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30 Best Educational iPad Games for Kids in 2024 (Free and Paid)

Learn while you play!

Tablets are a regular part of most kids’ routines these days, and teachers and parents can use that to their advantage. There are a lot of terrific iPad games for kids that are designed for learning but disguised as fun! Here are some of the best that cover reading, math, science, social studies, and more for kids of a variety of ages.

Free iPad Games for Kids

The earlier kids start to learn new languages, the better. When we’re young, our brains are more receptive to learning language in general. Duolingo no longer has a specific version just for kids (though they do have a reading program; see below). But the general app itself is still great for kids by upper elementary or so. It’s completely free, and offers more than 40 languages to explore. Teachers should check out Duolingo for Schools , too.

Duolingo ABC

Ages: Pre-K to Grade 1

The foreign language learning company has brought its same philosophy to teaching kids how to read. The entirely free lessons focus on phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, and reading comprehension, all the skills emergent readers need. The lessons increase in difficulty as children progress, with tailored reviews to help kids strengthen skills they struggle with. It’s aligned with Common Core standards too.

PBS Kids Games

Ages: Pre-K to Grade 2

You know you can trust PBS to provide safe, fun, and educational iPad games for kids. Their collection features stars from popular shows like Daniel Tiger and the Wild Kratts, with hundreds of games on just about every subject. This is one iPad app every parent and teacher needs, especially since it’s all entirely free (and available in Spanish too!).

iCivics Games

Ages: Middle and High School

iCivics has a suite of terrific social studies games that kids will truly enjoy playing. They’ll feel like they’re right in the action as they try to get a new law ratified, run in an election, or try a case in court. These apps are all free, and their website has lots of excellent accompanying resources for teachers.

Bedtime Math

Ages: Pre-K to Grade 3

Bedtime stories are a longstanding tradition, but what about bedtime math? That’s what this free app, along with its accompanying books , aims to do. Each day, the app adds a new fun math problem for parents and kids to do together. (Teachers could also use them as daily problems in the classroom.) Each math problem has three levels of difficulty, and many offer challenge questions too. ADVERTISEMENT

Little Alchemy 2

Ages: K to 12

Starting with just a few basic elements (air, earth, fire, and water), players mix these to create dozens of new items, both real and imaginary. For instance, mix water and earth to get clay, then mix clay and fire to make bricks, add brick to brick to build a wall, and so on. This robust free game is completely engrossing, and it encourages both creativity and logical thinking.

World Geography Quiz Game

Ages: Grades 3 to 12

This isn’t one of those iPad games for kids full of animated characters and flashy graphics. It’s a straight-up geography quiz game and a very good one. Kids who are into maps and globes will enjoy checking their knowledge of flags, capital cities, statistics, and much more. The game is free to download and play; you have the option to buy “hints,” but they’re not necessary to enjoy the fun.

Sushi Monster

Ages: Grades 2 to 6

Looking for a fun way to practice math facts? Check out this free app! Sushi Monster is hungry. Feed him the sushi plates to make the correct goal number and practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Lyrical Letters

Ages: Pre-K to Grade 12

Combine music with spelling and vocabulary in this charming game, enjoyable for anyone at any age. Listen to the sequence of notes, then play them back to spell the right word. You can also simply play around with the keyboard and synthesizer functions, composing tunes just for fun. Lyrical Letters is free to download and play; you can remove the in-game ads for $1.99.

Ages: Grade 4 and up

Build vocabulary and work on spelling with this innovative word game. As you connect letters to make a word, they disappear from the board, collapsing others around them. New letters are always rising from the bottom, though, so you’ll have to think quickly to stop them from reaching the top and ending the game. The game is free to download, but many reviewers note that it’s ad-heavy; pay $4.99 to unlock the full version.

More Great Educational iPad Games for Kids

Think of this collection of iPad games for kids as your personal set of Montessori activities on the go. From busy boards and blocks to music sequencers and a marble machine, the youngest learners will find plenty to keep them engaged as they develop key skills. Pok Pok is subscription-based ($6.99/month or $45.99/year), with a free 7-day trial.

Hands-On Equations

Ages: Grades 4+

The Hands-On Equations iPad games teach algebra skills in a fun and engaging way. There are three levels available, plus Hands-On Equations Lite, a free version you can try to see if you like it. Level 1 covers the basics of equations, while 2 and 3 build up the difficulty to include order of operations and negative numbers. Levels 1, 2, and 3 range in price from $2.99 to $3.99 each.

Endless Alphabet

Ages: Pre-K

This iPad game has been around for awhile, but parents and kids both continue to love it. Kids build their vocabulary and alphabet knowledge through interactive games and fun animations. They’ll also enjoy the adorable monsters that join in on the game! Get Endless Alphabet for a one-time purchase price of $8.99.

ABCmouse is one of the most popular educational iPad games for kids who are learning to read, count, and more. They offer thousands of learning activities across the curriculum, including hundreds in Spanish. It requires a subscription ($12.99/month or $45/year), but you can try it for free for 30 days to see if you like it.

Adventure Academy

Ages: Grades 3 to 8

Adventure Academy is ABCmouse’s older cousin. Upper elementary and middle school students can learn math, science, language arts, and more. They’ll create their own avatar and make their way around a fully interactive school environment, learning as they go. It has the same subscription rates as ABCmouse ($12.99/month or $45/year).

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Ages: Pre-K to Kindergarten

Everyone’s favorite caterpillar is now available in an app! Play games to match colors and shapes, put together puzzles, and learn to take care of plants and animals. The app is free to download, but it costs $4.99 to unlock all of the available activities.

Ages: Grades 1 to 5

Solve math problems and try to get five Bingo Bugs in a row. Be careful, though, because wrong answers will affect your end score. High scores earn you your very own Bingo Bugs for your collection! There are five modes: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and mixed. Math Bingo costs $2.99 to download and play.

Ages: Grades 3 and up

Everything you love about Mad Libs in an app! Kids will get sneaky practice in learning the parts of speech, while creating zany stories that make everyone laugh. You get a limited number of Mad Libs for free, with the ability to buy more packages starting at $1.99.

Sight Words Ninja

Ages: Grades 1 to 4

This is such a fun way to practice sight words! As various words appear on the screen, slice through the target word as fast as you can to score points. At only $1.99, this game is a terrific bargain and one that students will beg to play.

Wee ones will love helping Tim and his family as they learn colors and shapes. The game is available in multiple languages, so you can also use it to help kids learn basic words in Spanish, French, and more. Dino Tim is free to download and $2.99 to unlock all content.

Presidents vs. Aliens

Ages: Grade 3 and up

Learn more about U.S. presidents while you battle aliens in this silly but informative game. As you answer the questions and beat each level, you add a new president to your collection. Then, you can fling these presidents at the aliens to help defend the planet! The app costs $1.99 to download but has no in-game ads and doesn’t require any additional purchases to play. Kids will need to be able to read to play on their own.

Ages: K to Grade 4

This subscription-based iPad game for kids promises to make learning math fun and engaging. Kids set out on missions to earn monsters by solving math puzzles. This is a program that can grow with any child, starting with very basic counting skills and building through to multiplication and division. After a 7-day free trial, the program costs $7.99 a month or $49.99 annually.

Where’s My Water?

Ages: Kindergarten and Up

Swampy lives in the sewers under the city, but he loves to stay clean! His shower is constantly getting stopped up, though, so kids need` to dig through the dirt and avoid obstacles to guide the fresh water to Swampy. This game is a lot of fun, but it’s based on real physics and the movement of water, so they’ll learn while they play. This Disney game costs $1.99 to download and includes additional storylines for purchase.

Stack the States 2

Ages: Grade 3 and Up

Learn U.S. geography the fun way by answering questions and building your own collection of states. Kids master state capitals, cities, landmarks, flags, and more. The app costs $2.99 to download and play, with no ads or other in-app purchases to worry about.

Teach Your Monster to Read

They say the best way to learn something is to teach it to another. That’s the idea behind this popular iPad game, where kids “teach” a monster to read while learning the skills themselves. It covers early reading skills, from letter recognition through phonics and word-building. Download and play for $8.99.

Monster Physics

Kids who love to tinker will get a real kick out of this game. They can design and build their own inventions, then see how (and if!) they would work in the real world. There are 50 different missions for them to invent and conquer alongside their own monster avatar. At only $1.99 to download, with no in-game ads, this one is definitely worth a look.

Cut the Rope

Ages: Kindergarten and up

This game has been around for a while, but it’s popular for a reason. The concept is simple: arrange the objects on the screen and then cut the rope to release the candy into the hungry monster’s mouth. The laws of physics apply here, so kids will learn without even knowing it. The levels get progressively more challenging as you play. Cut the Rope costs $1.99 to download, with the ability to buy hints, solutions, and more puzzles in the app.

