If you have a kid, pre-K age or younger, you know how much of a challenge it can be to keep your child occupied. You might not have the time to play with them yourself, and if you do, you might not always have the energy. It’s no fun for anyone involved!
That’s where apps come in. I highly recommend installing a few on your smartphone or tablet so that you’re prepared whenever your kids start asking for entertainment.
Here are some of our favorite pre-K apps:
Best Apps For Pre K
This junior version of the educational app par excellence (Khan Academy) targets young learners from 2 to 7 years old. It’s a mobile device app that covers math, English language arts, logic, and socio-emotional learning by using books, games, songs, and videos. Activities include multiple-choice questions, logic games, storytime, and free drawing. The program is aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes and Common Core State standards.
Not only does this app go way beyond the average preschooler app, but the fact that it’s free means that even competitors like ABCmouse (which also presents a comprehensive curriculum) can’t really measure up in terms of access to families of different income ranges. For this reason, Khan Academy Kids has won awards from Common Sense Media and Children’s Technology Review.
Looking for apps for your youngest kids? Check out these best educational apps for toddlers.
BEST FOR FINE MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Busy Shapes
Busy Shapes
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Busy Shapes is an app aligned with the Montessori method of self-directed, hands-on learning. As such, it’s perfect for the youngest kids just starting to interact with technology because it’s not rote learning. The app is designed to impact young children’s motor skill development. Using their logic and reasoning skills, kids learning about how objects relate to each other and how they can manipulate them.
Busy Shapes is simple to play. Kids simply drag an object into a hole. They are challenged to match the shape of the object with the corresponding hole, and eventually, another object and hole will appear in a new setting. The challenge increases over time, with multiple objects and holes of different shapes. Most importantly, there are no instructions—it’s all child-directed. Busy Shapes costs $2.99.
BEST FOR MATH
Moose Math
Moose Math
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Made by Duck Duck Moose, which became part of educational technology juggernaut Khan Academy in 2016, this math app is designed to introduce basic math concepts to young kids. Kids help a moose and his friends do various tasks, such as counting, making “moose juice” smoothies, and finding hidden animals. The games teach concepts related to counting, shapes, addition, and subtraction.
There are five games at different levels, and kids have to progress through the levels to advance. The games are aligned to Common Core State Standards for kindergarten math, so it’s best for preschoolers who are preparing to enter elementary school. Parents also can follow their kids’ progress. Best of all, Moose Math is free with no hidden, in-app purchases.
BEST FOR CREATIVE EXPLORATION
Toca Nature
Toca Nature
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Toca Nature is one of the best apps on the market for older preschoolers to engage in open-ended creative exploration. It’s like Minecraft for young kids. Kids get to build natural elements like trees, lakes, and mountains and see what happens when animals populate the areas they’ve built. They construct their scenery by tapping and dragging, which means that the app is best for older preschoolers who have better hand-eye coordination.
Toca Nature has a calm aura about it, with soothing background music to accompany the scenery. Unlike what happens in real life, this version of nature is appropriate for young children—there are no bears devouring small animals. Kids can feed some animals, though not all of them. Toca Nature costs $3.99.
BEST FOR READING
Homer Reading Learn to Read
Homer Reading
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Homer Reading: Learn to Read is a research-based, comprehensive literacy curriculum that creates a personalized program for every child based on what they’re interested in. For example, there’s content about animals, music, poetry, folk tales, and many other subjects. Kids tap on the content they want to learn about and can record their own voices. There’s also a strong phonics component, and kids have the ability to practice tracing letters.
Homer Reading was designed with the Common Core in mind, and thus it provides context. For example, one reviewer explains, “Kids are not only learning what the letter ‘A’ sounds like and that ‘alligator’ starts with ‘A,’ but also taking virtual ‘field trips’ to the zoo, where they learn about alligators.” Homer Reading isn’t cheap: it’s $10/month, but you get a 30-day free trial and the yearly plan is $60 if you can commit to that.
MOST FUN APP
The Monster At the End of This Book
The Monster At the End of This Book
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This is an interactive version of the classic Sesame Street book from the 1970s in which Grover urges children not to turn the pages so they can stay away from the end of the book, where there is supposedly a monster. Grover reads the pages of the book, but kids tap the screen to turn the pages. Of course, the monster at the end of the book is Grover himself! This ebook version has interactive elements, allowing kids to untie ropes and knock down brick walls.
Besides being a hoot for little kids, The Monster at the End of this Book can present an opportunity for parents to talk to kids about when they feel afraid of something. The ebook costs $3.99.
