare it to Fruit Ninja and I'd say it's an accurate comparison by the looks of the screenshots and the app description. Plus, Fruit Ninja is no slouch to be compared to. Next, Mr. Crab, also tied for third, is an arcade game where you have to jump your way to the top. Essentially you are a crab, surprise surprise, you start at the bottom of a level and you have to jump/climb your way to the top while rescuing baby crabs and avoiding enemies along the way. It sounds simple, but reading the pro reviews it's pretty apparent the difficulty level ramps up and the game becomes a major accomplishment to finish. So there you go, four games in our list this week. Let us know what you think!

Rankings based on averaging professional review scores for games released 2 - 3 weeks ago to allow reviews to accumulate.

T1.		Gemini Rue	87
		$4.99: iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "A sci-fi noir adventure in the tradition of "Blade Runner" and "Beneath a Steel Sky. Azriel Odin, ex-assassin, arrives on the rain-drenched planet of Barracus. When things go horribly wrong, he can only seek help from the very criminals he used to work for." Check out a quote from TouchGen: "A superb blend of classic point & click and neo noir, Gemini Rue is among the best adventuring choices on iOS" (April 17, 2013).

T1.		TouchMii	87
		$0.99: iPhone & iPod touch
		From the app description: "Embark on a journey with Richmii and its friends through an unlimited fun & challenging course of minigames ! A game that everyone can enjoy ! A game everyone can enjoy ! Let's see how fast you can control, tap, multitouch, memorize and calculate. Challenge your skills to collect all the diamonds, unlock achievements, and power up Richmii. " Check out a quote from App Store Arcade: "The Bottom Line: TouchMii is a great mini-game compilation that will keep you entertained" (April 25, 2013).

I've been saving WWF Together for a while, all along knowing it would get one of our Best Free iPhone and iPad Apps and Games of the Week awards. In my mind it's simply a breathtaking app. But as always, you should look to the AppScore and not me to judge quality and here too WWF Together succeeds: it has a 97 AppScore. Ok, so enough compliments - what does this iPad app do? Well, to start it's from the World Wildlife Fund which is dedicated to protecting animals around the planet. No matter who you are or where you come from, I think we can all agree this is a pretty noble cause. So the app itself, it takes you through a number of endangered species like pandas, tigers, elephants, marine turtles and polar bears via video, audio and storyline. You get to learn about the animals, their history, why they are endangered and how you can help. Plus more animals and content are added all the time. It's really pretty cool and for free, this seems to be an app that really can't be beat. It's certainly worth the 30 seconds it will take you to download it and all that combined is why it's our Best Free iPad App of the Week.

AppScores are based on aggregating and averaging independent professional review scores from around the web.

		WWF Together	97
		Free: iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "Experience the world’s most amazing animals in one app — together. This interactive experience brings you closer to the stories of elephants, whales, rhinos and other fascinating species. Discover their lives and the work of WWF in a way you’ve never seen before. Try out “tiger vision,” stay as still as the polar bear during a hunt, and chop the panda’s bamboo. New species stories — which you can fold and share with the world — are added regularly." Check out what Best Kids Apps said about the app: "This educational app is like nothing you’ve seen before. At the most basic level, it showcases the animals that the World Wildlife Federation is fighting for. But there’s so much more than that" (February 13, 2013).

This week we really have a gem in our Best iPhone and iPad Apps for Kids series and it's actually meant to be enjoyed by anyone, not just kids, as its content is pretty amazing according to the pro reviews. The app is The Magic of Reality with a 100 AppScore. Yes, that's right, a 100 AppScore. Granted this is subject to change over time, but that's a pretty darn good start. The app itself is an eBook by prominent scientist Richard Dawkins and seeks to explain the world around us. For example, the app answers questions like When and how did everything begin? What is a miracle? What is the sun? and Why do bad things happen? from a scientific perspective. It's also been the #1 book app in 27 countries and won the Digital BookWorld Publishing Innovation Award for Best Non-Fiction App 2012. Some pretty impressive credentials. It is a bit on the expensive side but between the professional reviews and awards it's received, it certainly seems like money well spent. As usual, at AppMyWorld we let the AppScore created by averaging the pro reviews speak for quality and a 100 AppScore is simply the best an app can get. So what do you think? Does this iPad app look compelling to you?