Slice Fractions

Ages: Grades 1 to 6

Learn fractions in an interactive environment as you slice through ice and lava to clear the mammoth’s path. There’s no reading involved in this game, so kids can focus purely on numbers and fractions. Slice Fractions costs $3.99 to download and play.

Ages: Grades 2 to 12

You don’t need any coding experience to play this game; you’ll learn as you go. Solve puzzles by guiding a robot to light up tiles with basic commands. Multiple players can save their progress on the same device, so this one’s great for classrooms or families. Some reading is required, but otherwise, even little ones can play on their own. Lightbot costs $2.99 to download and play, without the need for in-app purchases.

Reading Raven

This well-reviewed app teaches basic reading and writing skills, starting with letter recognition and tracing. As their skills advance, so do the challenges, until they’re able to practice reading aloud using voice recording. Reading Raven is a one-time cost of $3.99 to download and play, with no in-game ads.

Did we miss one of your favorite iPad games for kids? Come share your thoughts in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, our favorite online games that are fun and educational too ., you might also like.

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Khan Academy Kids 4+

Reading & math learning games.

Khan Academy

• #110 in Education
• 4.8 • 95.2K Ratings

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Description.

Khan Academy Kids makes learning fun with thousands of educational games, books, and activities that inspire a lifetime of learning and discovery for children ages 2-8. Khan Academy Kids is a free educational app for children ages 2-8. The Khan Kids library includes thousands of kids books, reading games, and more. Kodi the Bear and her friends at the Kids’ Club provide a safe and fun way for kids to learn and play. Best of all, Khan Kids is 100% free with no ads or subscriptions. READING, MATH & MORE: With over 5000 lessons and educational games for kids, there is always more to learn in Khan Academy Kids. Kodi the Bear guides kids through interactive learning games. Kids can learn the alphabet with abc games and practice phonics with Ollo the Elephant. During story time, kids can learn to read and learn to write with Reya the Red Panda. Peck the Hummingbird teaches numbers and counting while Sandy the Dingo loves shapes, sorting and memory puzzles. Their fun math games for kids are sure to spark a love of learning. ENDLESS BOOKS FOR KIDS: As kids learn to read, they can grow their love of books in the Khan Kids Library. The library is full of educational kids books for preschool, kindergarten and early elementary school. Kids can read about animals, dinosaurs, science, trucks and pets with non-fiction books for kids from National Geographic and Bellwether Media. While kids practice reading skills, they can select Read To Me to have kids books read aloud. We have books for kids in English and Spanish too. EARLY LEARNING TO EARLY ELEMENTARY: Khan Kids is an educational app for kids ages 2-8. From preschool lessons and kindergarten learning games to 1st and 2nd grade activities, kids can have fun learning at every level. As they head to preschool and kindergarten, kids can learn to count, add and subtract with fun math games. LEARN AT HOME & AT SCHOOL: Khan Academy Kids is the perfect learning app for families at home. From sleepy mornings to road trips, kids and families love learning with Khan Kids. Families that homeschool also enjoy our educational kids games and lessons for kids. And teachers love using Khan Kids in the classroom. Teachers from kindergarten to second grade can easily create assignments and monitor student learning. KID-FRIENDLY CURRICULUM: Designed by experts in early childhood education, Khan Academy Kids is aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards. OFFLINE ACCESS: No wifi? No problem! Kids can learn on the go with the Khan Academy Kids offline library. Dozens of books and games for kids are available offline, so the learning never has to stop. Kids can practice the alphabet and trace letters, read books and spell sight words, learn numbers and play math games - all offline! KID SAFE & COMPLETELY FREE: The Khan Academy Kids app is a safe and fun way for children to learn and play. Khan Kids is COPPA-compliant so children’s privacy is always protected. Khan Academy Kids is 100% free. There are no ads and no subscriptions, so kids can safely focus on learning, reading and playing. KHAN ACADEMY: Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Khan Academy Kids was created by early learning experts from Duck Duck Moose who created 22 preschool games and won 22 Parents’ Choice Awards, 19 Children’s Technology Review Awards and a KAPi award for Best Children’s App. Khan Academy Kids is 100% free with no ads or subscriptions. SUPER SIMPLE SONGS: The beloved children’s brand Super Simple is created by Skyship Entertainment. Their award-winning Super Simple Songs combine delightful animation and puppetry with kids songs to help make learning simple and fun. With over 10 million subscribers on YouTube, their songs for kids are favorites with parents, teachers and kids around the globe.

Version 7.0

In the latest update, we fixed some bugs and made some minor updates. Please update your app for the best learning experience. If you have any feedback, please contact us at [email protected].

Ratings and Reviews

95.2K Ratings

Editors’ Choice

Khan Academy Kids teaches early literacy, language, math, and social and emotional skills throughout its more than 1,000 games, videos, and stories. The app integrates science lessons from National Geographic Young Explorer magazine, music from Super Simple Songs, and content from children’s nonfiction publisher Bellwether Media.

Wow! Just what my kids needed!

Kahn Academy Kids is the best educational kids app I have found for my kiddos. The lessons are fun and engages my kids making it exciting to learn. We now use this app daily as a supplement to what they are learning in school. I have a 3 and 6 year old and both of them have their own profile and things we are working on. My 6 year old is learning how to read and he loves reading the books on the app out loud to me. My 3 year old is learning her letter sounds and this app actually pronounces the letter sound correctly for her. Super impressed by that as I haven’t found that to be common practice with education all apps - even on leap frog academy. The app is very intuitive to use and easy for my kids. I appreciate this because I can leave them to work on it independently or work alongside them - whichever I choose. Again, this is hard to come by. I also love how they get still get challenged by the lessons and actually grow and learn without feeling left discouraged. It gently nudges them if they get something incorrect. The math portion is wonderful as well and something I will be exploring more of. We have only had the app a week and there is SO much we can use this for. I felt compelled to leave a review already for the amount we have already used and enjoyed Khan Academy. Download this without hesitation for your child. You won’t regret it.

Developer Response ,

We sincerely appreciate your encouraging review! So glad to hear how well Khan Kids is working out for your family.

A+ app for kids!

My daughter(age 7) used Khan Academy in school prior to the 2020 pandemic. Our school district listed Khan Academy as a resource to use when schools began closing in March. We used it in addition to her other school work during that time. We decided to try this app for our son that is preschool age but needs just a little more time before introduction to a public setting and teachers; he’s our spirited one. Our son (age 4) LOVES this app, he willingly selects Khan Academy when we give him screen time. He actually stays engaged for long periods of time and has fun doing it. He uses the information learned from his lessons and applies it to his toys or in real life settings. He’s even begun to read short stories!! In conclusion, my personal opinion is that this app is amazing. If you have children that are already in school and need a little something to stay engaged; get this app. If you have a wild tornado child (our son) that has shown interest in learning but they are not quite ready to be put into a school setting; get this app. They go at their own pace and advance to the next subject after mastering the first. They also offer additional resources on the website for your kids, such as circle time videos, free printable worksheets. I wish more educational websites/apps worked like Khan Academy! Again, my own personal opinion and each family/child is different, but Khan Academy is a perfect fit for us.

It's exciting to hear that your son is beginning to read the short stories! Thank you so much for the review! If you have any questions or suggestions for the app, feel free to reach out to [email protected].

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30 Teacher-Recommended IPad Educational Games for Kids

May 5, 2023 //  by  Brittany Ray

There is no doubt that tangible technology has more than made its presence in schools over the last two decades. Most toddlers know how to work a smartphone in all of its functions by the time they reach kindergarten. So if you are interested in growing your child’s cognitive, reading, math, vocabulary, or any other type of brain skills, check out these iPad educational games below!

30 Ipad Games to Increase Learning

1. zebrainy – abc kids game.

This game was initially designed for children between two and six years old. Zebrainy has over 700+ educational activities for kids that develop many different skill sets. Even better, the language this app uses aligns with what is taught through the Common Core State Standards.

Learn More: Zebrainy Limited

The Noggin app features digital games with all of your child’s favorite characters with a learning boost. Download games easily for that long car ride so they can still play basic math and letter games on the road. This app features anything from interactive videos to silly stories with their favorite pig.

Learn More: Nickelodeon

3. HOMER Learn & Grow

The HOMER Learn & Grow app focuses on the entire list of things you would want your child to be practicing. This app features math games, social and emotional learning activities , and reading skills-building games .

Learn More: Homer

4. Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Games

I have used this app with my kindergartener, and we love it! This app allows us to have bonding time working through different games together. Your child will practice observation skills by recognizing shapes and colors, cognitive skills through various puzzles, and vision through finding differences between scenes. Build your children’s brilliant brains with these cute characters and games.

