When you search for the best apps for preschoolers, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many choices out there!
We know that you want to get your child started on the right foot with technology and educational apps, but you just don’t have the time to research all of them yourself. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you. Here are our top picks…
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Preschoolers
There’s an overwhelming number of paid apps for kids to choose from, but which ones are worth shelling out for? Here are some fun and educational apps for 3- to 4-year-olds that’ll give you the best bang for your buck — and you won’t feel guilty about letting your kid use them.
Toddlers will love to learn the ABCs by “building” robots, “digging” for treasure, and “zapping” alien spaceships…along with 26 other action verbs that help guide them through letters and sounds. The app features 26 puzzles and mini-games all geared towards helping your child learn the alphabet, as well as fun activities, like alphabet sing-a-longs and an interactive tool that encourages kids to recite the ABCs on their own. ($2.99, iPhone, iPad; $2.99, Android)
● RELATED:
Your kid will hardly know she’s learning math when she sings and dances along with the characters Peg and Cat. Through singing, Peg and Cat will help your child identify numbers, count up and down by ones and twos, and repeat patterns. Kids are rewarded with a special show just for them. ($1.99; iPhone, iPad; $1.99; Android; $1.99; Amazon)
● RELATED:
This simple electronic matching game features around 30 farm and safari animal cards to flip and match just like an old-school memory game — and you don’t have to worry about losing any cards! When kids succeed at a match, they’ll hear cool animal sounds and see the animals do a cute jiggle. This app is perfect for developing concentration, memorization, and cognitive skills. ($.99; iPhone, iPad)
● RELATED:
Introduce your preschooler to letters, colors, shapes, counting, and pattern recognition. The goal of the game, through six different activities, is to fill a monkey’s lunch box with fruit. Your child will have fun helping the monkey count fruit, match cards with fruit on them, and solve puzzles. When a few activities are won in a row, kids can choose a cartoon sticker and place it on a personalized virtual canvas board. ($1.99, iPhone, iPad; $1.99, Android)
● RELATED:
Put your kid in the driver’s seat and let her enjoy this interactive version of the classic nursery rhyme song. Kids can listen to the song in five different languages while reading the lyrics in English and touch different objects on the screen to open bus doors, make windshield wipers go “swish, swish, swish,” and make bubbles pop. There’s even a feature that records your little angel’s voice. (Free, iPhone, iPad & Android)
Learning outside of the classroom can be a ton of fun, and technology has given parents a new set of options. Choose the best, age-appropriate electronic toys for your child to keep her entertained and engaged.
Your kids will feel like they’re at the boardwalk arcade when playing this app’s four educational games: ABC Invasion, Pinball 123, Claw-Crane Matching, and a Whack-a-Mole. The animation and real-life sound effects will captivate your kids while teaching them alphabet recognition (both uppercase and lowercase letters) and basic counting, and improving their cognitive development. ($0.99; iPhone, iPad)
If your child is a Sesame Street fan, she’ll go crazy over this interactive rendition of the classic picture book from the 1970s. This 12-page book offers different activities on every single page. Grover’s voice can be heard urging kids not to turn pages so they can stay far away from the monster at the end of the book. The app is hands-on, asking kids to untie ropes, touch a knot to make it unravel, knock down brick walls, and tickle Grover by tapping on his image. Plus, as the book’s words appear on each page, various characters say them out loud and reveal hints that help kids interact with the book. If your child is struggling with fear and anxiety issues, this app offers a great way to open the door for conversations about emotions and monsters under the bed. ($4.99, iPhone, iPad; $2.24, Android)
● RELATED:
Use trolley games, sing-alongs, drawings, and a feelings booth — all featuring PBS Kids character Daniel Tiger — to help your child explore her feelings. Children using the app will be encouraged to: practice calming down by taking deep breaths, feel proud when helping Daniel clean up, help Daniel count to four when he feels mad, and laugh with Daniel when he performs his happy dance. ($2.99; iPad, Android)
Join Frankie the Dog on a magical learning adventure through four types of games (a total of 15 games). Bug Catcher focuses on color, shape, and number recognition; Present Search teaches children to listen closely and follow instructions; Matching Duckies develops memory by uncovering a picture; and Barnyard Fun helps kids identify uppercase and lowercase letters. The app will keep your preschooler busy while it teaches valuable math, reading, and critical thinking skills. ($1.99; iPhone, iPad; Free, Android).
