Christmas Apps For Kids

This holiday season you can find a slew of mobile applications geared to kids and Christmas.

Whether you’re looking for smart ways to entertain youngsters while you’re traveling, or could use some less expensive (yet fun) Christmas presents for children, you should check out the iTunes Store for holiday-themed apps that you can then download onto an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch.

Here are some highlights:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The original text and artwork of this classic Dr. Seuss book is enhanced with fun interactive features that promote reading. Those include narration and background audio as well as words that are highlighted as the story is read and words that zoom up when pictures are touched. Price: $3.99.

Talking Santa for iPhone

This entertaining app, which costs $1.99, has a variety of functionality. If you speak to Talking Santa, he’ll repeat what you say. Shake your device, and you’ll immerse him in a snowy winter wonderland. Customize him in a card, and you can send him out via email, text or Facebook.

Dora’s Christmas Carol Adventure

Dora narrates this $1.99 game app that is designed for preschoolers and has activities, animation and songs. In it, Dora travels through time to learn the true spirit of Christmas and helps a friend get on Santa’s “nice” list.

Jingle All The Way

This is a free app from Hallmark with a narrated story about a likeable puppy who only wants a place to call home for the holidays. It also has musical games and puzzles. Visit a Hallmark Gold Crown story to buy a Jingle the Husky Pup stuffed animal.

Cookie Doodle

With this 99-cent app, kids receive cookie dough, cookie cutters, toppings, a rolling pin and vintage oven, all so they can virtually reconstruct the process of baking cookies. When finished, kids can send their creation to friends or family or save it to a photo album.