Learn More: Rosi Mosi LLC

5. Dino Fun – Games for Kids

Elementary school kids are at the age where they like to start taking care of themselves. The Dino Fun app is the perfect game for kids where they can brush their Dino’s teeth, take care of them at the salon, and even potty train their dinosaurs! Also, the educational kid’s games here practice motor skills through learning to tie a virtual shoe and logical thinking skills with math games! One big plus about this app is that there are no pesky game ads!

Learn More: Avocado Mobile Inc.

6. Math Brain Booster Games

Ages: 4 – adult

If you want an educational game for kids and adults alike, then download the Math Brain Booster app. This game lets you practice everything from basic multiplication and addition to more complex math problems . Give yourself or your children regular quizzes on math concepts to help sharpen the mind. This app even allows time limits on certain activities to practice speed with different things, such as multiplication games.

Learn More: Kirill Dyakonov

7. Water Sort Color Puzzle

Your children will love the interesting challenge of sorting all colors so that one single color exists in each tube. This game also has the familiar sounds of pouring liquid which makes this app one for kids who enjoy sensory-type activities .  What’s even better is that this app is free!

Learn More: Vicenter Viet Nam Company Limited

8. State the States and Capitals

Ages: All Ages

Whether you teach preschool or high school, all kids need to know the states and capitals! There is an entire generation of kiddos needing this knowledge! Click on the state to see its name, the capital cities, state abbreviation, flag, famous landmarks, and more.

Learn More: Ecom Enterprises, Inc.

Your child can use this app to learn all about the great unknown from rocket ships to shooting stars. The NASA app features news and stories on space, over 20,000 space images, interactive 3D models, and other educational learning activities with soaring user reviews. Both children and adults can enjoy these enjoyable space learning activities .

Learn More: NASA

10. Wordle!

This app is all the rage with my students and my older children. Teasers on this app are challenging and will help take complex thinking skillset to the next level. Also, Wordle features a variety of puzzles to keep anyone entertained!

Learn More: Lion Studios Plus

11. Jigsaw Puzzles Game

My family loves puzzles. One thing I hate is constantly having to track all the puzzle pieces down. With this charming game, you will never lose another puzzle piece again. You can challenge your kid’s critical thinking skills by choosing puzzles with many pieces vs. only a few. The Jigsaw Puzzle app also has many puzzles to choose from.

Learn More: Easybrain

Nothing says arcade-style games like Tetris. This classic video game challenges anyone’s thinking skills and is fun to play. Take the basic shapes and maneuver them to fit just right to fit this puzzle and keep from hitting the top of the play screen.

Learn More: Play Studios

13. Vocabulary Builder by Magoosh

This is not your classic vocabulary game . The vocabulary builder allows your child to build their skill level with various vocabulary words to build an overall higher level of reading. This app is free and allows you to start at a basic level and work your way up.

Learn More: Magoosh

14. 1st Grade Math Learning Games

Help your child learn the basics of counting with Splash Math! Your child can also practice addition and subtraction , word problems , and more. The learning process is easy for your child and they will use strategic thinking skills in solving various problems.

Learn More: Study Pad, Inc.

15. Trace Letters & Sight Words

Letter recognition is the first step to being a successful reader. Have your child learn their ABCs in real-time by tracing the letters with their fingers, then sounding out the letter. Child developmental specialists also recognize the importance of recognizing sight words in conjunction with early reading success.

Learn More: Vu Dang

16. Little Stories: Bedtime Books

I know my little one loves to read stories before bedtime, and this app has so many cute ones. Your children can choose the story they want, have you read it, or have them read it to you. One great feature of this app is that the stories can be put into “story mode” where the app will read to your child.

Learn More: Diveo Media

17. Flow Free

This popular puzzle game will have your child challenging their motor skills in an interactive environment. Kids will match and pair colors, and race against the clock to solve various puzzles!

Learn More: Big Duck Games LLC

18. Scrabble GO!

Nothing says family game night like a game of Scrabble Go! This app is free and has a few pesky game ads. Also, the learning process for Scrabble has never been easier than with this app. Put your vocabulary skill level to the test with Scrabble GO!

Learn More: Scopely, Inc.

19. June’s Journey: Hidden Objects

June’s Journey is one of the best and most challenging hidden picture games in the app store. Find the matching objects, follow the story, and search for hidden objects and clues. Also, I love object searches because they are challenging and test various skill levels.

Learn More: Wooga

20. Candy Crush Saga

All of you self-proclaimed shape gurus can potentially attest to the challenging concept of this game! My little one loves playing this game with me. This matching game allows my child to match colors, shapes, and sequence patterns. While this game does promote in-app purchases, you do not have to purchase anything to play.

Learn More: King

21. The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail was an essential childhood rite for Millenials! This adventure game allows your child to learn the history of those traveling across the U.S.A in a covered wagon, all while having a ton of fun.

Learn More: Gameloft

22. US History Trivia 

Learn about American History in a fun and challenging way with this trivia app. Whether you have a history test coming up, or you just want to know about the founding fathers a little bit better, this is a fun and engaging trivia app.

Learn More: Google Playstore

23. Project Makeover

Learn self-care and individual style through this fun digital makeover app. Let your creative whims of fashion take you wherever you would like by styling various characters.

Learn More: Magic Tavern, Inc.

24. Pizza Maker Cooking Games

While the age says 4+, I believe this is a toddler-friendly app. Your child will have so much fun creating their pizza by virtually chopping ingredients, putting together their pizza, and eating it.

Learn More: Pazu Games Ltd

25. Google News

Have your older child understand the world by having them look at Google News Daily Headlines. This app will keep both you and your child up on current events and allow them to have a greater understanding of influential societies around the world. Check out our list of teacher-recommended reading websites for kids .

Learn More: Google LLC

26. Idle Human

Learn amazing facts about the human body with the Idle Human app. Your child will learn about all the bones, organs, and even how bacteria and viruses can affect the body.

Learn More: Green Panda Games

27. Shapes! Toddler Kids Games

Calling all children who are shape gurus, they will love the engaging challenge of finding and learning new shapes.

Learn More: Gennadii Zakharov

28. QuizzLand. Quiz & Trivia Game

Solve puzzles, compete against others, and complete your mission. This game will certainly challenge your knowledge retention.

Learn More: MNO Go Apps Ltd

29. Piano Academy

If you are wanting your child to learn piano, then download this app. It is totally free and your child will feel like they have an entire recording studio to compose their musical masterpieces.

Learn More: Yokee Music

30. Schulte Table

Have kids speed read, challenge their vision skills, and increase their mental agility with this speed reading app. The lightning-fast challenges in this app will make your child smarter and faster.

Learn More: Artem Tselikov

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Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids

By Courtney Schley

If you’re looking for apps and games that not only keep young kids occupied but also encourage them to explore, learn, and express themselves, we have some great suggestions.

The apps we cover in this guide are good learning apps not because they’re designed to make kids smarter, to drill facts, or to replace in-school learning, but because they each offer something fun, unique, and interesting for kids and adults.

As with our guides to STEM and learning toys , we didn’t test scores of apps to try to find the “best” ones. Rather, most of our favorite apps have been chosen by teachers for their students in classrooms, used by Wirecutter parents and their kids, or recommended by the experts and educators we spoke with. (For more details, read about how we selected the apps in this guide.)

The research

Our favorite math apps, our favorite coding apps, our favorite science and exploration apps, our favorite social and emotional learning apps, our favorite ebook app, how we picked and tested.

These math games don’t simply drill facts or make kids memorize but rather use visuals, narratives, and storylines to help kids discover math concepts and build their skills. We like these apps because they offer games and exercises tailored to different ages and skill levels and because they encourage adults and kids to play together.

A family math app: Bedtime Math

Bedtime Math (iOS and Android)

Bringing math home.

This free app makes math a part of daily family life, like a bedtime story. A peer-reviewed study showed that it not only helps improve kids’ math performance but also makes parents feel more comfortable with math.

Buying Options

Ages: 3 to 9

How it works: Bedtime Math ( iOS and Android ) seeks to do for math what the bedtime story does for literacy, by turning math into an enjoyable bonding routine between child and caregiver.

The free app offers a daily word problem for children to solve together with an adult during bedtime or anytime. Each exercise centers on a short narrative or interesting fact and poses questions at four difficulty levels, from pre-K through elementary school.

Why it’s great: Bedtime Math is one of the few children’s educational apps that have been evaluated in a peer-reviewed study . This particular study demonstrated that students who used the app significantly boosted their math scores; it also showed that Bedtime Math can help parents mitigate their own math anxiety , a phenomenon that can negatively affect their children’s attitudes toward math and their ability in the subject.  Jennifer Auten, an elementary school teacher at the time of our interview, told us she liked that the questions were written at a middle-school reading level, meaning an adult must facilitate the discussion but you have a choice of four levels of difficulty based on the child’s age and math level.