● RELATED:
Your kids can create and clear artwork on an iPad or iPhone just as you did on the classic toy as a youngster. Draw freehand with your fingers or use virtual knobs — just make sure your child is careful when shaking the device to “erase” an image! You can upload personal photos; you can also have your kid draw on and then proudly post his creations to your Facebook page. (Free; iPad, iPhone)
● RELATED:
If your child loves to sprawl out on the floor and solve puzzles, then he’ll love this interactive touch- screen jigsaw puzzle. Shapes snap into place on top of silhouette puzzles (all of which have about 5 to 10 pieces) with outlines of musical instruments, the alphabet, fruits and veggies, animals, objects, and numbers. Your child can build his vocabulary, improve fine motor skills, and feel a sense of accomplishment. When a puzzle is finished and the real image is revealed, kids hear sound effects and a voice recording by a licensed speech therapist that says the object’s name word. Shapebuilder Lite lets you test the app for free. ($2.99, iPhone, iPad; $3.99, Android)
Dip your child’s toe into basic math, reading, and spelling concepts. Select subjects (sight words, numbers, addition, subtraction, letters, and spelling) and set different difficulty levels. Your kids will love this super-engaging app and the reward system that lets them earn coins for correct answers. The rewards can be used to buy virtual stickers to place onto fun backdrops or buy fish to create an aquarium. TeachMe: Toddler and TeachMe: apps are available for kids of all ages to practice important skills. ($1.99; iPhone, iPad)
By Tara Rummell Berson
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AlphaTots Alphabet
1 of 13
AlphaTots Alphabet
Toddlers will love to learn the ABCs by “building” robots, “digging” for treasure, and “zapping” alien spaceships…along with 26 other action verbs that help guide them through letters and sounds. The app features 26 puzzles and mini-games all geared towards helping your child learn the alphabet, as well as fun activities, like alphabet sing-a-longs and an interactive tool that encourages kids to recite the ABCs on their own. ($2.99, iPhone, iPad; $2.99, Android)
● RELATED: What Your Kid Will Learn in Preschool
Download AlphaTots Alphabet on iTunes
Download AlphaTots Alphabet on Google Play
Peg + Cat Big Gig
2 of 13
Peg + Cat Big Gig
Your kid will hardly know she’s learning math when she sings and dances along with the characters Peg and Cat. Through singing, Peg and Cat will help your child identify numbers, count up and down by ones and twos, and repeat patterns. Kids are rewarded with a special show just for them. ($1.99; iPhone, iPad; $1.99; Android; $1.99; Amazon)
● RELATED: 10 Great Math Apps for Kids
Download Peg + Cat Big Gig on iTunes
Download Peg + Cat Big Gig on Google Play
Download Peg + Cat Big Gig on Amazon.com
Animatch
3 of 13
Animatch
This simple electronic matching game features around 30 farm and safari animal cards to flip and match just like an old-school memory game — and you don’t have to worry about losing any cards! When kids succeed at a match, they’ll hear cool animal sounds and see the animals do a cute jiggle. This app is perfect for developing concentration, memorization, and cognitive skills. ($.99; iPhone, iPad)
● RELATED: 7 On-the-Go Travel Games and Activities
Download Animatch on iTunes
Download Animatch on Google Play
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
4 of 13
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
Introduce your preschooler to letters, colors, shapes, counting, and pattern recognition. The goal of the game, through six different activities, is to fill a monkey’s lunch box with fruit. Your child will have fun helping the monkey count fruit, match cards with fruit on them, and solve puzzles. When a few activities are won in a row, kids can choose a cartoon sticker and place it on a personalized virtual canvas board. ($1.99, iPhone, iPad; $1.99, Android)
● RELATED: 8 Toddler Learning Activities
Download Monkey Preschool Lunchbox on iTunes
Download Monkey Preschool Lunchbox on Google Play
Wheels on the Bus
5 of 13
Wheels on the Bus
Put your kid in the driver’s seat and let her enjoy this interactive version of the classic nursery rhyme song. Kids can listen to the song in five different languages while reading the lyrics in English and touch different objects on the screen to open bus doors, make windshield wipers go “swish, swish, swish,” and make bubbles pop. There’s even a feature that records your little angel’s voice. (Free, iPhone, iPad & Android)
Download Wheels on the Bus on iTunes
Download Wheels on the Bus on Google Play
How to Choose an Electronic Educational Toy
6 of 13
How to Choose an Electronic Educational Toy
Learning outside of the classroom can be a ton of fun, and technology has given parents a new set of options. Choose the best, age-appropriate electronic toys for your child to keep her entertained and engaged.
