Disney apps offer a variety of gaming experiences

Gaming continues to be a big part of the Disney experience for many kids today, and a handful of new iOS apps offer youngsters the fun of skills competition, creating artwork and the joy of make-believe dress-up magic.

And, of these four apps below, three are free for iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, too.

Disney Fish Hooks

Based on the Disney Channel animated show, the free Disney Fish Hooks app takes players inside Freshwater High. Users play as Milo, making and popping bubbles to navigate the treacherous waters of his nemesis, Randy Pincherson. To win, you’ll need good timing to bounce off turtles, surf whirlpools, fly through tubes and free fall. In addition, puzzle-solving skills will help unlock five of Milo’s best friends, and users then can use them as players in the game.

Disney Fish Hooks offers 50 levels, and at each one, players can collect apples to increase their scores. If you have Fish Hooks fans at your house, this is a fun way for them to interact with the characters. Gamers overall seem to like this app, though some online have said glitches cause a lot of hang-ups. Parents, be aware that Randy does make some mean comments, such as “You’re a dork!” It’s rated for ages 4 and older.

Disney Pixel’d

Pixel’d is a free drawing and animation app that has been updated this summer. It allows users to create original pixel art or to color Disney character outlines from Mickey and friends, Disney Princeses, Cars, Bolt and Vintage Mickey. Artists will hear each pixel “pop” as the picture is created, and then an easy-to-use animation system brings the art to life. There are three drawing layers on the canvas, 20 frames for creating animations, and adjustable shape tools. Plus, users can choose the width of the marker and the color palette is almost endless.

Other features include Buddy Draw, which allows the user to connect with a friend via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to work together; and a gallery of your artwork can be maintained in the cloud. If your children really enjoy drawing and coloring — and mine do — you can purchase expansion packs for more character stamps and fills. This app also is for kids 4 and older.

Disney Fairies Fashion Boutique

Disney Fairies Fashion Boutique is similar to many other popular apps that allow players to decorate their own spaces — in this case, a fashion shop, with different themes. Then, players design stylish outfits for fairy customers, including Tinker Bell and her friends. They can choose from 500 clothing and accessory patterns and even customize the pieces with 100 different shades of dye. Attract customers for the completed outfits and earn Pixie Dust and Style Points.

This is just the kind of app my daughter enjoys, and I’m sure she’s not alone. Know that this free app only works on iOS devices that are 4.0 and higher (iPhone 4/iPhone 4S; iPad2/ iPad (3rd generation); and iPod touch (4th generation). It is rated as a 4+ app, too.

Disney Princess Dress-Up: My Sticker Book

This is the only app in the bunch we recently tested that wasn’t free or recently updated. Still, it probably will be money well-spent for families with little girls who like to play dress-up.

My 8-year-old was excited about the Disney Princess Dress-Up: My Sticker Book app when she saw it in iTunes, so we decided to give it a try. As the title indicates, this app allows users to dress the Disney princesses for their royal weddings and other special occasions.

Your little princess can choose to dress Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Tiana, Aurora, Cinderella or Snow White. Each scenario begins with a short story that leads to the player compiling an outfit — from a selection of dresses, costumes, gloves, shoes, purses, crowns, flowers, bows, necklaces and hats. My daughter says this is especially fun because some of the clothes are ones not usually paired with each character. She also liked the feature that allowed her to take a photo of herself and use it within the app.

Disney Princess Dress-Up: My Sticker Book has a $3.99 price tag, and it, too, is an app for children 4 and older.