Apps for visual math: DragonBox Numbers and DragonBox Big Numbers

DragonBox Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual numeracy.

Cute characters called Nooms help kids visualize and conceptualize numbers and arithmetic operations.

DragonBox Big Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

More-complex arithmetic.

Kids go on adventures, solving long addition and subtraction equations in the process.

Ages: 4 to 8 and 6 to 9

How it works: DragonBox Numbers ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), aimed at kids ages 4 through 8, introduces number sense, addition, and subtraction through cute characters called Nooms. (The characters are designed to resemble Cuisenaire rods , math learning aids that introduce kids to arithmetic operations in a hands-on way.) Kids feed, slice, and sort the Nooms, developing familiarity with addition, subtraction, fractions, and ranges.

In DragonBox Big Numbers ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), for kids 6 through 9, players follow the Nooms on more complex adventures, solving long addition and subtraction equations in order to gather and trade resources.

Why it’s great: The Nooms function as digital versions of what classroom teachers call math manipulatives , physical learning aids that help young children understand theoretical math concepts in a concrete way. For older kids, the DragonBox series continues on with algebra and Euclidean geometry.

Many great apps teach coding to kids as young as preschool and progressing through upper elementary grades. We’ve highlighted four of these apps because they’re particularly easy to get started with and don’t require reading or, for the child or the parent, a coding background. Regardless of what app they use, parents should think of coding apps as a family activity, said Pat Yongpradit of Code.org . “You will rarely have such a rich media experience as you can when coding with your kid,” he said.

Coding puzzles for beginners: Lightbot and Lightbot Jr

Lightbot (iOS and Amazon)

Coding puzzles.

The app’s simple puzzle challenges are easy to jump into for kids and adults with no previous coding experience.

Lightbot Jr (iOS and Amazon)

Coding puzzles for younger kids.

A slower-paced, easier set of puzzles for kids as young as preschool.

Ages: 9 to 11 (Lightbot); 4 to 8 (Lightbot Jr)

How it works: In Lightbot ( iOS and Amazon ), kids solve a series of simple puzzles by lining up commands that make a robot advance over obstacles and light up squares. As they master basic concepts, they add more-complex commands, such as conditionals, loops, and nested statements.

Lightbot Jr ( iOS and Amazon ) follows a similar structure but at a slower pace and with simpler challenges that focus on reinforcing the basics. A minimal amount of reading is required, so pre-readers may need adult help at the beginning.

Why it’s great: Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nonprofit educational organization that promotes and develops STEM curricula and resources, told us, “The best apps for young students without previous experience are those that teach and help build logic and reasoning skills [and] critical thinking skills, and provide brain teasers.” PLTW’s curriculum writers like the Lightbot and Lightbot Jr apps as ways to get kids as young as 4 started with the basic concepts and logical structures of coding.

A creative coding app: ScratchJr

ScratchJr (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual programming.

Using graphical coding blocks, ScratchJr lets kids animate characters and create storylines.

Ages: 5 to 7

How it works: In ScratchJr ( iOS , Android , Amazon ), kids select characters and backdrop scenes and drag graphical programming blocks, which snap together like puzzle pieces, to make animation sequences and storylines. Although the app has some written cues, the programming blocks largely use symbols (such as arrows and stop signs) to indicate what they do (such as move the character forward or make them stop). As kids become familiar with how to structure the code, they can create multi-scene stories.

Why it’s great: ScratchJr isn’t lesson-based (though you can consult a variety of curricula and tutorials for the app) but rather designed to give kids a sandbox in which to experiment, learn, and create through trial and error (the app offers sample animations as well). Pat Yongpradit of Code.org , which recommends ScratchJr among other coding apps and games, noted one particular benefit: “It’s very free-form; you’re not basically being directed down a particular path.” Younger kids will need an adult or older child to guide them as they get familiar with ScratchJr .

An app for hands-on coding: Osmo Coding Awbie

Osmo Coding Starter Kit for iPhone & iPad

Tangible coding.

The Osmo system uses physical game pieces in conjunction with the device’s screen, making scripting and coding tangible and accessible for pre-readers. This set includes a stand compatible with many iPhones and iPads.

Osmo Coding Starter Kit for Amazon Fire Tablet

This kit includes the same game pieces, with a stand compatible with Amazon Fire tablets.

Osmo Coding Awbie (iOS and Amazon)

Coding with character.

This app pairs with the Osmo system, directing players to use the pieces to move Awbie through a maze and challenges.

Ages: 5 to 12

How it works: The Osmo Coding Starter Kit ( iOS and Amazon ) comes with a base system—a stand and a mirror that attaches to the device’s camera—and pairs with the Osmo Coding Awbie app ( iOS and Amazon ). Kids use physical pieces marked with commands, arrows, numbers, and loops to interact with the screen-based game, creating scripts that direct a silly character, Awbie, to navigate mazes and challenges and pick up prizes such as strawberries. The Osmo base system can also work with other Osmo games . One drawback, however: We were not able to reach customer service when we ran into issues with the app.

Why it’s great: Jennifer Auten, who used Osmo games in her classroom, said the fact that it combined an app with physical pieces made kids more patient and thoughtful as they worked through the challenges: “When something is purely on the screen, kids will sometimes end up just tapping as fast as they can, randomly guessing. With the manipulatives, it slows their thinking down.” Auten also noted that the physical pieces made it easier to play the game with multiple people, fostering discussion, collaboration, and group problem-solving. Kids still get the thrill and digital feedback from the app as they successfully complete each challenge.

In this category we chose these apps—focused on anatomy and the natural world—because they offer kids unique, open-ended ways to explore science topics. Each app encourages kids to meander, linger, and dive deeper at their own pace.

An app to see what’s inside: The Human Body

The Human Body (iOS and Android)

Seeing what’s inside.

The Human Body offers a visually and aurally interesting way to wander through the body’s organs, systems, and functions.

Ages: 4 and up

How it works: In The Human Body ( iOS and Android ), kids explore anatomy by jumping around to different organs and systems—for example, watching a mouth chew food and swallow drink, sliding into a stomach breaking down food, and following flashing nerve signals as they race up to the brain.

Why it’s great: The Human Body focuses less on teaching kids specific anatomical lessons and more on sparking wonder and fascination toward the body and what it can do. The app’s engaging visuals are neither cartoonish nor graphic, and the thoughtful sound effects are as compelling and instructive as the animations: Gurgles, wooshes, creaks, and spurts give kids a visceral sense of what’s happening inside them. You can toggle on or off the text labels that identify the systems and organs, but no reading is required to get deep into the app, making it equally accessible to pre-readers.

An app for discovering nature: Toca Boca Jr (Toca Nature)

Toca Boca Jr (iOS and Android)

Toca Nature, one of the games available through Toca Boca Jr, is an open-ended building activity where kids can explore and shape the terrain, collect resources, and observe wildlife.

Ages: 2 to 6

How it works: In Toca Nature , kids start with a simple plot of land where they can raise or lower mountains, create lakes, clear or plant forests, and make deserts. They can zoom in to different areas of their terrain to collect and distribute resources (like mushrooms, fish, or berries). As they change and shape the environment, different kinds of animals, plants, and fish will appear, multiply, migrate, or disappear.

Toca Nature is one of the games from Toca Boca Jr ( iOS and Android ). The app is free but access to the games requires a subscription. The $12-per-month Piknik bundle ( iOS and Android ) covers unlimited access to Toca Boca Jr games such as Toca Nature , Toca Pet Doctor , and Toca Lab: Plants , as well as Sago Mini games such as Sago Mini World . A Toca Boca Jr plan with only Toca Boca games is also available for $8 per month.

Why it’s great: Similar to popular narrative-less building games like Minecraft , Toca Nature harnesses the enjoyment kids get from open-ended creating, wandering, and exploring games, with a unique focus on the natural world. Common Sense Media senior editor and learning center strategist Christine Elgersma said that an app like Toca Nature doesn’t have explicit learning goals—it’s not trying to teach kids the names of animals or types of terrain, for example—but rather is “an exploratory app with experiences that a kid really couldn’t have off screen.” By creating and manipulating the environment, and then observing how the plant and wildlife change as a result, kids can see how animals, resources, and the environment interact.

Social and emotional learning , which includes self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, and building relationships, among other capacities, has increasingly been recognized as a critical component of children’s education. These two apps let young kids explore different aspects of self-expression, emotions, and social play.

An app for self-expression: Me: A Kid’s Diary

Me: A Kid's Diary (iOS)

A digital diary.