BEST FOR TEACHING PRESCHOOLERS ABOUT ROUTINES
Daniel Tiger’s Day and Night
Daniel Tiger’s Day and Night
Sign Up Now
One of many great apps offered by PBS Kids, Daniel Tiger’s Day and Night teaches kids about morning and evening routines. Kids are asked to do tasks like getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing their teeth, and in the evening, taking a bath. The app includes eight games revolving around these routines, as well as sing-along songs to make these tasks more fun, and musical timers.
Daniel Tiger Day and Night is especially good for young kids who are particularly disorganized or seem to need more structure in their days. However, it’s great for all kids in terms of learning the importance of hygiene and self-care. The app costs $2.99.
BEST FOR IMAGINARY PLAY
My PlayHome
My PlayHome
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My PlayHome is a completely open-ended virtual dollhouse that encourages young kids to use their imagination to build a family. Kids can choose up to 15 characters with different outfits and hairstyles. The app is also highly interactive – the characters can jump, blow bubbles, build blocks, swing in the backyard, work in the garden, or cook in the kitchen. There are sound effects that make the activities the kids create particularly realistic, such as characters chomping on apples or frying an egg.
One of the best things about My PlayHome is that kids can choose from diverse skin tones to create their family, and decide whether their family is multi-racial or has two moms or dads. While the app is designed to appeal to young kids, even elementary school children seem to love playing it. My PlayHome is $3.99 on iTunes and $2.99 on Amazon.
FAQs
Are Educational Apps Good For Preschoolers?
There is limited research in this area, but some evidence suggests that educational apps can be helpful in supporting learning in children. A review published in Pediatrics found that apps could be particularly useful for teaching early math (number recognition, number naming, addition) and language (alphabet, letter sounds, vocabulary) skills in children under 6 years of age.1
However, although apps can be a fun way to keep your preschooler learning outside of the classroom, even the best of them cannot compete with face-to-face learning and social interaction.
The AAP recommends no screens for children younger than 18 months with one exception: video chatting. Toddlers 18 months to 24 months can start to enjoy some screen time with a parent or caregivers, and by ages 2 and 3, kids should watch no more than one hour a day.
Ideally, you should engage with media alongside your child to help them understand what they are seeing and apply what they learn to the real world.2
Apps may even do more harm than good when they take children away from interacting with their caregivers and other children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the majority of apps advertised as educational “show low educational potential, target only rote academic skills (eg, ABCs, colors), are not based on established curricula, and include almost no input from developmental specialists or educators.”3
How Much Should Educational Apps Cost?
Some educational apps for preschoolers are free to download, but those versions sometimes offer limited features. If you want to use the premium version and get full access, you can make in-app purchases. Other apps don’t have a free version and can be downloaded for a one-time cost, usually in the range of $1 to $4.
Some apps are available for a monthly or yearly subscription fee, which can range from approximately $5 to $10 per month.
How Can I Tell if an App Is Educational?
Educational apps for preschoolers should require them to do more than just swipe, watch a video, or push a button. They should actively engage your child and connect the content to their existing knowledge. Additionally, an open-ended, responsive, choose your own adventure-style app is more likely to educational than one that is linear.
Before choosing an educational app for your child, do some research. Consult resources such as Common Sense Media for guidelines and reviews about age-appropriate apps.
best learning apps for kids
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There’s no denying that kids love screen time. But if you want your child to do a little less Pokémon chasing and a little more learning, there’s good news. Many of today’s apps for kids are combining technology and education to make learning more engaging, interactive, and—dare we say—fun than ever before.
Whatever skills or subjects your child is interested in, there are a wide variety of educational apps available. Ahead, we’ve highlighted the eight best learning apps for kids loved by parents and youngsters.
The 8 Best Educational Apps for Kids in 2022
Best Overall: Khan Academy
Best for Toddlers: Busy Shapes
Best for Preschoolers: ABCmouse.com
Best for Elementary School Kids: Prodigy
Best for Tweens: Google Arts and Culture
Best for Teens: Quizlet
Best for Social Emotional Learning and Kids with ADHD: Stop, Breathe and Think
Best for Teaching Kids Coding: Hopscotch
Best Educational Apps for Kids
Khan Academy
Busy Shapes
ABCmouse.Com
Prodigy
Google Arts And Culture
Quizlet
Stop, Breathe And Think
Hopscotch
Final Verdict
Compare Apps
FAQs
Methodology
BEST OVERALL
Khan Academy
Khan Academy
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Key Specs
Price: Free
Ages/Grades: Grades K–14
Apple/Android: Both
Why We Chose It: Suitable for beginner and advanced students, Khan Academy offers learning opportunities for students of all ages across many subjects, including math, economics, and history.