AppScore rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web. Click on an app's name to see all the professional reviews.

		The Magic of Reality	100
		$13.99: iPad
		From the app description: "The Magic of Reality for iPad is a new and groundbreaking approach to interactive books, taking us on an enthralling journey through scientific reality, and showing that it has an awe-inspiring beauty and thrilling magic which far exceeds those of the ancient myths. Richard Dawkins and Dave McKean have created a dazzling celebration of our planet that will inspire and amaze people of all ages." Check out a quote from 148Apps: "For those looking to explore the magic that is all around us, to gain a better understanding of the natural world or for those interested in the best of digital publishing, The Magic of Reality should not be missed." (October 28, 2011). Here is another quote from AppStorm: "The care with which the app has been put together is evident, and it makes for a very enjoyable and absorbing read. This attention to detail is also seen in the body of the text, too" (August 7, 2012).

Last week we only had two apps for you but this week we have a full slate in our Top 5 iPhone and iPad Apps of the Week. Our first place app is Yellofier with a 95 AppScore. What is it? It's a music creation app that aims to simplify the creative process and from the demo video I watched and the pro reviews, it seems to do a good job of that. In second with an 83 AppScore is Mylifepaper. Essentially it's a mobile social network where you create a personal digital newspaper via your photos, videos, opinions, plans and so on and are then able to share that newspaper with friends. The remaining three apps this week are all tied for third with an 80 AppScore. Poems By Heart from Penguin Classics is a poetry memorization game. I know, games aren't supposed to make this list but it's officially classified as book / education app. Anyway, a little poetry never hurt anyone and according to the pro reviews this is one of the better poetry apps on the App Store. PopAGraph's goal is to change up your photos beyond the standard filters so prevalent in most photo apps. It focuses on things like frames, 3D effects, drop shadows, backdrops and more. From the screenshots it looks like it achieves this goal. Our final third place app of the week is a kids eBook called Meek-a-Moo that's geared towards teaching kids all about animals. The graphics are definitely kid friendly and it's cool that you can flip between English and Spanish. So there you have it, five iOS apps for you. Come back next week to see more and, as always, let us know your thought below!

Rank based on averaging professional review scores of non-games released 2 - 3 weeks ago to allow reviews to accumulate.

1.		Yellofier	95
		FREE: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Universal)
		From the app description: "Yellofier makes anything into music. Record your voice, a musical instrument or everyday noises. Within seconds the app magically turns them into groovy music. Edit the sounds and effects by moving and twisting colored blocks. Yellofier doesn’t look like any other music program. You can create a full song within minutes – even without knowing anything about music!" Check out a quote from Mac|Life: "The bottom line. A commercial app of this depth and breadth would be a revelation, but for free, it’s just short of miraculous. Yellofier is an instant iOS classic" (April 16, 2013).

2.		Mylifepaper	83
		FREE: iPhone
		From the app description: "Gather daily moments of your life into your own mobile newspaper with Mylifepaper. Publish important milestones and everyday happenings via photos, videos, & text all while staying in the loop with friends and family simply by following each of their newspapers too!" Check out a quote from The iPhone App Review: "Overall I would highly recommend checking out the app. Not only to we like it here at TheiPhoneAppReview.com but it is also rated 4.5 Stars on iTunes, is free, and is optimized for the iPhone 5" (April 14, 2013).