This app lets kids explore self-expression through drawing, writing, photos, and audio and video.

Ages: 6 to 8

How it works: Kids create a digital diary of their lives by answering questions about themselves; making avatars for family members, friends, and other loved ones; and designing their own media. Kids navigate all these entries on their Me Map, a sort of multimedia landscape of their lives.

Why it’s great: Me: A Kid’s Diary (iOS only) helps kids creatively document their feelings, experiences, and loved ones through different media and modes of expression. In some ways, the app offers an experience akin to social media—uploading photos, making videos, writing reflections, and mapping personal connections—but in an entirely closed environment (there’s no actual communication or sharing within the app). This can create a space for kids to start to explore (and for parents to discuss) digital self-expression and sharing.

An app for emotions: Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings

Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Exploring emotions.

The beloved PBS character helps young kids identify, act out, and explore their feelings through games, songs and creative activities.

Ages: 0 to 5

How it works: Kids explore the familiar world of the PBS Kids series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood ( iOS , Android , Amazon ) through simple games, songs, and art activities that focus on identifying and exploring feelings and emotions. It offers different ways for kids to practice, talk about, and experience emotions, such as by drawing a picture, taking a photo of themselves feeling angry or happy, or practicing a calming exercise with Daniel Tiger.

Why it’s great: The app is simple and accessible for very young kids, with frequent verbal cues and reminders to help them through the easily navigable interface. “Even without the Daniel tie-in, it could actually still be a pretty successful app for teaching a lot of social, emotional, and self-care skills,” said Harry Sawyers, Wirecutter senior editor and father of three. “But having the familiar characters and songs really helps jump-start their interest if, for example, they ‘have to go potty—stop, and go right awaaaaay!’”

An app for reading: Epic ebook subscription

Epic Ebook Subscription

Endless ebooks.

This app allows young readers to choose from up to 35,000 different books for a low monthly cost.

Ages: 4 to 12

How it works: For $14 a month ($7 per month if you pay annually), kids gain access to some 35,000 children’s books in an intuitively designed app. Epic’s library is updated regularly with new titles, including classics and the site’s original content. Many of the picture books have a “Read to me” function, in which a narrator reads the text aloud and the pages turn automatically. The app also suggests books by age and based on what a child has previously read, allowing kids to easily discover new titles at their reading level. Epic works on iOS and Android tablets and smartphones.

Why it’s great: While some subscription kids ebook apps tend to be populated with the kinds of uninteresting titles you’d find in a bookstore bargain bin, Epic offers an impressive library of children’s books, including many of the beloved classics and award-winning authors you’d find in a well-curated children’s library. ( The Wizard of Oz, with the original 1900 illustrations, was one memorable find that gave us many nights of rapt bedtime reading.) The app is simple enough to use that my daughters could independently browse books by the cover art and find what interested them—even when they were pre-readers. Fairy tales abound, but I’ve also found them paging through books about geology, Ramadan, and coding.

Since we began researching learning apps in 2016, we’ve spoken with a range of experts, including a classroom teacher, a child developmental psychologist, a pediatrician, an astronomer, education researchers, app developers, and others.

These experts have included Kathy Hirsh-Pasek , a professor of psychology at Temple University who has written about and conducted research studies on educational apps for young children; Jennifer Auten , an award-winning teacher in Cupertino, California, who at the time was using tablet and smartphone apps in her first- and second-grade classrooms; Christine Elgersma , senior editor, learning content, for Common Sense Media, an organization focused on children’s media; and Pat Yongpradit , chief academic officer at Code.org, a nonprofit that advocates for computer science education. Last, we’ve spoken with parents on our staff for recommendations of apps they and their kids love in categories such as science, music, and coding.

We read articles and reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and child developmental psychologists and educational researchers to learn about kids’ media use and about principles for designing learning apps. Finally, we read through reviews and ratings from well-regarded children’s media sites such as Common Sense Media .

The good news: research has found that educational apps can aid with student learning. The challenge is finding the good ones. Similar to what we found when researching learning toys , we discovered that developers and app stores often label apps as “educational” with little research or evidence, and few experts, to support those claims.

In 2016, the AAP released a broad report on children’s use of digital media, calling for more-rigorous evaluation of apps that claim to be educational: “Unfortunately, very few of the commercially available apps found in the educational section of app stores have evidence-based design input with demonstrated learning effectiveness.” Similarly, in a 2015 article , Hirsh-Pasek writes that educational apps “present a significant opportunity for out-of-school, informal learning when designed in educationally appropriate ways” but notes later on that “[o]nly a handful of apps are designed with an eye toward how children actually learn.”

In a 2019 analysis of 124 popular children’s educational apps in the Google Play Store, most scored low in offering meaningful learning or engagement, particularly those that were free. Among the top-rated apps were several Toca Boca apps and a related Daniel Tiger app, Daniel Tiger’s Stop and Go Potty ( iOS and Android ).

Experts are still studying what makes learning apps successful pedagogical tools, as well as fun and interesting activities for kids. But after speaking with experts, reading research, and trying out apps ourselves, we identified a few features that seem to be common among great learning apps.

• Offer unique experiences: Several of the experts we spoke to noted that a good educational app should offer children something they couldn’t simply do, learn, or explore in a classroom or the real world. If the app is “basically a worksheet on screen, [or] an experience that could be replicated off screen, then that’s not a good use of the screen,” Elgersma said. “You want it to be an experience that kids could really only have in that screen world.”
• Be open-ended, with limits: Most of the apps in this guide are open-ended in the sense that they encourage kids to independently explore, create, and navigate within the app. But researchers say it’s important to have built-in limits, as well. The AAP has pointed out that digital games have traditionally been designed with rewards and reinforcement designed to keep kids playing as long as possible. The organization recommends that learning apps instead have “automatic ‘stops’ as the default design to encourage children and caregivers to pause the game use and turn to the 3-dimensional world.”
• Be engaging but not distracting: Apps have great potential to engage children through interactive features, but some research has shown that too many bells and whistles can distract children or reduce their comprehension. A good learning app uses interactive, animated, and responsive features to engage kids or enhance their comprehension, not simply to entertain. Hirsh-Pasek has written that parents should evaluate an app’s interactive features and ask: “Do the enhancements actually add value and increase engagement, or do they cause distraction?”
• Encourage interaction: The AAP and other organizations say that learning apps that encourage real-life interaction among multiple people—adult and child, or child and peers—can be especially strong at facilitating learning. The apps in this guide are fun and interesting for kids and adults, and many foster conversation and play outside of the app itself.

As with our guide to learning toys , we focused primarily on apps aimed at kids 3 to 9 years old, though older kids can enjoy many of our recommendations, as well. We chose this age range because, as Hirsh-Pasek has written , “there are so many apps targeted toward [children in this range] that parents and educators do not know how to navigate the marketplace of possibilities.”

Sarah Gannett and Ellen Lee contributed to this guide.

Christine Elgersma, senior editor, parent education, Common Sense Media , phone interview, March 12, 2019, email interview, April 15, 2024

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, professor of psychology, Temple University , phone interview , January 8, 2019

Pat Yongpradit, chief academic officer, Code.org , phone interview , April 18, 2019

Jana Grcevich, PhD, astronomer, science educator, author , phone interview , December 1, 2016

Jennifer Auten, first- and second-grade teacher, Cupertino, California , phone interview , November 8, 2016

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, et al., Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning , Psychological Science in the Public Interest , April 20, 2015

Yolanda (Linda) Reid Chassiakos, et al., Children and Adolescents and Digital Media , Pediatrics , October 1, 2016

Meet your guide

Courtney Schley

Courtney Schley, a senior editor covering sleep and appliances, has been at Wirecutter since 2014. She has held several roles at Wirecutter, including research editor, as well as supervising editor of baby and kid coverage.

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12 Best Free iPad Games For 5 Year Olds

In the current information age, it is almost impossible to stop kids from accessing a phone, tablet, or computer. The best news is that you can decide what they can see and cannot, as IOS games have a minimum age rating.

For kids, the iPad is the ultimate entertainment system with numerous exciting games . These games range from critical thinking and creative problem-solving to having fun and passing the time.

So, if you have an iPad and are looking for ways to keep your kids entertained as they learn, you have come to the right place.

In this article, I feature some of the top free iPad games for 5-year-olds that will keep them busy while having fun.

Best Free iPad Games For 5-Year-Olds

1. candy crush saga.

Candy Crush Saga is a legendary puzzle game that mixes the typical connect-the-matching-symbol gameplay with your kid’s favorite pastime, eating candy. The game is loved by many and is one of the most popular mobile games.

This game can be exciting to 5-year olds, as by simply tapping on the screen, the game results in a lot of graphical fun.