PROS
Totally free
Offers a wide variety of subjects
Suitable for foundational or supplemental learning
Includes introduction math classes for 3rd grade and up
Available in more than 36 languages
CONS
Self-paced design might not be right for everyone
Lacks foreign language courses
Khan Academy is the gold standard for educational apps, particularly considering the wide range of courses it offers for students of all ages, and the fact that it’s free. Khan Academy’s YouTube videos cover most subjects at a range of levels: math, science and engineering, arts and humanities (which includes history and social studies), economics, AP courses, and test prep.
English language arts (ELA) seems to be one notable weakness of Khan Academy courses, though it has some beta (work-in-progress) offerings for second to ninth-grade students. There are also no foreign language courses, though Khan Academy instruction is available in dozens of languages, with varying numbers of course offerings.
Khan Academy is popular among students, parents, and educators because its videos are engaging and targeted at visual learners, using photos, maps, and other illustrations, and because it allows students to work at their own pace.
The courses include quizzes to test students’ comprehension. Khan Academy has also shifted toward developing materials in conjunction with Common Core. A junior version, Khan Academy Kids, targets young learners from two to seven years old. It’s a mobile device app that covers math, ELA, logic, and socio-emotional learning by using books, games, songs, and videos.
The 7 Best Apps for Toddlers of 2022
BEST FOR TODDLERS
Busy Shapes
Busy Shapes
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Key Specs
Price: $3
Ages/Grades: Ages 2–5
Apple/Android: Both
Why We Chose It: Your toddler will love moving the shapes around in this app, and you’ll love that it’s secretly teaching them spatial recognition and object awareness.
PROS
Easy for little hands to use
Gradually becomes more challenging
Encourages problem-solving skills
Available in 21 languages
CONS
Doesn’t display or say the name of the shapes
Some users reported glitchy or “unsolvable” levels
Busy Shapes is an app aligned with the Montessori method of self-directed, hands-on learning. As such, it’s perfect for the youngest kids just starting to interact with technology—it’s not rote learning. The app is designed to develop young children’s logic and reasoning skills by learning about how objects relate to each other and how they can manipulate them.
Busy Shapes is simple to play. Kids drag an object into a hole—they are challenged to match the shape of the object with the corresponding hole—and eventually, another object and hole will appear in a new setting.
Most importantly, there are no instructions, which is something toddlers can’t really handle—it’s all child-directed.
The challenge increases over time, with multiple objects and holes of different shapes. Busy Shapes costs $2.99.
Toddler Development
BEST FOR PRESCHOOLERS
ABCmouse.com
ABCMouse.com
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Key Specs
Price: $13 per month
Ages/Grades: Ages 2–8
Apple/Android: Both
Why We Chose It: ABCmouse.com has more than 10,000 activities available to play on its app or website. There are games for traditional subjects, like math, science, and language arts, as well as art activities, songs, and puzzles.
PROS
Designed by educators and experts in early learning
One account can have up to three profiles
Includes school subjects plus games and puzzles
Highly adaptable to age and skill levels
Advertisement-free website
Free 30-day trial
CONS
More expensive than other options
Only available in English and Spanish
More than simply an app, ABCmouse.com is essentially a well-rounded curriculum for preschoolers. It’s designed for children aged two through eight but is best for younger kids who haven’t started kindergarten.
It includes hundreds of interactive games, activities, and videos related to reading, math, science, and art. It’s also a multi-platform program that can be used on a computer or mobile device.
Skills Your Child Needs Before Starting Kindergarten
Because it’s a full-fledged curriculum, ABCmouse isn’t cheap—it costs $9.95/month. But if your child doesn’t attend preschool, the app is a great substitute to get them ready for elementary school, as parents can track their progress.
The only reservation some reviewers, such as Common Sense Media, have with ABCmouse is that it rewards children’s progress with tickets, which can be used to purchase virtual items. While this feature is sure to be successful in keeping kids using the program, some would argue it encourages consumerism instead of learning for learning’s sake.
BEST FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS
Prodigy
Prodigy Math Tutoring
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Key Specs
Price: Free for basic; premium memberships cost $10 to $15 per month and $75 to $100 per year
Ages/Grades: Grades 1–8
Apple/Android: Both
Why We Chose It: Prodigy helps students learn math while having fun by providing interactive games that align with the curriculum they’re learning at school.