Given the time of year it's only appropriate that this week's Top 5 iPhone and iPad Games happens to start off with a baseball title. In first is iOOTP Baseball 2013 with an 87 AppScore. What makes it unique is it's really a simulation / management based game rather than pure action. It's also received many awards over its lifetime including PC Gamer Sports Game of the Year. In second we have a tie between two games with an 85 AppScore. BADLAND bills itself as an action adventure platformer. From the pro reviews it looks like its graphics and gameplay are pretty unique and really make this game worth checking out. Might & Magic: Duel of Champions, our other game in second, is a card game in the mold of Magic The Gathering. Here the pro reviews praise its quality with some saying it's the best game of its type on the App Store. Run Sheldon! comes in fourth this week with an 80 AppScore. It's an endless runner and in this case the pro reviews praise its graphics, animation and refreshing take on the genre. Slayin with a 78 AppScore is our final game this week. It's also from the endless mold but combines this with action and RPG elements for a combination I've never seen before. The graphics certainly remind me of the classic arcade games from my childhood. That's our crop of iPhone and iPad games for this week. Five more to lighten up your day!

Rankings based on averaging professional review scores for games released 2 - 3 weeks ago to allow reviews to accumulate.

1.		iOOTP Baseball 2013	87
		$4.99: iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "iOOTP Baseball 2013 features a living world that uses the same robust simulation engine found in Out of the Park Baseball for Mac and PC, the best-selling and best-rated baseball management game of all time. Out of the Park Baseball is the second-highest-rated PC game ever on Metacritic and also received the PC Gamer Sports Game of the Year Award." Check out a quote from AppSmile.com: "Featuring up-to-date rosters, new Trading AI, a host of management tweaks and improvements, and the same robust experience we’ve grown to love, iOOTP Baseball 2013 continues to provide a fantastic product to diehard baseball fans" (April 7, 2013).

T2.		BADLAND	85
		$3.99: iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "BADLAND is an award-winning atmospheric sidescrolling action adventure platformer located in a gorgeous forest full of various inhabitants, trees and flowers. Although the forest looks like it’s from some beautiful fairytale, there seems to be something terribly wrong. The player controls one of the forest’s inhabitants to discover what’s going on. Through his journey he discovers astonishing amount of imaginative traps and obstacles." Check out a quote from AppSpy.com: "BADLAND doesn't simply look pretty, it's an absolute treat to play as well as you guide flocks of disturbing creatures through a labyrinth of hazards in an attempt to uncover the secret behind its strange pseudo-mechanized world" (April 4, 2013).

Let me start by saying I'm a bit of a clothes horse. Really - fashion, style - I just love it. So when I came across Poshmark I was pretty excited. Enough that with it's 84 AppScore we decided to give it our Best Free iPhone and iPad App of the Week award. I'd call Poshmark a shopping based social network of sorts. Essentially it allows you to sell items in your closet to other app users or pick up something of theirs. So if you have a dress that you don't need anymore simply snap a pic and put it up for sale. I guess a better analogy might be eBay for fashion plus a lot of social elements. One of the cooler features is what they call a Posh Party. It's a sort of real-time fashion party where you use the app to get together to talk about fashion and shop. Almost like those old tupperware parties but for fashion instead. Either way I really like the concept and can't wait to see what I find with it. I'm hoping it becomes a new go-to shopping hub for me. So what do you think, is this an app you'd use?

AppScores are based on aggregating and averaging independent professional review scores from around the web.

		Poshmark	84
		Free: iPhone, iPod touch & iPad (Universal)
		From the app description: "Poshmark is a fun and simple way to buy and sell fashion. Shop the closets of women across America - and sell yours too!...Ever wish you could shop a fashion lover's closet? Now you can! Poshmark connects you to people whose style you adore, allowing you to shop their closets anytime you’d like. Best part? Scoring awesome deals on great merchandise!" Check out what AppStorm said about the app: "Poshmark is as close as you can get to a virtual consignment shop, in my opinion, and I had a very difficult time putting it down" (February 20, 2013).