The puzzles are also a great way to enjoy Candy Crush Saga. To solve the puzzles , children need to think quickly and make smart moves to be rewarded with tasty candy combos and delicious rainbow-colored cascades.

The game has features that will leave your kid craving more and keeps getting exciting, with more levels and puzzles added every two weeks. The sweet match three puzzle game has over a trillion plays; your kid can play it alone or with friends.

Candy Crush Saga features various game modes, including Target Score, Collect the Ingredients, and Clear the Jelly. The game levels range from easy to challenging and are accessible on the go offline and online.

It is also easy to sync Candy Crush Saga between devices to unlock the full game features when connected to the internet.

Candy Crush Saga is free to play, but offers in-app purchases for extra lives, boosters, and other in-game items.

2. Fruit Ninja 2

Fruit Ninja 2 is an old-school slicing and dicing fun game with a simple concept but enough challenge to keep kids hooked. The goal of this game is to slice as many fruits as you can but not slice through a bomb, as it will blow your virtual finger off.

The game has fantastic sound effects and graphics and many game modes to give you more play options. The fun of this game is also in the collecting and upgrading of blades and powerups with action-packed fun.

Fruit Ninja 2 has undergone a series of upgrades to meet a modern gamer’s needs. It is different from its previous version as it is more fun because now kids can play with each other and compare scores. Fruit Ninja 2 can be enjoyed by kids aged five and up.

Fruit Ninja 2 is free to play, with in-app purchases available.

Also Read : Best Browser Games To Play When Bored

3. Kidoku- Kids Sudoku Puzzle

Kidoku makes the Sudoku game fun and interesting for kids. This game features some cute animals and beginner levels to help kids pick up the concept and enjoy the game easily. It is an excellent early learning game suitable for children’s development.

The game offers an experience that keeps kids entertained while boosting their cognitive skills, hand-eye coordination, and memory. Sudoku’s blocks solver matching game ensures that your kid learns the basics of match puzzles and even becomes sharp.

The traditional number puzzle keeps kids immersed in the animal puzzle experience that is equally challenging and fun.

The game has over 60 levels, and the faster your kid solves the Sudoku joy levels, the better they’ll perform at tile matching. Kidoku is ideal for children aged three and above.

Explore : Best Heardle Alternatives

4. Readlax: Brain Games

Readlax is an all-in-one productivity platform that can help your kid develop problem-solving and thinking skills. This game comprises over 2,500 riddles, logic tasks, brainteasers, puzzles, math problems , and memory training games.

The game’s main features include brain training, speed reading, touch typing, smart notes, and the reader view. Brain training is a program of activities to help your kid maintain or improve their cognitive abilities, including working memory and executive function.

Speed reading involves making meaning out of print by identifying and understanding a set of words at once instead of individual comments. Touch typing trains your kid to practice typing using fingers without looking at the keys.

Smart note-taking is an effective note-taking tool that allows you to organize and store knowledge. Readlax’s reader view is a browser extension that removes distractions and ads to give your kid a seamless experience through texts and images only.

The Readlax app is appropriate for kids aged five and above.

5. BrainCraft

BrainCraft is a unique app that trains kids to take on challenges. It teaches kids how to employ different types of thinking.

It is comprised of over 100 math, cognitive skills, and language exercises compiled by international researchers who specialize in brain training.

BrainCraft features well-designed games with colorful graphics and can enrich your child’s educational activities at school.

The different challenges on BrainCraft are linked by a theme of how to survive on a desert island, and your kid can see how they have improved since they started using the app and compare themselves to their friends or siblings.

Its puzzles are based on numbers, mental flexibility, and logic.

The app records your kid’s performance with level details, including their strengths and weaknesses. It rates them against other players whom they nominate and provides a holistic challenge to encourage children to think about problems and solve them.

BrainCraft reads instructions aloud, so your child’s limited literacy skills won’t stop them from enjoying the game.

The games feature an intuitive interaction method; if you wish to check your child’s progress, you must log in using a different account. BrainCraft is ideal for kids aged five and up.

Explore : Best Games For Long Distance Family & Friends

6. Kokoro Kids

Kokoro Kids is an excellent educational free iPad game that allows kids between the ages of two and seven to learn while having fun with multiple games, stories, activities, and songs.

These games are grouped by skill, including positions, colors, addition, subtraction, and counting up to five.

Experts created Kokoro in neuropsychology and early childhood to help children with cognitive and emotional development through game-based learning . The skills and knowledge your child develops from this app can also apply to other aspects of their lives.

Kokoro’s one hundred games and activities provide a personalized experience for your child’s level. Kokoro can help your young one learn how to play instruments, solve problems, count, and express their creativity.

Kokoro Kids features tasks and concepts that complement preschool and school activities. Additionally, Kokoro Kids is made of resources for the early stimulation and development of multiple intelligences and basic cognitive skills.

The tool also helps kids to manage primary emotions such as anger, frustration, generosity, or empathy.

The Kokoro learning method also incorporates artificial intelligence to allocate appropriate content at the right time, increase difficulty in areas where the child stands out, and reinforce the less developed areas.

The tool adheres to security protocols that guarantee safety for your kid and filters out inappropriate content and ads.

Check Out : Best Slope Game Alternatives

7. Dr. Panda Town Tales – iPad Game For 5 Year Olds and 6-Year-Olds

Dr. Panda is an exciting role-playing game that sets your kid on a wondrous adventure in Dr. Panda Town. The game features 40 action-packed locations and combines endless fun with learning most creatively.

The game allows your child to explore Panda Town with 35 fun and diverse characters alongside bright and colorful graphics.

You can personalize the gameplay for your kid by selecting a location that resembles a real-life scenario to let them experience things in a world without consequences.

The free game also allows you to create characters in the character creator feature. Your kid can choose from multiple hairstyles available, noses, eyes, and more. You can also role-play and develop stories to play out.

Dr. Panda records screen activities in the video maker mode, but don’t worry, as the recordings are only saved locally on your device and never shared by the app.

The tool is ideal for children aged five and up who’d love to explore the world using different characters combined with fun adventures along the way.

This game has a free version and it offers in-app purchases for additional content and features.

Also Read : Best Games Like Blooket

8. Preschool & Kindergarten Games

Preschool & Kindergarten Games are free tools that allow kids to experience fun with 30 interactive educational games . This tool has curated great games and lessons used by millions of parents across the world to entertain and educate kids.

The app also helps children to become enthusiastic about crucial school subjects such as spelling and reading. Preschool & Kindergarten Games app features colorful graphics, fun sound effects, and helpful voice narrating.

The Preschool & Kindergarten Games tool is designed based on real kindergarten and preschool curriculums and follows the common core standards.

The reading lessons include learning letters using helpful pictures and voices, letter tracing, the alphabet, lower and upper cases, and phonics.

Math games include counting, addition, number tracing, missing numbers, counting down, and ordinal number, among others.

The app also has advanced features like lesson builders, multiple-user support, detailed progress reports, and avatars.

9. Way of the Turtle

Way of the Turtle is a charming adventure app that takes your kid on a journey to reunite two turtles stranded on a tropical island in a nowhere land.

The island does not look so innocent at first glance, as it is made of elements that transform into difficult obstacles and vicious monsters.

The best thing is that not everything will work against your kid who’s interested in having a good time on the app. Your child can be friends with the natives inhabiting the island to help them in their quest to get back home.

Way of the Turtle also immerses your young one in a breathtaking 3D world with modern rendering technology and cinematic cameras. It keeps them in control with its easy and smooth controls that enable simple touch gestures with no on-screen buttons to control your character.

The game is appropriate for kids aged four and above and is appropriately paced with fun sliding down parts.

10. Dodo Peak

Another exciting free iPad app game for 5-year-olds is Dodo Peak. Dodo Peak gets your kid to play as a dodo bird trying to save its eggs and find and rescue its lost babies from multiple dangerous peaks.

This game is a throwback to the classic arcade platforms but with a modern twist. The goal of the game is to maneuver back home while avoiding enemies and obstacles at all costs.

The player should collect coins, grab powerups for extra speed and super strength, dodge sneaky snakes, avoid monkeys, and reach for the best time across a breathtaking variety of crafted islands.

Your kid can also unlock new and faster dodos to tackle more challenging levels. The game has simple touch controls that five-year-olds can quickly learn and is an excellent tool for short play sessions on transit or long playtimes on the couch.

Dodo is exciting but not an easy endeavor. Your child is expected to overcome a series of obstacles that are after the eggs, and if they pass an obstacle, they earn coins.

Overall the game gives kids a mind-blowing interface, great graphics, simple controls, and various environments, including islands, hills, volcanoes, and leaderboards.

