Apps for Kids and Family

From USA TODAY Five great free apps for kids and families Free apps entice us with the promise of mobile fun at no cost. But it doesn't usually work that way. Most "free" apps have a way of making money, and that way is not always good for kids. In some apps, the price for free is in-your-face marketing. That means kids are bombarded with banner ads for a variety of products and/or enticed into downloading dubious games as a "reward." Another form of free apps is called freemium. In this model, you can play the game for free, but the gameplay is set up to get frustrating unless you buy your way out of difficult or time-sucking situations. The better route to go when kids are involved is free apps that are genuinely free or apps that provide some content for free and then offer more as an in-app purchase presented only to parents. That way kids can enjoy a free app without suffering through hidden or aggressive in-app marketing. http://usat.ly/1eEjrSH Get USA TODAY on your mobile device: http://www.usatoday.com/mobile-apps