As schools around the country start to head into summer break, there comes the eternal question of how students should spend their spend time and energy. While some may opt for summer classes, it’s important for those who don’t that they put at least a little effort towards keeping their minds sharp.

Read on for a handful of apps that make it fun and engaging to keep your knowledge up right on your iOS device…

My favorite way to challenge myself is with puzzle games. They come in abundance on the App Store and are great ways to waste any down time you may have. Some of my favorite puzzle games include:

  • Monument Valley
  • Prune
  • 2048
  • Threes!
  • Framed
  • Blackbox
  • Two Dots

On top of puzzle games, there are a variety of word games that are excellent for  some brain challenges. While I personally find myself to be horrible at these, here are the best word games for you wordsmiths out there:

  • Alpha Omega
  • Words With Friends
  • Scrabble
  • Letterpress
  • Bonza Word Puzzle
  • Word Cookies

Then, you have your card games and board games. While I’m always partial to Euchre, the App Store is flooded with a variety of different card and board games that anyone can enjoy right on their iPhone or iPad:

  • Euchre 3D
  • Hearthstone
  • Solitare
  • Yahtzee
  • Monopoly

Last but not least, there are a variety of educational games available with specific purposes. For instance, these games can help younger students keep up with their multiplication tables, geography, and much more. Head below for the best of those:

  • Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System
  • Tinycards – Flashcard games
  • King of Math
  • Learn World Geography
  • QuizUp
  • …and so many more

What are your favorite knowledge based iOS games? Let us know down in the comments and we will see you in August when EduTech resumes after summer break…

Check out previous installments of EduTech:

  • EduTech: How to get the most out of your .edu email address with discounted software + hardware, more
  • EduTech: The best iOS apps for keeping track of assignments, due dates, and more
  • EduTech: How to turn your notes & handouts into searchable PDFs with iOS
  • EduTech: Developers behind AirParrot introduce new classroom management app ‘ClassHub’
  • EduTech: The best camera calculator apps for iPhone and iPad
  • EduTech: The best accessories for using iPad & iPad Pro in the classroom
  • EduTech: What Apple can do to win back Chromebook users & improve the education system
  • EduTech: How to easily find and apply for scholarships using iOS
  • EduTech: How to integrate Chromebooks w/ Apple TV for seamless presentations & collaboration
  • EduTech: Earn real-life rewards for not using your phone during class with Pocket Points
  • EduTech: The best cross-platform apps for group messaging
  • EduTech: With Swift Playgrounds, Apple has a chance to change programming forever
  • EduTech: Book Creator makes it easy for students & teachers to create & share interactive ebooks
  • EduTech: Using Google Scholar to make academic researching familiar & quick