Also Read : Is Wordle Too Easy? Try These Harder Alternatives

11. Sago Mini World: Kids Games

Sago Mini World is a perfect iPad app for 5-year-olds who love to engage with thoughtfully-designed games that spark curiosity. This game is made of over 40 award-winning games that immerse your kid into hours of creative and interactive play.

The game allows your child to explore outer space to build a robot, meet dinosaur friends, become a superhero, or serve customers at a diner, among others. Additionally, there are a lot of Sago mini friends that your child can play with together with their custom characters.

Sago gives children the freedom to explore and play in their own ways. They can only be limited by their imagination. They can delight in activities that encourage empathy, self-confidence, and self-expression, which are crucial for your child’s developing mind.

Sago Mini World promises safe and positive screen time for your child, as it is Kid-Safe certified and has no ads. It is designed for intuitive gameplay and is more fun if you join your little one from time to time.

Check Out : Wordle vs Quordle

12. LEGO DUPLO WORLD – Free iPad Game for 4 Year Olds & 5 Year Olds 

Last on our list of the best free iPad games for 5-year-olds is LEGO DUPLO WORLD. The game is well aligned to meet the learning needs of 2- to 5-year-olds.

The game is packed with open-ended experiences featuring buildings, animals, trains, and exciting vehicles to inspire your child’s creativity and imagination through learning .

Each activity targets key learning elements for toddlers and preschoolers. It also has a parent center where you can read through the learning benefits of each game activity.

Your child can explore and discover how everything works independently and get a chance to build structures using the 3D bricks to stimulate their creativity.

The game supports multi-touch so that you can play together with your kid. The app is free to download and play but also has optional paid content.

Best Free iPad Games For 5 Year Olds – Final Words

Choosing the right tool ensures that your child is occupied while learning basic skills, so go ahead and pick kid-friendly games based on their interests.

However, make sure that you also limit their screen time and encourage them to play outdoors to enhance their overall well-being

I do not advocate for these games to completely replace their physical toys and activities, but there’s no doubt that the games will improve your kid’s essential, skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive abilities.

Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing. I started my first e-commerce company in college, designing and selling t-shirts for my campus bar crawl using print-on-demand. Having successfully established multiple 6 & 7-figure e-commerce businesses (in women’s fashion and hiking gear), I think I can share a tip or 2 to help you succeed.

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Best Apps for 5- and 6-Year Olds

The world of 5- and 6-year-olds is bustling with activity. In this selection, you'll find apps that make learning enjoyable and engaging, with a focus on educational content. Our curated selection of apps have been tried and tested, ensuring they are age-appropriate, safe, and beneficial for your child's development. These apps can complement a child's learning journey by introducing them to reading and math through interactive play.

Here is the list of the best apps for 5 year olds that make learning an adventure filled with joy and discovery.

1. Ahaaa Math

Ahaaa Math is an app designed for users in grades PreK-5 to develop and master math skills. It takes a game-based approach to supporting learners and boasts a huge number of CCSS-aligned games and activities.

Devices : Android, iPhone, iPad

2. Magic Kids

Magic Kids offers a cutting-edge, video game-style immersive learning experience tailored for children aged 5 to 8. Within the app, interactive and educational games unfold, featuring captivating characters, stunning locations, and engaging narratives. The 3D world hosts over 100 activities, updated monthly, to enhance skills in reading, spelling, logic, creativity, mathematics, social intelligence, and more.

Q-files is a web-based collection of 2000+ articles written for kids between 6 and 13. The articles cover many subjects, including math, history, science, and general interest. It forms an engaging, accurate, and good-value web-based encyclopaedia with all of its content verified by experts in the field. The articles include richly-drawn illustrations, photographs, and diagrams; some have accompanying quizzes and videos.

Devices : Works on any devices with web browsers

4. LogicLike: Kids Learning App

LogicLike is a collection of brain training games for kids. It helps develop logical and problem-solving skills in a fun and engaging way. The games include math problems, spatial thinking games, logical problems, smart counting, memory, and other entertaining and engaging puzzles for kids.

5. Endless Alphabet

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.

6. Motion Math

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.

Devices : iPhone

7. MentalUP Educational Games

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.

8. Monkey Word School Adventure

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.

How to Choose the Best Apps for 5-6 Year Olds

Selecting the apps for your child involves various considerations to ensure they cater to their unique needs and learning stage. Here are some tips to help you make an informed choice:

Educational Value

Look for apps that offer educational value, such as those teaching basic math, language skills, colors, shapes, and logical thinking.

Select interactive apps with games, songs, and stories to make learning enjoyable and maintain your child's interest.

Safety and Privacy

Verify the app's safety and privacy policy to protect your child from inappropriate content and data misuse.

Dig into this curated list of highly rated apps for 5 and 6 year olds. There's a spread of content areas from maths to science to social studies to social-emotional learning.

Apps by Age and Grade

• Middle School Apps
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21 Free Educational Apps for Kids

Charise Rohm Nulsen

Educational apps are a great and fun way to keep your kids learning outside of the classroom, but the cost of all those apps can add up fast. Luckily, there are plenty of free apps for kids that are both educational and fun but won't break the bank.

The learning apps for kids on our list are engaging with options for kids of all ages. Kids can learn at their own pace, and better yet, they do so efficiently in ways that prevent the need for too much screen time. The best learning apps inspire curiosity, educate, and bring on the fun with many of them being used in the classroom by elementary school educators.

Check out our choices for the best educational apps for kids below!

Related: 40 Educational Shows for Kids You Can Stream Now

1. Thinkrolls Play & Code

Discover  Thinkrolls Play & Code

Thinkrolls Play & Code allows young kids to solve puzzles, work through complex challenges, and create their own adventures with a wealth of pre-coding concepts baked into every move! Young ones will build their critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills by playing their way through over 1,000 Arcade Logic Puzzles and maze courses. Kids will work out solutions to math and physics challenges as they roll and bounce their way through different mazes.

2. Fact Monster

Discover Fact Monster

Fact Monster is an excellent option for educational games. Learning games and videos range in topics, from science to language arts to math and so much more! Fact Monster also combines essential reference materials, flashcards, fun facts, and homework help for kids. Kids 5 years old and up will love how Fact Monster makes learning fun. Check out Fact Monster to learn more. 

3. Poptropica

Discover Poptropica

This free story-based game allows kids to customize their own characters, complete quests, and play with friends in a safe environment. Kids love creating their avatars and finishing quests for prizes. This app is best for ages 6 to 12, and it is for Android and iOS.

4. Coolmath Games

Discover  Coolmath Games

Coolmath Games features math activities and games for anyone ages 13 to 100. Coolmath Games is a brain-training app, where logic & thinking meet fun and games. These games have no violence, no empty action, just a lot of challenges that will make you forget you're getting a mental workout! Escaping pigs, flying zombies, a bear who loves riding scooters, and much more! This app is for iOS and Android.

5. PlayKids

Discover  PlayKids

PlayKids is one of the most engaging and free educational apps for kids, offering a rich library of interactive games, videos, and books that aim to make learning fun and stimulating. It creates a safe, ad-free environment for kids to explore new concepts and skills at their own pace. The app covers a broad range of subjects, from math and science to language and creativity, catering to various interests and learning styles. Find it on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

6. Khan Academy Kids

Discover   Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy Kids is one of the most popular math apps providing a free, fun educational program for children ages two to eight. It was developed in collaboration with learning experts at Stanford and aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards. It also focuses on the whole child and incorporates social-emotional learning skills. Learn more about Khan Academy Kids here. You can find it in the Apple App Store, on Google Play, and in the Amazon App Store.

7. Fish School

Discover   Fish School

Fish School exposes your preschooler to important concepts like letters, numbers, shapes, colors, matching, and more. Brightly colored schools of fish form letters, shapes, and numbers 1–20, and your child can make the fish swim and do funny things with a simple touch and drag. Fish School is the winner of a Parents' Choice Gold Award and a Children's Technology Review Editor's Choice Award. This app is best for ages 2 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

8. PBS Kids Games

Discover   PBS Kids Games

PBS has created hundreds of games based on their popular children's shows. The games for each show fit in with their learning theme. Learn math with Peg + Cat. Explore creature powers with the Kratt Brothers. Or go on a space adventure with the kids from Ready, Jet Go! If your child loves PBS shows, they're going to love learning with their favorite characters. This app is best for ages 2 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

9. Pizza Fractions 1

Discover   Pizza Fractions 1

Does your elementary-aged kid need some extra help with fractions? What more delicious way to illustrate the concept than with pizza? Pizza Fractions 1 gives your child a visual approach to fractions with denominators 1–12 (excluding sevenths and elevenths), and adjustable difficulty levels let beginners start with the basics and progress as they learn. Math has never been so tasty! This app is best for ages 6 and up, and it is for iOS.