Preschool Arcade
7 of 13
Preschool Arcade
Your kids will feel like they’re at the boardwalk arcade when playing this app’s four educational games: ABC Invasion, Pinball 123, Claw-Crane Matching, and a Whack-a-Mole. The animation and real-life sound effects will captivate your kids while teaching them alphabet recognition (both uppercase and lowercase letters) and basic counting, and improving their cognitive development. ($0.99; iPhone, iPad)
Download Preschool Arcade on iTunes
The Monster at the End of This Book
8 of 13
The Monster at the End of This Book
If your child is a Sesame Street fan, she’ll go crazy over this interactive rendition of the classic picture book from the 1970s. This 12-page book offers different activities on every single page. Grover’s voice can be heard urging kids not to turn pages so they can stay far away from the monster at the end of the book. The app is hands-on, asking kids to untie ropes, touch a knot to make it unravel, knock down brick walls, and tickle Grover by tapping on his image. Plus, as the book’s words appear on each page, various characters say them out loud and reveal hints that help kids interact with the book. If your child is struggling with fear and anxiety issues, this app offers a great way to open the door for conversations about emotions and monsters under the bed. ($4.99, iPhone, iPad; $2.24, Android)
● RELATED: The All-Time Best Books for Toddlers
Download The Monster at the End of This Book on iTunes
Download The Monster at the End of This Book on Google Play
Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings
9 of 13
Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings
Use trolley games, sing-alongs, drawings, and a feelings booth — all featuring PBS Kids character Daniel Tiger — to help your child explore her feelings. Children using the app will be encouraged to: practice calming down by taking deep breaths, feel proud when helping Daniel clean up, help Daniel count to four when he feels mad, and laugh with Daniel when he performs his happy dance. ($2.99; iPad, Android)
Download Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings on iTunes
Download Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings on Google Play
JumpStart Preschool Magic of Learning
10 of 13
JumpStart Preschool Magic of Learning
Join Frankie the Dog on a magical learning adventure through four types of games (a total of 15 games). Bug Catcher focuses on color, shape, and number recognition; Present Search teaches children to listen closely and follow instructions; Matching Duckies develops memory by uncovering a picture; and Barnyard Fun helps kids identify uppercase and lowercase letters. The app will keep your preschooler busy while it teaches valuable math, reading, and critical thinking skills. ($1.99; iPhone, iPad; Free, Android).
● RELATED: 9 Best Books to Teach Listening
Download JumpStart Preschool Magic of Learning on iTunes
Download a Free Version of JumpStart Preschool 2 on Google Play
Etch a Sketch IT!
11 of 13
Etch a Sketch IT!