PROS
Features math curriculum standards for grades 1–8
Play online or via app
Can be used for practice or initial learning
CONS
Ads encourage membership and in-app purchases
Fantasy theme might not be for everyone
Prodigy is one of the most popular math games on the market, largely because it’s set up like a video game. It’s a fantasy-based web and app game that covers math topics for kids from first to eighth grade.
Prodigy is more designed to test kids’ knowledge rather than introduce math topics to them for the first time. Kids earn spells by answering questions correctly and get to do monster battles as they move through different fantasy worlds.
The basic app is free, but a paid subscription offers more features. The premium fee is $8.95 per month, which is discounted if you buy an annual subscription. Despite the fact that Prodigy is widely loved by kids, one drawback for parents is that there seems to be significant pressure within the game to make in-app purchases.
The 5 Best Tablets for Kids of 2022
BEST FOR TWEENS
Google Arts and Culture
Arts and Culture
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Key Specs
Price: Free
Ages/Grades: Ages 12 and up
Apple/Android: Both
Why We Chose It: Google’s interactive Arts and Culture lets students explore art, history, geography, and cultures from all over the world by allowing them to tour museums, learn about international foods, and much more in the palm of their hands.
PROS
Designed for project research or just for fun
Transform your own photos into artwork
Virtual tours of museums around the world
Lots of information on art and culture
Entertaining and educational for tweens and adults
CONS
Database isn’t very user-friendly
Some content is restricted by location
A free mobile app has been developed to accompany the well-known website, which offers a treasure trove of virtual travel and sight-seeing. The app lets you search by keyword or category and read relevant editorials about the art collections.
While Google Arts and Culture became famous for its selfie feature, which allows you to compare your face to great works of art, the site and app contain a wealth of information on museum collections, artists, theater and performing arts, historic figures, and events.
Google Arts and Culture is an invaluable resource for tweens who are assigned research projects, as it can provide in-depth information that goes far beyond the written word to include images and videos. While the app can truly be enjoyed by people of many ages, the amount of information available can be overwhelming for younger kids who may not know how to use search terms efficiently.
Extracurricular Activities for Your Tween
BEST FOR TEENS
Quizlet
Quizlet
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Key Specs
Price: Free
Ages/Grades: Ages 13 and up
Apple/Android: Both
Why We Chose It: Quizlet makes it easy to prepare for tests by letting you create as many flashcard sets as you want on your phone or computer. It offers different testing methods, such as multiple choice and true/false questions, plus it has millions of sets available that students have already designed.
PROS
Offers flashcards, games, diagrams, and study guides
Can be used by students or teachers
Seven study modes allow for personalized instruction
Millions of flashcards sets available
CONS
Users say that editing flashcards can be difficult
Interface can be hard to organize
Self-directed study is an important skill for high schoolers, and Quizlet is one of the most effective apps on the market for review of material a student will be tested on. Teachers and students can create study sets/flashcards on many topics—from the periodic table to U.S. presidents to vocabulary words.
The Quizlet Learn feature provides different types of testing, such as true and false questions and multiple-choice, and based on the user’s performance, increases in difficulty over time. Quizlet is particularly good for foreign language study, and its audio pronunciation is better than many other apps.
Quizlet also has 500 million archived study sets already created by users, so new users can search within those to see if a study set has already been created that matches up with their needs.
That said, like Wikipedia, the study sets aren’t fact-checked, so users need to be aware that they may contain errors. However, it’s a free resource, so users should weigh the benefits with the drawbacks.
Signs You Should Limit Your Teen’s Screen Time
BEST FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND KIDS WITH ADHD
Stop, Breathe and Think
Stop, Breathe and Think
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Key Specs
Price: Free; $10 for monthly premium membership; or $59 for premium annual membership
Ages/Grades: Ages 4 and up
Apple/Android: Both
Why We Chose It: Just like adults, kids should practice mindfulness every day. The Stop, Breathe and Think app helps kids recognize and understand their feelings as well as learn how to manage them.
PROS
Kid-friendly mindfulness instructions via video lessons
Features breathing exercises and mood check-ins
Different premium membership options
Bilingual options for Spanish speakers
CONS
Limited content for non-subscription members
Some users dislike the guided meditations
Stop, Breathe & Think is a wonderful app that promotes social-emotional learning and helps tweens and teens regulate their emotions. It starts by having kids take a breath and then asks them how they’re feeling physically and mentally. Based on those results, the app suggests a range of guided meditations lasting under 10 minutes.