Julia Child is a legend, there is no denying this. She really was the first celebrity chef beginning with her 1963 show The French Chef. My memories of her come from sitting in front of a TV and watching her PBS show with my mom while listening to that amazing voice. She was known for bringing French cuisine to the U.S. and now her first and probably most well known book is an iPad app called Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Selected Recipes. So first off, from the title you can tell it's not the entire book but rather a smattering of her most popular recipes - 32 to be exact. So what makes this iPad app so good? Well, besides Julia Child of course, it has a 95 AppScore and was one of Apple's Best iOS Apps of 2012 picks. Those are some pretty good accolades in my mind. The app seems to be chock-full of extra content too including recipes, photos, ingredient buying tips, planning tips and (what I think is the coolest) actual video clips from Julia's TV series. Here's my thought, if you're looking for a cooking app, going with the queen of cooking is a great place to start. Like I said earlier, it's not the most extensive cookbook app out there but certainly Julia Child makes it worth a look and all indications are that it sets the quality bar high. Oh, and I forgot to mention, one of the cool facts about Julia Child is she worked in the U.S. spy services during World War II. Pretty interesting, definitely check out what else Wikipedia has to say about her. So what do you think of this iPad app? Also, any memories of Julia from your childhood? Let us know below.

AppScore rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web. Click on an app's name to see all the professional reviews.

		Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Selected Recipes	95
		$4.99: iPad
		From the app description: "The 32 recipes selected here include not only the most often prepared and best-loved dishes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1, but they also contain all the careful explanations of technique that make the difference between ordinary home cooking and putting together a ravishing French meal." Check out a quote from AppStorm: "Every recipe, from omelet to apple tart is worthwhile and relevant to the home cook today. Beginning cooks can learn techniques like blanching vegetables and panfrying steaks while the more experienced master crêpes and soufflé. Mastering the Art of French Cooking has something for everyone to enjoy" (April 17, 2013).

So last week I talked about living off your kids one day by having them become the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. Well today I have another option for you to live off your kids. How about turning them into the next Bruce Springsteen or Justin Timberlake? Yes isn't it all about starting them young on a path to support you later on in life! (I say this in jest of course, well, maybe) This week's Best iPhone and iPad App for Kids can potentially turn your kids into the next musical genius. The app, PianoBall, has a 90 AppScore and encourages the exploration of music in a fun and colorful way. The basics are that kids choose an instrument, a song and then are taught how to play the song. 10 popular children's songs are offered in the app like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Mary Had a Little Lamb. I could see my young nieces playing with this app for hours. Kids loving singing the same song over and over again. Multiple modes are offered as well, so exploration can be customized to babies, toddlers and preschool children. PianoBall also gives kids the opportunity to color the instruments and learn the names of colors. The app is $1.99 but like I said last week, a small price to pay for early retirement perhaps? Learn more about the app below and let us know what you think.

AppScore rankings are based on aggregating professional review scores from around the web. Click on an app's name to see all the professional reviews.

		PianoBall - Fun With Learning - magic instrument for kids	90
		$1.99: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Universal)
		From the app description: "PianoBall is a fun and easy toy, that encourages children to explore music and colors in a new creative way! Choose from 2 rainbow colored keyboards - for younger and older children. Select your instrument and choose your favorite tune! Magical stars will show you how to play. Just follow them! ...or… select “auto” mode to play music with no mistakes :) Turn… Turn … turn around 4 magic balls and see what happens! Discover the color ball and paint the keyboard in your favorite color! Check the rainbow ball and change the rainbow colors on your keyboard! Shake your screen to see magical shower of stars and learn names of used music instruments. With PianoBall you can play together with your kids and experiment with sounds, melodies and colors in lots of fun ways. Let’s find out what will happen when you turn the ball! " Check out a quote from AppAdvice: "If you want your child to eventually learn music and want their first impressions to be fun and whimsical, PianoBall will be a great tool for you. My kids love it, and I venture to say yours will as well" (May 23, 2011). Here is another quote from BestAppsForKids: "PianoBall is an innovative musical learning app that allows little ones to explore various instruments, colors, and songs. With two piano options , solfege syllables, a key locking mechanism, and added security for parent only areas, this app has it all. If you have a toddler or preschooler interested in music, this is the perfect app to introduce them to various instruments while teaching them fun songs" (March 14, 2013).