Apps for Distraction

A selection of the most requested Apps by children to use on iPad/tablets for distraction in the anaesthetic room has been compiled in age groups below.

Apps are particularly interactive requiring concentration and use of multiple senses, which makes them excellent tools for distraction.

Please let us know of any other good Apps that you have encountered by emailing us at education@apagbi.org.uk 

Age 2 and Under

In the Night Garden
Price: £1.49
All the favourite characters from the TV series! Video clips with music and simple tasks such as washing faces. Good for little hands (<2s included): touching the screen makes stars appear. iPad  Android

Magic Fingers
Price: $1.99
Sensory app for very young children. Touching the screen creates patterns of different ‘particles’. iPad  Android

Baby's Playground
Price: Free
Bubbles that pop when touched, animals move across the screen, first words and songs. Shake the Phone for a rattle noise! And best of all, pressing the home button does not exit this app, so no risk of unauthorised phone calls! iPad

Age 2-5 years

Candy Crush
Price: £0.99
Simple memory, problem solving and discovery game – uncover, name and match different animals; listen to fun animal sounds when cards flipped over. iPad   Android

Thomas the Tank Engine
Price: Free
Matching games, painting and jigsaws of all the famous engines. iPad

CBeebies Playtime
Price: Free
Lots of different games (spelling, puzzles, problem solving) and well known characters. Can be personalised to each child. iPad  Android

Age 6 and over

Candy Crush
Price: Free
Switching and matching candies. Simple to play. Lots of music and colours. iPad  Android

Fruit Ninja
Price: £0.79
Simply chop the fruit thrown up on the screen using your finger like a sword. Easy to play. iPad  Android

Talking Tom
Price: Free
Control Tom who does lots of funny sounds and silly things. He also listens and repeats back whatever you say in a funny voice. Similar apps for a dog and T rex. iPad  Android

Crossy Road
Price: Free
Funny cartoon characters try to cross the busy road - often unsuccessfully. iPad  Android 

SubwaySurfer
Price: Free
Race on your hover skateboard and dodge oncoming trains and collect coins as you go. iPad  Android 

Minion Rush
Price: Free
The Despicable Me Minions jump, roll, dodge and scramble against others in fun, fast-paced missions. iPad  Android

Minecraft
Price: £4.99
The most played online game in the world currently. It's like online lego world where you get to build and create anything you can imagine. iPad  Android

Temple Run
Price: Free
Run through a maze of quick turns and jumps. Collect treasure as you go whilst being chased by a large gorilla monster. iPad  Android

Score! World Goals
Price: Free
Try and recreate famous international goals by simply flicking your finger across the screen to try and score. iPad  Android