As an experienced teacher and edtech blogger, I have sifted through countless educational apps seeking the most effective tools to aid students’ growth. Indeed, the digital world is brimming with potential, but not all resources are created equal. It’s my mission to find those that truly shine – applications that inspire, challenge, and support learners, and share them with you.
Today, I’m excited to share with you ten of the best learning apps for kids in 2023. I gave selected each of these apps based on several criteria, including educational content, user-friendly interface, engagement factor, and positive reviews from educators and parents alike
These kids apps offer a rich assortment of engaging activities that cater to diverse learning styles and cover a broad range of core subjects, from maths and English to science, art, and more.
Also, these educational apps for kids will certainly help transform children’s learning process into an enjoyable journey of discovery, sparking their curiosity and making them eager to learn more.
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Whether you are a parent searching for quality educational apps for your kids or a teacher looking for effective tools to supplement classroom teaching, these apps provide invaluable resources that combine the fun of gaming with the benefits of structured learning.
I will first start with this table summarizing the key features of each of these learnings apps. For detailed descriptions, you can refer to the section under the table.
Best learning apps for kids at a glance:
Kids Learning apps table
| App Name | Key Features | Subjects Covered | Age Group | Pricing | Offline Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khan Academy Kids | Books, videos, quizzes, creative lessons | Math, Reading, Writing, Language | 2-7 years | Free | Yes |
| PBS KIDS Games | Over 200 learning games | Reading, Math, Science | 2-8 years | Free | Yes |
| Epic | Digital library, quizzes, reading log | Reading, Science, Math | 2-12 years | Subscription-based | Yes |
| ABCmouse.com | Step-by-Step Learning Path, tickets and rewards system | Reading, Math, Art, Science | 2-8 years | Subscription-based | Yes |
| DoodleMaths | Adaptive algorithm, short, snappy sessions | Math | 4-14 years | Subscription-based | Yes |
| Teach Your Monster to Read | Covers phonics and reading, no in-app purchases | Reading | 3-6 years | Free, optional donations | Yes |
| Quick Math Jr. | Twelve games, writes answers directly on-screen | Math | 3-7 years | Free, In-app purchases | Yes |
| Starfall | Sequential learning, covers several subjects | Reading, Math, Art, Music, Social Skills | Preschool – Grade 3 | Subscription-based | Yes |
| Toca Life World | Open-world play, story creation, character customization | Creativity, Storytelling | 3+ years | Free, In-app purchases | Yes |
| ABCya Games | Over 300 games, content organized by skill | Various | K-6+ | Subscription-based | Yes |
1.Duolingo
Duolingo is an excellent language app that turns language learning into an engaging game-like experience. It supports various languages, making it a versatile tool for young learners. Duolingo offers different features that speak to kids including a playful interface combined with an effective teaching methodology. Duolingo is more than just a learning app—it’s a platform where learners can track their progress, earn rewards, and engage in a bit of friendly competition.
Joining the Duolingo community also offers the invaluable experience of becoming part of a global learning network. Plus, its generous offer of free access to all its language courses eliminates any financial barriers to language learning. From personal experience as an educator, Duolingo is a reliable resource that combines fun with education effectively, making it an excellent choice for children learning new languages.
2.BrainPOP Jr.
BrainPOP Jr. is an engaging educational app for kids. The app brings learning to life through its animated movies, quizzes, and activities. Tailored for children in grades K-3, the app leverages the lovable characters, Annie and Moby, who guide the learners through various subjects and promote critical thinking. The app’s content is not only fun but also encourages active learning, helping kids transform passive screen time into an enriched learning experience.
3. Epic
Epic is another excellent educational app for kids. It offers a remarkable digital treasure large library of kid-friendly books, audiobooks, and educational videos. This app fuels curiosity and boosts reading confidence by allowing children to delve into their interests from a selection of over 40,000 resources.
The Epic app takes reading a step further with its collection of Read-To-Me books and audiobooks. These include professional voiceovers and engaging sound effects that make stories come alive, providing an immersive experience. The app’s content is primarily in English, but it also hosts books in Spanish, French, and Chinese, catering to diverse backgrounds and interests.
Epic ensures that learning is fun and interactive by introducing elements like Reading Buddies, badges, and quizzes to motivate continuous reading and learning. The inclusion of features such as Spotlight Words and an audio-enabled dictionary fosters vocabulary building and pronunciation skills.
