Kids these days have plenty of options when it comes to education tools on mobile platforms, but how are parents supposed to sift through the thousands of applications in order to pick the best ones?

Today we'll be taking a look at some of the top Android apps available in the educational market on Google Play. Some are free while others are paid, but all of them are among the top apps in the store.

Although it is easy to hesitate when we see an app that costs money -- especially since we can just get free ones -- some of these are worth it and may be even cheaper than the education resources you would be stuck with if it were not for these applications.

1. Stack The States -- $0.99: What better way to learn the location of all 50 U.S. states than this app? This interactive game is designed to be both educational and fun at the same time as users are rewarded with new game modes for each successful placement of a state. What makes it even more fun is that the game "comes to life" in that it is full of animations that will keep your child entertained and educated all at once.

2. ABC For Kids All Alphabet Free: If your child is having a difficult time learning his or her ABCs, there's an app for that. This game will help fix that with its list of alphabets along with actual sounds, pronounciations, and even more ways to help make the educational process one that is fun and productive all at once. The only drawback to this free version is that there are ads involved too, but just try to ignore them when possible.

3. Mathway, Free: This app will help kids gain a better understanding of math and the best part about it is that it covers a wide variety of age groups. From basic math to calculus and even chemistry, it seems like this app will cover just about any age group. The drawback here would be that the information might not be as involved as it would be on an application that covers more specific topics or areas of study.

What do you think about these apps? Have you had a chance to try any of these out? Feel free to chime in with your opinion in the comments section down below.