Your kids can create and clear artwork on an iPad or iPhone just as you did on the classic toy as a youngster. Draw freehand with your fingers or use virtual knobs — just make sure your child is careful when shaking the device to “erase” an image! You can upload personal photos; you can also have your kid draw on and then proudly post his creations to your Facebook page. (Free; iPad, iPhone)
● RELATED: Letter Perfect: Helping Kids Learn to Write
Download Etch a Sketch IT! on iTunes
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Shape Builder
12 of 13
Shape Builder
If your child loves to sprawl out on the floor and solve puzzles, then he’ll love this interactive touch- screen jigsaw puzzle. Shapes snap into place on top of silhouette puzzles (all of which have about 5 to 10 pieces) with outlines of musical instruments, the alphabet, fruits and veggies, animals, objects, and numbers. Your child can build his vocabulary, improve fine motor skills, and feel a sense of accomplishment. When a puzzle is finished and the real image is revealed, kids hear sound effects and a voice recording by a licensed speech therapist that says the object’s name word. Shapebuilder Lite lets you test the app for free. ($2.99, iPhone, iPad; $3.99, Android)
Download Shape Builder on iTunes
Download Shape Builder on Google Play
TeachMe: Kindergarten
13 of 13
TeachMe: Kindergarten
Dip your child’s toe into basic math, reading, and spelling concepts. Select subjects (sight words, numbers, addition, subtraction, letters, and spelling) and set different difficulty levels. Your kids will love this super-engaging app and the reward system that lets them earn coins for correct answers. The rewards can be used to buy virtual stickers to place onto fun backdrops or buy fish to create an aquarium. TeachMe: Toddler and TeachMe: First Grade apps are available for kids of all ages to practice important skills. ($1.99; iPhone, iPad)
best educational apps for 5 year olds
There’s so much happening with 5- and 6-year-olds. Here you’ll discover the best apps to encourage their learning with fun, entertaining and educational apps. We’ve put together a list of the best mobile apps that are appropriate for 5 and 6-year olds to aid in learning. These include apps to support learning phonics, basic numeracy, creativity, imaginative play and a wide range of other areas of development.
Here is the list of some of the best apps for 5 year olds particularly focusing on those that help support child development.
Best Apps for 5- and 6-Year Olds
Creta Class
- Creta Class
Creta Class – 5 Star Certified App
Creta Class is a math teaching and practice app that unlocks a new lesson for kids every weekday. The lessons feature high-quality animated videos that are narrated, attractive, and explain the concepts clearly and accurately.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
MusicBox
- MusicBox+
Toca Life: School – 5 Star Certified App
MusicBox+ is a music play along app for young children. It’s primary focus is to allow students to play children’s songs on the screen with karaoke-style text. The child can choose between two instruments to perform on: a children’s xylophone with eight keys for simpler melodies, and a piano with twenty-three tones for more advanced ones. This app is great for any child ages 5 and up.
Cost: Paid
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Endless Alphabet
- Endless Alphabet
Endless Alphabet – 5 Star Certified App
Endless Alphabet is a popular app for 5 year olds to teach letter sounds, vocabulary and can be used as an excellent teaching tool. The child drags the correct letter into a word and the letter takes on a personality and makes the sound as the child drags it to it correct place in the word.
Cost: Paid
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Busy Water
- Busy Water
Busy Shapes – 5 Star Certified App
Busy Water is a logical puzzle-solving game that lets kids think creatively with STEM learning. This challenging yet kid-friendly set of logic puzzles wonderfully allows kids to solve problems and experiment with light science concepts. This app is great for any child ages 6 and up.
Cost: Paid
Devices: iPhone, iPad
Motion Math
- Motion Math
Motion Math – 4 Star Certified App
Motion Math is a bundle of fun math games for 5-year olds and it is widely popular among educators. Kids can add and subtract in an underwater world where feeding fish involves math. Children can learn the underpinnings of addition, subtraction, and negative numbers in a highly intuitive fashion just by feeding little fish their desired diet.
Cost: Free
Devices: iPhone
codeSpark Academy
- codeSpark Academy
codeSpark Academy – 5 Star Certified App
codeSpark Academy is a coding app that’s both visual and story-driven. Little monsters roam city streets avoiding hazards like police officers, garbage trucks and construction sites. Kids must drag and drop code and commands to help the monsters pass. Kids advance to the next level once they successfully and safely reach their destinations. With amazing graphics and an engaging story, this app challenges kids to solve puzzles by finding the best possible solution, rather than just one correct one.
