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Summary of smartphone app games popular with children

Not only middle and high schoolers, but also elementary schoolers and children in kindergarten and daycare are playing smartphone games more and more these days.

In many cases they use a parent’s smartphone, but there are also quite a few kids who have their own.

In this article, we’ll introduce smartphone app games we recommend for children who are getting hands-on with smartphones!

We’ve gathered a variety of games, including educational (edutainment) titles and games where kids can experience helping out their parents.

Parents and kids—check them out together!

Popular Smartphone App Games for Kids (11–20)

Waocchi! Land

“Waocchi! Land” is a perfect app for young children to enjoy early learning.

It offers a wide variety of content, from games that teach numbers and hiragana to activities like mazes and puzzles that build thinking skills.

There are no ads, so parents can let their children use it with peace of mind, and it’s free to download.

What’s more, features that encourage parent-child sharing can help strengthen family bonds.

The controls are intuitive, so kids will quickly get the hang of it.

Blending learning with fun, this app is highly recommended for parents who want to support their child’s development.

dreamy

“Yumearu” is an app that adults and children can enjoy together.

It offers a wide range of game-like learning content, including spot-the-difference, cooking, programming, concentration (matching cards), nursery rhymes and hand games, ghost stories, nail art, and more.

Some content can be used free of charge at educational institutions such as daycare centers, kindergartens, schools, as well as libraries and museums, and it supports online classes, after-school programs, and childcare at home.

It’s designed so children can safely experience the feeling of “I did it!” and is highly recommended as an app that helps families learn while having fun, deepening communication between parents and children.

Children's Songs and Hand-Play Song Medley “Yumearu”
Category: Education Free iOS Universal Rating: 3.66667
iPhone / iPadAndroid

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Allowance Sugoroku

For kids: educational Mitsui Sumitomo Card Allowance Sugoroku, Gocco Land, children's games and an educational app for toddlers and kids
Allowance Sugoroku

Okodukai Sugoroku is a free game within the social-experience app Gocco Town that lets players learn how money works while having fun.

Up to three people can play.

Using a preloaded Family Wallet, players advance on a board-game style path by completing shopping and errand missions.

Rankings at the goal are determined by remaining balance and points, adding strategic depth and helping build financial awareness.

It also includes features that teach cashless payment systems, making it ideal for financial education through play.

As a game-like teaching tool, it’s gaining attention for helping kids think about the importance of money and how to use it.

Duolingo

[Learn English for Free] I tried the trending Duolingo
Duolingo

Duolingo is an app that’s widely enjoyed and studied around the world.

In the Japanese version, you can enjoy not only English, Korean, Chinese, and French, but also math and music, so it caters to children’s wide range of interests—and it seems like their academic skills could improve without them even realizing it while they play.

There’s also a family plan, so it could be fun for the whole family to try together.

It first asks about your current level, so you can study at a level that suits you.

Delicious match puzzle

Merge Inn – Tasty Match Puzzle Gameplay Part 1 (iOS, Android)
Delicious match puzzle

You can combine food items to create different dishes, fulfill customers’ orders, and discover new recipes.

By progressing through the game while checking orders, it feels like you can become a kid who can do two things at once.

You can also look for missing parts to upgrade your kitchen and shop.

Unlike monotonous games, it’s nice that you can have fun while planning various things.

Among merge games, it’s quite complex, and despite that, you can still play at your own pace—another strong selling point.

Merge Inn - Delicious Match Puzzle
Category: Games Free iOS Universal Rating: 4.38401
iPhone / iPadAndroid

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Pocha Gacho

Beginner’s Guide to “Pochagacho!”
Pocha Gacho

Introducing Pochagacho, a game where you become a gym manager and rebuild a brand-new gym.

The rules are simple: merge identical items to evolve them and create the items needed for each challenge.

As you clear puzzles and collect items, you can design a gym to your own taste.

With no complicated controls, it’s a game that parents and elementary school children can enjoy together.

Relax with cute characters as you upgrade training equipment, renovate the interior, and create a stylish gym.

Poccha-gacho!
Category: Games Free iOS Universal Rating: 4.67046
iPhone / iPadAndroid

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Popular Smartphone App Games for Kids (21–30)

In The SOM

[BTS Island: In the SEOM] Chapter 5 PR Video
In The SOM

Let me introduce In the Seom, a game featuring the hugely popular group BTS.

The rules are simple: match three or more identical blocks to clear them.

By using items, you can wipe out blocks all at once.

Clearing puzzles earns you new items, and one of the game’s charms is that you can use them to create your own original island.

Progress through the game while developing a deserted island together with the cute character versions of the BTS members.

It’s also a treat that BTS’s hit songs play in the game.

BTS Island: In the SEOM Puzzle
Category: Games Free iOS Universal Rating: 4.61493
iPhone / iPadAndroid

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