Navigating the internet can be hard for children who don't really know how to use it safely. Apps come in handy because they are often a one-stop shop to allow your child to use a tablet or phone safely. And as much as many of us may hate it, technology is an unavoidable factor in our children's lives.
Luckily there are now a bunch of apps out there that are educational, fun for kids to use, safe, and can hopefully buy you some quiet time. The apps on this list are great for kids ages 3 and older — without you having to worry about content.
Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids is a free app for toddlers with creative early learning games and educational activities. This app has games focusing on math, cognitive thinking, developing language and social emotional learning for kids 3-7 years old. Each child can create their own account with an individual avatar.
Moose Math
Moose Math, from the makers of the popular Duck Duck Moose apps, teaches basic math concepts 2 to 5 year olds in a super enganging and age-appropriate way. Concepts like counting, addition, subtraction, sorting, geometry are gamified in "levels" and players are rewarded with things to build and decorate their own cities.
Homer Learn & Grow
Homer Learn and Grow is an app that will help your child improve their reading and language development. This is a research-based app for children ages 2-8 that also includes math and creativity into the lessons. Although this app is $9.99 month and has other in-app purchases, the games are engaging and can be personalized for your child's skill level.
Sago Mini School
Part of the popular Sago Mini franchise of apps, Sago Mini School is specifically aimed at 2-5 year olds with its "curiosity-led curriculum" that was designed by educators to help preschoolers build math, reading, science and spatial skills through fun age-appropriate games. There are in-app purchases, but this is one game that most little ones should be able to do without parental assistance — which totally makes it worth it in our opinion.
Hungry Caterpillar Play School
The Hungry Caterpillar Play School is a beautiful learning app for toddlers based on the popular kids book by Eric Carle. Appropriate for kids ages 2 to 5, it develops skills in early math, language, literacy, and science. Using evidence-based practices ensures that there is some great information behind the beautiful and beloved characters.
Busy Shapes
The award-winning Montessori-created Busy Shapes app really works with little ones on fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in addition to helping them develop logic and spatial reasoning skills by fitting shapes into spaces or figuring out how to correctly connect them to each other. The app is $2.99 with a small nominal charge to purchase new shapes once they've mastered all the ones the app originally comes with.
Silly Street Learn & Play
Silly Street Learn & Play is an app that allows children to play with physical cards to enhance the screen play. Your child age 4 or older can build their own character and play the activities for emotional development and as a creative outlet. While the game is free, the app requires cards and a partner for the group activities.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a free and fun app used exclusively to teach new languages. Adults and children alike 4 and older may have fun learning their favoiate words in a new language or an entire new language altogether in an effective way for speaking and writing.
Froggipedia
Froggipedia brings the science laboratory to your home. Users of this app can discover the anatomical pieces of a frog and learn about disection, the life cycle, and the growth of organs within the frog. If your preschooler is into science, this is the app for them.
World of Goo
World of Goo is an award-winning game where users take globs of goo and build structures, bridges, zeppelins, and other strange and mysterious things. Additionally, there are puzzles and creative games that help users hone their unique STEM talents using something kids love to play with: goo.
