App: Holiday Advent Calendar HD
Cost: £0.59
Save more trees with a virtual advent calendar. Every day from 1 December to Christmas day, the Holiday Advent Calendar HD app adds a new festive ornament to a Christmas scene. Once the ornament is tapped, the app will reveal a new pictorial element in the scene. There are also 10 festive tunes to choose from.

Screenshot credit: Holiday Advent Calendar HD/iTunes

App: mGifts - Gift List Manager
Cost: £0.59
Keep tabs on your present buying and spending with this app which includes a four-digit PIN to avoid any unwelcome present-buying surprise spoilers ahead of time.

Screenshot credit: mGifts - Gift List Manager/iTunes

App: Holiday Bells
Cost: £0.59
Get in the festive mood by turning your iPad into a bell - either jingle bells, a hand bell or a set of hand bells.

Shake the iPad for jingle bells, swing it for a hand bell or tap the screen to make beautiful music with the set of hand bells. There're 12 Christmas songs to add your percussion to.

Screenshot credit: Holiday Bells/iTunes

App: Hamster Holidays
Cost: £0.59
For even more festive bell action check out the Hamster Holidays app - tap the baubles to make each hamster ring its bell, keeping in time to the music or not.

Screenshot credit: Hamster Holidays/iTunes

App: Christmas Sweater-izer
Cost: £0.59
Augment your festive season with the Christmas Sweater-izer app - by adding awful Xmas knits, hats and backgrounds to photos of your family and friends. The resulting dorky images are perfect for fun greetings cards, invitations or blackmail to win the last mince pie.

Screenshot credit: Christmas Sweater-izer/iTunes

App: Scrabble for iPad
Cost: £2.99
Use your tablet to play Christmas party games as you while away the hours with your nearest and dearest. The Scrabble for iPad app supports up to four players. iPhone owners can even join in by using their smartphone as a tile rack.

Screenshot credit: Scrabble for iPad/iTunes

App: Santa in the City 3D Christmas Game + Countdown
Cost: £0.59
For a game with a festive flavour, check out the Santa in the City 3D Christmas Game which lets you make like Santa and fly a virtual sleigh over 3D city scenes by tilting your tablet. The app also has Christmas countdown feature for kids, displaying exactly how long to go until the big day.

Screenshot credit: Santa in the City 3D Christmas Game/iTunes

App: Fire HD
Cost: £0.59
Want to create a cosy festive feel but don't have a proper log fireplace in your house? Never fear, the Fire HD app lets you create virtual flames and even fireworks with a few finger taps.

Screenshot: Fire HD/iTunes

App: Christmas Recipes - All
Cost: £1.19
Get food inspiration for your Christmas menu with this app, which puts more than 250 festive recipes at your fingertips.

Screenshot: Christmas Recipes - All/iTunes