Every week seems to bring news of another kids tablet joining the mobile device market, the latest being the new Fuhu Nabi Big Tab and Sprout’s new Channel Cubby. Kids are using tablets much more often – among kids ages two to 12 in the US, tablet use has increased from 38% in 2013 to 48% in 2014, according to a study from The NPD Group.

With the current media spotlight on kids tablets, iKids Weekly looks at some of the top apps in the tablet space.

Below are the top five paid iPad apps for kids ages six to eight across the US, Canada and five other countries, according to the analytics database App Annie. Drilling into the data, it would appear that this age demo is the one where educational or learning-based apps are truly flourishing. The six to eights consume more educational media than older kids, who are focused on more traditional gaming or open-play games. And while educational apps are also popular with the preschooler set, the six to eight demo is where content gets an educational overhaul.

Educational apps like Tinybop’s The Human Body and ABCya.com’s Math Bingo are featured in many countries. Other apps listed focus on learning new skills, like telling time, counting or other early math skills. In addition, apps focused on bringing out kids creativity, such as the Toca Boca line of apps, as well as Mister Maker, inspired by the CBBC show, feature prominently.

According to a 2014 Cooney Center study, kids in the US ages five to seven are spending 50 minutes a day on educational media. This is slightly more than kids ages eight to 10, who spend 42 minutes on average with educational content. As for actual learning, 39% of parents say their child learned “a lot” about a subject from mobile. This number has far to go before it tops its TV counterpart, which stands at 52%. That’s not to say that most kids aren’t learning from the apps. The study also found that kids’ learning experience goes beyond the screen. About 87% of kids talked about, asked questions about (77%) or wanted to do a project (61%) on something they learned from educational media.

The Top 5 paid iPad apps for kids ages six to eight

US
1. Dr. Panda & Toto’s Treehouse – TribePlay
2. Toca Lab – Toca Boca AB
3. Wild Kratts World Adventure – PBS Kids
4. Math Bingo – ABCya.com
5. The Human Body – Tinybop

Canada
1. Slice Fractions – Ululab
2. Toca Lab – Toca Boca AB
3. Dr. Panda & Toto’s Treehouse – TribePlay
4. Toca Builders – Toca Boca AB
5. LEGO Friends – Warner Bros

UK
1. LEGO Friends – Warner Bros
2. Mister Maker – Let’s Make It! – P2 Entertainment
3. Chubby Kings – Penguins – Ubisoft
4. Toca Builders – Toca Boca AB
5. Slice Fractions – Ululab

Spain

1. Dr. Panda & Toto’s Treehouse – TribePlay
2. Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace – Disney
3. Scooby-Doo! & Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe: Arcade – Warner Bros
4. Toca Mini – Toca Boca AB
5. Chubby Kings – Penguins – Ubisoft

Australia
1. Math Bingo – ABCya.com
2. LEGO Friends – Warner Bros
3. Mister Maker – Let’s Make It! – P2 Entertainment
4. Frozen: Storybook Deluxe – Disney
5. Toca Boca – Toca Boca AB

Russia
1. Dr. Panda & Toto’s Treehouse – TribePlay
2. The Pooches Arcade – Bobaka
3. This is my car – Mechanics for kids – urbn; pockets
4. My first clock – Learn to tell time – Ravensburger Digital GmbH
5. Explorium – Ocean For Kids – Applied Systems

Germany
1. My first clock – Learn to tell time – Ravensburger Digital GmbH
2. Dr. Panda & Toto’s Treehouse – TribePlay
3. Pettson’s Inventions – Filimundus AB
4. This is my car – Mechanics for kids – urbn; pockets
5. Mia and Me – The Legend of Centopia – Egmont Kids Media Digital A/S