It's not always possible for your kids to spend quality time outdoors. When kids do have time inside, they're likely to be engaged with some form of electronics or watching movies — or both at the same time! Fortunately, there are some incredibly neat games for kids of all ages that will help them learn, grow their skills and think outside of their world. Digital devices today have a great deal of computing power, allowing kids and adults alike to interact in unexpected ways. Here's a rundown of some of the best apps and games for little kids through preteens.

Younger Kids (Ages 4-7)

Parents of younger kids know that they are delighted with lights, sound, technology, and movement as well as anything interactive. While most children this age are not yet reading, they still love to follow along with their favorite stories, which makes digital books a great choice for directed screen time. Options for this age group include:

• Goldilocks and Little Bear interactive book allows swiping and tapping through lush graphics and reads aloud to your youngest kiddos.
• Bee-Bot is a free mobile app for iOS and Android devices that helps children learn directional skills such as left, right, up, down and is rated for children ages four and up.
• ABC Mouse provides simple and clear navigation for children as young as two and is focused on preschool cognitive and motor skills.

Older Kids (Ages 8-12)

While the youngest digital natives are easily entertained by simple interaction, older children require a more detailed experience to keep their attention. Mobile and desktop apps that teach coding skills are all the rage for this age group, with apps helping kids to understand the basic mindset behind building software applications — skills that will serve them well regardless of their future career. Some of the best include:

• Kodable is an iPad-only game that provides kids ages 4-11 with more than 200 activities that gets kids thinking like a programmer, gaining the valuable understanding of classes and subclasses, variables and more.
• Nancy Drew is taking a step into the online world with Nancy Drew Codes and Clues, a free app that requires children to learn coding basics in order to advance the storyline.
• Just for fun, check out The Room Three for older kids. They'll be in for hours of enjoyment solving puzzles, exploring and swiping to their heart's content. Beware of giving this potentially scary app to kids on the younger age of the spectrum.

Kids of all ages can benefit from learning and playing games and working through various apps, and these options are sure to keep a smile on their face. The great news is that these portable electronics are great for any time you're out and about — at the grocery store or waiting for an appointment for example. Be sure your kids have the cleanest smile possible when you make an appointment for their dental cleaning twice a year at Wright Smiles Pediatric Dentistry! Our friendly and knowledgeable staff led by Dr. Jody Wright is waiting to work with your child to learn to love the dentist.