Cost: Free to try
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Night Zookeeper
- Night Zookeeper
Night Zookeeper – 5 Star Certified App
The Night Zookeeper is an easy to use, child-friendly platform based around a series of magical storybooks. This online platform is designed to inspire and help children of age five and above with their creative writing as well as teaching them about grammar, spelling, vocabulary, writing skills and drawing through a series of lessons and games.
Cost: Free to try
Age: 6+
Devices: Web browsers
MentalUP Educational Games
- MentalUP Educational Games
MentalUP Educational Games – 5 Star Certified App
MentalUP Educational Games is a great activity for your children with more than 100 games and different difficulty levels in the scope of educational games for 5-year-olds. There are fun games, like spelling and word-finding! It is not just verbal intelligence games; math intelligence games, attention, memory and visual intelligence games are also on MentalUP.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Monkey Word School Adventure
- Monkey Word School Adventure
Monkey Word School Adventure – 5 Star Certified App
Monkey Word School Adventure uses six early-reading games to help kids with reading skills through phonics and word groups. This app is also great for 5 year olds and above to help develop their phonics skills.
Cost: Paid
Age: 5+
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Pixton EDU
- Pixton EDU
Pixton EDU – 5 Star Certified App
Pixton EDU is an interactive platform for creating comic book storyboards using avatars, backgrounds, text and themes to be shared within the classroom. Pixton is a do-it-yourself site where kids can use an incredible palette of tools to create and share original comics through storyboards.
Cost: Free
Devices: Web
ABCMouse.com
- ABCMouse.com
ABCMouse.com – 5 Star Certified App
ABCmouse.com is available both as an app and a website. It uses fun storyline-based videos, quizzes, and activities — there’s even a virtual map outlining your child’s learning path to keep kids engaged. Our parent testers said they loved ABCmouse.com even before we started testing the best apps for 5-year old kids! ABCMouse 30-day free trial gives you access to all of the educational site’s 9,000 activities in reading, science, math and art.
Cost: Free to try
Age: 6+
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Thinkrolls
- Thinkrolls
Thinkrolls – 5 Star Certified App
Thinkrolls is a cleverly designed app that introduces children to the early stages of scientific principles. There are no instructions, so kids have to think critically and employ physics logic to figure out how to solve each level. Thinkrolls packs solid science concepts and important learning skills into a beautifully designed game kids will want to play over and over.
Cost: Paid
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Lingokids
- Lingokids
Lingokids – 5 Star Certified App
Lingokids teaches vocabulary by challenging kids through videos, activities, songs, and games in English that adapt to your child’s level of difficulty and the speed at which they learn. The Lingokids curriculum has been designed by experts who specialize in early language learning. Your child will practice over 3000 new words and can learn about 60 different topics.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Sight Words – Learning Games
- Sight Words – Learning Games
Sight Words – 5 Star Certified App
Sight Words: Reading Games is a child-friendly learning platform that helps students get familiar with sight words. Sight words are common words that don’t follow basic phonics and are designed to help kids read faster. Dolch Sight words are many of the most common written words. The application is US based but could also support students within the UK.
Cost: Paid
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Barefoot World Atlas
- Barefoot World Atlas
Barefoot World Atlas – 5 Star Certified App
Barefoot World Atlas App is suitable for children aged 6+ and helps children explore the World’s continents, oceans and changing environments. Spin, pinch and zoom in on animals, indigenous people, places, religions and other topics of interest around the world. Each country, city, animal, bird or landmark can be expanded to provide further information and detail.
Cost: Paid
Devices: iPhone, iPad
Dr. Seuss Treasury
- Dr. Seuss Treasury
Dr. Seuss Treasury – 5 Star Certified App
Learning to read can be a pleasure with the right selection of books and for many children, this was the Dr. Seuss books. Today’s children can improve their reading fluency and develop a joy in reading by engaging with all of these books, in an enhanced form, in the official app.
Cost: Free
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