Teen Parenting Tips (13-, 14-, 15-, 16-, 17-, and 18-Year-Olds)
A bonus: some meditations are available in Spanish. There is also a version of the app geared toward younger kids aged five to 10 years old, Stop, Breathe & Think Kids: Focus, Calm & Sleep. This version uses emojis to allow kids to express how they’re feeling at the moment and gives them guided meditation “missions” to complete.
While there is a free version, some features are only available through the Premium version, which is around $9.99/month with a significant discount if you subscribe for a whole year. Stop, Breathe & Think is particularly useful for kids with ADHD (around 5% to 10% of the population) who tend to have trouble focusing, staying on task, and controlling their impulses.1
Some educators even use the Stop, Breathe & Think app in their classrooms.
BEST FOR TEACHING KIDS CODING
Hopscotch
Hopscotch
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Key Specs
Price: $8 per month or $80 for annual subscription
Ages/Grades: Ages 10-15
Apple/Android: Apple
Why We Chose It: Ideal for beginners, Hopscotch is a great way for kids to explore the world of computer programming. Kids learn coding, problem-solving, and logical and mathematical skills while having fun creating projects.
PROS
Kid-friendly programming
Provides play-along video tutorials
Can create games, stories, and art
Values kids’ privacy
CONS
Not available on Android devices
Not suitable for seasoned programmers
Hopscotch is a coding app designed for kids 10 to 16 years old. It’s built much like Scratch, one of the first programs developed to introduce kids to computer programming, but Hopscotch is built specifically for mobile devices (only iPads and iPhones), while Scratch is web-based.
Hopscotch is free with in-app purchases available.
The way Hopscotch works is that kids can drag and drop commands and instructions into a script to create their own programs. They can customize their programs by choosing characters, and can also save and share their creations with the Hopscotch community, and comment on and play others’ creations.
It’s a great way for kids to be creative and start learning how computer programming works, without worrying about difficult, technical coding language. It’s also a good starter coding app, from which kids can move on to more complex programs like Scratch on a desktop or laptop.
Final Verdict
Khan Academy is the best education app because it’s free, easy to use, and works well for every age group. It provides informational videos and online exercises to help kids excel in a variety of subjects, including math, science, and language arts. Students can go at their own pace, which allows them to take their time to learn about each topic.
For toddlers and preschoolers, Busy Shapes and ABCMouse.com are equal parts entertaining and educational. For older kids, we recommend Quizlet, Hopscotch, and Google Arts and Culture apps. Quizlet is the perfect tool for studying; Hopscotch is ideal for beginner programmers; and Google Arts and Culture is an excellent app for those interested in art, history, culture, and travel.
Compare Apps
Company Price Ages/Grades Skills/Subjects Taught Apple/Android
Khan Academy
Best Overall Free Grades K-14 Varies: math, science, reading, life skills, and more Both
Busy Shapes
Best for Toddlers $3 Ages 2-5 Logic and reason Both
ABCmouse.com
Best for Preschoolers $13 per month Ages 2-8 Reading, math, science, art and colors Both
Prodigy
Best for Elementary School Kids Free for basic; premium memberships cost $10 to $15 per month and $75 to $100 per year Grades 1-8 Math Both
Google Arts and Culture
Best for Tweens Free Ages 12 and up Art, history, geography, culture Both
Quizlet
Best for Teens Free Ages 13 and up Varies: languages, science, arts and more Both
Stop, Breathe and Think
Best for Social Emotional Learning and Kids with ADHD Free; $10 for monthly premium membership, or $59 for premium annual membership Ages 4 and up Mindfulness, meditation, stress and anxiety management Both
Hopscotch
Best for Teaching Kids Coding $8 per month or $80 for annual subscription Ages 10-15 Computer programming and coding Apple
FAQs
What Are Some Pros and Cons of Educational Apps for Kids?
Educational apps help kids acquire the skills they need to perform everyday tasks and future job duties. They can also help to spark kids’ interest in topics they might otherwise find boring. Teachers can use apps to vary and customize their teaching methods and styles, so students can take advantage of their strengths and learn at their own pace.
On the other hand, using educational apps can lead to your child having too much overall screen time overall may lead to distraction and overstimulation. While most of these apps have been around for several years, and are highly valued as learning tools, they aren’t a substitute for person-to-person instruction and free play. Too much screen time might hurt your child’s ability to learn social skills.2
APA Screen Time Recommendations
The American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) recommends no screens for children younger than 18 months, and up to one hour of high-quality screen time for children older than 2 years. Ideally, parents should engage with media alongside young children.
Conclusion
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