This Christmas is going to be a big one for Android tablets as well as iPads, with lots of parents snapping up a Tesco Hudl, Kindle Fire or Galaxy Tab Kids for their children to use.

We’ve noticed a steady uptick in the number of good Android apps for kids coming out this year, so there’ll be plenty of apps to try on Christmas Day. Here’s our roundup of the best ones we wrote about in November. Prices are correct at time of writing, and if we write (Free + IAP) it means in-app purchases are available.

Toca Cars (£0.99)
“On one hand it lets kids choose one of two drivers then create havoc in a virtual town made entirely of cardboard. On the other, they can set it all up again, placing houses and other objects wherever they like, before driving through the middle of them all again.”
Get it now or read our article

Strangebeard - The Pirate Princess (£1.49)
“A storybook-app about a princess named Isabel, who goes to a party dressed as a pirate, and then finds her self sucked into ‘an incredible, action-packed adventure filled with pirate galleons, fearsome monsters and fruit-flinging monkeys’. The app uses StoryToys’ familiar technology to create a pop-up style digital book, with mini-games and lots of interactivity.”
Get it now or read our article

My Talking Tom (Free + IAP)
“A virtual pet game where Tom starts as a kitten and gradually grows up, with your children tasked with keeping him entertained, fed, rested and toileted (is that a verb?), while also customising the way he and his home looks. That makes it more of a game, with players levelling up (50 is the maximum) to unlock new clothes, furniture and food along the way.”
Get it now or read our article

Dr Panda’s Home (£1.79)
“A playful app about household chores, from mopping the floor and stacking the dishwasher to looking after rabbits and brushing teeth… There are more than 20 mini-games to play, with an array of cutesy animal characters featured.”
Get it now or read our article

John Lewis Bear & Hare (Free)
“Have you seen it yet? The John Lewis Christmas ad, with the Bear and Hare? It’s been causing quite a stir, and now there’s an official app. It’s called Bear and Hare, and it’s an animated storybook-app telling the tale from the advert… with voice narration from DJ and presenter Lauren Laverne.”
Get it now or read our article

Geography Drive Arcade (£0.61)
“A trivia game based on their existing Geography Drive USA app, stripping out its mini-games into an all-new app with 200 “important State facts” spread between different challenges. There’s also a map to pore over, if your kids still can’t tell their Nebraska from their Nevada.”
Get it now or read our article

Ben 10: Wrath of the Psychobos (£1.86)
“It lets kids control both Ben and Rook from the TV show, adventuring through 31 levels in a quest to save the galaxy. Naturally, there are some villains trying to foil them: Dr. Psychobos, Malware, Khyber and others. But the game will see kids unlocking various alien forms for Ben to use - – Cannonbolt, Armodrillo, Rath, Bloxx, Eye Guy, Shocksquatch and Arctiguana.”
Get it now or read our article

Fiete Christmas (Free)
“An advent calendar app featuring the sailor from the previous Fiete apps. That means checking in every day, starting on 1 December, to get a new interactive treat: unwrapping parcels, decorating the apartment, lighting candles, playing with toy blocks and a toy car.”
Get it now or read our article

Damki Town (£1.43)
“A digital colouring book based on a town of 36 “crazy” residents, with a distinctly animal feel… Once finished the pics can be saved, emailed and shared on Facebook (by a parent, obviously). There are plenty of digital colouring books on the App Store, but this one looks worth a look.”
Get it now or read our article

Fun Town (£0.65)
“A virtual town for 2-6 year-olds to explore on their iOS or Android device, visiting locations and playing 14 different mini-games based on them… Kids can make hamburgers in the town’s restaurant, build bikes in its bike shop, sort fruit in the grocer’s and scan and pack shopping in the supermarket, among other activities.”
Get it now or read our article

Moshi Monsters Music (Free)
“A way for kids to easily watch the music videos starring its cartoon monster characters. But not just watch. The app also offers karaoke-style lyrics while videos play, so children can learn the words and sing along. Plus make their parents sing along, naturally!”
Get it now or read our article

I Love You Too (£1.85)
“Ziggy Marley has been making music for most of his life – as one of Bob Marley’s children, that may not surprise you. But now he’s making apps too!.. Ziggy has teamed up with publisher Oceanhouse Media (who you may know from their Dr. Seuss apps) for an app called I Love You Too, based on his Family Time album from 2009.”
Get it now or read our article

iStoryTime Storybook (Free + IAP)
“The company is billing the app as ‘the Netflix of kids’ books’, because you pay a single monthly subscription fee to access all its stories, rather than buying each one individually (although we think you can do the latter too, if you’d rather)… Stories include The Croods, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Monsters vs. Aliens and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
Get it now or read our article

Bramble Berry Tales - The Great Sasquatch (£1.80)
“Part of a series based on the stories of indigenous North American tribes, bringing them to a new and younger audience. The app itself is based on two characters called Thomas and Lily, investigating the mystery of the Great Sasquatch (or Bigfoot, as you may know him).”
Get it now or read our article

Binny’s Advent Calendar 2013 (£0.59)
“The work of Australian illustrator Binny Talib: a ‘magical advent calendar app to add a little bit of sparkle this Christmas’. The app is based around a wintery street scene, with mini-games for every day of December leading up to Christmas Day. Reindeers, snowmen, Christmas trees and more. We love the illustration style.”
Get it now or read our article

Want more? Read our previous Best Android apps roundups for October 2013, September 2013 and August 2013.