The paid subscription, Epic Unlimited, offers a personalized reading experience for up to four kids and allows parents to monitor their children’s reading progress. Epic also offers a free version for educators, Epic School, equipped with tools to track students’ reading and promote skill-building. With glowing reviews from parents and educators alike, Epic is a comprehensive, engaging, and versatile reading app that nurtures a love for reading in children.
4. Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids is a fun, comprehensive, and award-winning educational app designed for children aged 2-8. Packed with thousands of educational games, books, and activities, it makes learning an exciting and enjoyable journey. Khan Academy Kids fosters the development of crucial skills, from reading and phonics to social-emotional growth.
The app has a wide variety of content, including math games, spelling activities, and digital books. The engaging activities ensure children have a blast while learning. Whether it’s through catchy songs or yoga videos, kids can move, dance, and get their wiggles out as they learn.
Without any ads or subscriptions, Khan Academy Kids is a completely free platform that continuously adds new educational content to keep your child’s learning journey fresh and exciting.
5. DoodleMaths
DoodleMaths provides a unique and tailored learning experience for kids aged 4-14. It features tons of interactive exercises designed to boost confidence and improve mathematical abilities.
The key strength of this app lies in its intelligent adaptive algorithm, Proxima™. This feature targets challenging topics and supplements knowledge to help every child get back on track with math. The app’s short, engaging sessions consist of over 40,000 exercises aligned with the curriculum, catering to all types of learners.
Though the app is available for free, DoodleMaths Premium provides access to all the features and is offered at different price points to suit various needs, including single-child and family subscriptions.
6. Teach Your Monster to Read
Teach Your Monster to Read uniquely blends phonics and reading skills, making learning a joyous journey. The game features a magical journey spread over three extensive games. Children create a monster and guide it through these games, encountering a plethora of colorful characters and honing their reading skills along the way. The app covers the initial two years of learning to read, right from matching letters and sounds to enjoying little books.
7. Quick Math Jr.
Quick Math Jr. is a specially designed educational app for children aged 3 – 7 years. What I like the most about this app is its adaptive learning environment. The app learns as kids play and continually adjusts the difficulty level to match each player’s capabilities, always ensuring the challenges remain just right for them.
Quick Math Jr. hosts twelve games, each in line with international math curriculums, including the US Common Core and the Australian National Curriculum. A unique feature allows children to write answers directly on the screen, transitioning from multiple-choice to handwritten answers, which makes it an interactive learning experience.
Adding a playful touch, kids can create their own monster characters by winning new features, and then watch as their creations appear in the game! This interactive element certainly adds a layer of entertainment, keeping kids engaged.
Quick Math Jr. helps to develop number sense, practice number sequence up to 100, model numbers up to 20, count and skip-count forwards and backwards, practice place value, and much more. It also facilitates practice for writing numerals and solving simple addition and subtraction problems.
8. Starfall
Starfall is an engaging educational app designed for children from preschool to third grade. With a focus on reading, math, music, and more, Starfall combines fun activities, games, and songs into an interactive learning experience that kids will love.
Children join Zac the Rat and his friends on a journey of learning, starting with the basics such as ABCs and 123s and progressing to third-grade grammar and math. The app’s open and playful format naturally guides children through sequential learning objectives covering various subjects.
9.Toca Life World
Toca Life World is a unique, immersive app from Toca Boca that allows kids to create their own world and stories. A fusion of all the favorite elements from previous Toca Life apps, Toca Life World is an innovative, open-ended play experience where the only limit is the user’s imagination.
Upon introduction, players are presented with 8 unique locations and 39 different characters in Bop City. They can explore vibrant areas like the hairdresser’s salon, a bustling shopping mall, a food court, or an apartment, providing a versatile platform to begin creating their own world.
Further customization is possible through the app’s inbuilt shop, where over 100 locations, 500 characters, and 500 pets are available for purchase. The choice of adding a little or a lot is entirely up to the player. Additionally, the app offers surprise gifts every week, meaning new items can be added to your world without making purchases in the shop.
10. ABCya Games
For over a decade, ABCya has been a staple in K-6+ education, providing fun and educational games to children worldwide. ABCya’s game collection spans over 300 options, covering a broad range of subjects and skills organized by grade level.
The platform promises to keep things fresh with new content added monthly, ensuring a constant stream of exciting learning opportunities for young minds. Beyond its extensive game catalog, ABCya also offers an optional in-app subscription for full access to its award-winning content.