10. Science360

Discover   Science360

The National Science Foundation's Science360 app (for tablets only) brings cutting-edge science and engineering news, images, and video right to your child's fingertips. All content is either produced by the NSF or gathered from scientists and universities around the world, so you can be assured that your child is receiving the best quality information out there, and new content is added every week. Your kid will love the cool 360-degree view that lets him explore images from every angle. This app is best for ages 12 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

11. NASA Visualization Explorer

Discover   NASA Visualization Explorer

NASA Visualization Explorer, or NASA Viz, is the coolest way to explore the latest news and stories about the Earth, the sun, and the universe. The app features stunning images and video from space and animations that can make challenging concepts easier to understand. Older kids will love diving into everything this app has to offer on their own, and your younger ones can begin learning about the planets and stars with your help. This app is best for ages 7 and up, and it is for Android.

12. Toca Kitchen Monsters

Discover   Toca Kitchen Monsters

Toca Kitchen Monsters is the free version of the popular Toca Kitchen app. Cook up food for two hungry monsters using eight different ingredients combined in various ways. But be careful not to season the food too much, or the monsters just might spit it back at you! Like other Toca Boca games, the emphasis is on free, open play, where your child's imagination can run wild. Note that Toca Kitchen Monsters is available on iOS only. Toca Kitchen 1 and 2 are available for free on Android devices. This app is best for ages 3 and up.

13. Vocabulary Spelling City

Discover   Vocabulary Spelling City

Spelling tests can be stressful at any grade level, but Vocabulary Spelling City makes learning vocabulary and spelling fun with games like Word Unscramble and HangMouse. Students of all ages can use the free app to play nine games with 10 of the app's most popular word lists. You can even upload a customized word list to Vocabulary Spelling City's website for your child to use in the app. For families who want a more expansive experience, a premium version of the app with five student accounts is available for a yearly subscription. This app is best for ages 6 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

14. Todo Math

Discover   Todo Math

Designed for kids in pre-K through second grade, Todo Math takes your child on a daily math adventure. There is a 10–15 minute practice drill available each day, a Mission Mode for tackling early word problems, and a Free Play mode. The app has won multiple awards, including a Parents' Choice Gold Award and a five-star rating on Common Sense Media. The free app contains a basic version of every game, and the full version is available on a subscription basis. This app is best for ages 5 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

15. Scratch Jr.

Discover   Scratch Jr.

Scratch Jr. teaches children as young as five the basics of coding. Designed by researchers at Tufts University and MIT, the app was inspired by the Scratch programming language and redesigned for a younger audience. Your child can make the app's adorable characters move, jump, and even dance and sing by snapping together different programming blocks. In addition to learning how to code, he'll also be learning problem-solving, design, and how to create his own story. This app is best for ages 5 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

16. Endless Numbers

Discover   Endless Numbers

A follow-up to the popular Endless Alphabet, Endless Numbers helps preschoolers learn number recognition, patterns, sequences, and more with the help of adorable monsters. Five numbers are included in the free app, and you can purchase additional number packs for numbers up to 100 ($6.99 for numbers 1–25 and $11.99 for 26–100, or $14.99 for all numbers 1–100). This app is best for ages 3 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

17. Pet Bingo by Duck Duck Moose

Discover  Pet Bingo

Pet Bingo is a fun and cute way for your kids to develop math skills through play. The problems slant toward an older audience, with bingo games designed to test math skills through primary school (e.g. 4-digit addition and subtraction). There is a free and premium version of this app. This app is best for ages 4 and up, and it is for Android and iOS.

18. Endless Reader

Discover   Endless Reader

Endless Reader, by the makers of Endless Numbers, uses nifty graphics and fun word puzzles to bring sight words and short sentences to life for early readers. The app offers a pack of six words for kids to learn, with additional "Reader Packs" available to buy within the app ($4.99 per pack; $11.99 for a bundle of packs). This app is best for ages 4 and up, and it is for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

19. Duolingo

Discover   Duolingo

Your youngster will be speaking Spanish (or French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and much more) in no time! PC Magazine awarded this app the Editors' Choice for Language Learning. It's full of bite-sized lessons geared toward visual learners. Kids (and adults) win badges for words learned and other achievements. Some languages even include conversation exercises with Duolingo's bots to help learn speaking skills. This app is best for ages 6 and up, and it is available as a website and for Android and iOS.

Discover   Epic

Epic does have a cost, but many families can access it for free through their school systems. Educators can also access the app for free. Epic helps to personalize daily reading with age and level-appropriate recommendations fueled by kids’ interests. There are endless books, videos, and more to fuel their curiosity and love of reading. This app is for kids 12 and under. You can use it as a website or you can download it on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

21. The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends - Play and Explore

Discover   The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends - Play and Explore

The beloved characters of Eric Carle are now available in The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends - Play & Explore, a stunning 3D pop-up app featuring games and activities for tablets and mobile phones. Younger kids will love seeing all of their favorite characters from the Eric Carle books, and they will also learn counting, sorting, and memory skills. This app is for little ones and is available on iOS, Android, and Amazon App Store.

Parenting and learning can sometimes be tricky, but luckily there are all these free apps out there! Looking for more free parent-approved content? Check out 10 Podcasts for Kids that Parents Will Enjoy Too .

• factmonster.com. Fact Monster. 2023. https://www.factmonster.com/
• learn.khanacademy.org. Khan Academy Kids. 2023. https://learn.khanacademy.org/khan-academy-kids/
• getepic.com. Book Reading App. 2023. https://www.getepic.com/

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18 Best iPad Apps for Kids to Keep Them Engaged

iPad apps offer a range of entertainment options for kids, including games, interactive storytelling, videos and shows, and creative tools. These apps can provide an entertaining way for kids to learn new skills and concepts while also having fun.

Whether it's developing problem-solving skills through games, sparking imagination through interactive storytelling, or expressing ingenuity through creative tools, good apps can provide a valuable source of entertainment and learning for kids.

However, with so many alternatives available in app stores, choosing the best ones can be daunting for parents. But don't worry; we've got you covered! In this blog post, you will explore the best iPad apps for kids that will keep them entertained and stimulate their cognitive skills.

Favorite iPad Apps for Kids

It is essential for kids to engage with apps that provide both educational value and entertainment. Not only does this make learning more enjoyable for kids, but it also ensures that they retain information better.

Let's take a closer look at some of the best iPad learning apps for kids that teach different subjects while ensuring that they have fun.

1. Learn to Read - Duolingo ABC

Duolingo ABC is a fun and interactive app designed to help young children learn how to read. With its colorful animations and engaging games, it is one of the best reading apps for kids iPad.

The app teaches children about phonics, letter recognition, and basic reading skills in an entertaining way. It also features an interactive parent dashboard for parents to monitor their child's language development.

• Price: Free
• Best for kids aged 3 to 6
• Support available: Email and help center
• Google Play

2. MentalUP Brain Games

MentalUP is the ultimate app that kids love, and parents trust! It is a scientifically designed learning app created by educators, academicians, pedagogical experts, and game developers to provide kids with the most engaging and beneficial learning experience possible.

With its innovative approach to learning, the app is recognized by leading universities, like Troy, Washington, and Indiana, and has even received the Evidence of Impact award from University College London for its academic contribution.

What sets MentalUP apart from other learning apps is its adaptive algorithms. Using this technology, the app constantly tests kids and provides them with brain training games and exercises tailored to their needs, interests, and skills.

The app features 150+ brain training games and 240+ fitness exercises for kids of all ages, making it accessible to all. MentalUP is a rare resource that helps kids holistically expand their development in a safe and enjoyable way because it has no ads.

With MentalUP , your child can unlock their full potential and take their skills to the next level. Don’t forget that it is available on any PC, tablet, or smartphone. So your children can use it anytime and anywhere. 🎮

Also, you can benefit from MentalUP’s rich performance-tracking and reporting tools to track your kids' progress and development. So what are you waiting for? 🚀

Give your child the ultimate gift of cognitive and physical development with MentalUP today. Let's make learning fun and exciting for your child. 🎁

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• Price: Regional price
• Best for kids of all ages

3. OLogy: Science for Kids

OLogy: Science for Kids is an app that introduces children to the world of science through interactive games, videos, and articles. If your kid is interested in science, this might be one of the best free educational apps for kids iPad arsenal.

The app covers a variety of topics, including biology, earth science, and astronomy, and is designed to promote curiosity and critical thinking . It is also ad-free, which makes it a great resource for learning about science topics in a fun and safe way.

• Best for kids aged 8 to 12
• Support available: Email

4. Toca Life World: Build a Story

This is one of the best kids apps for iPad that encourages creativity and imagination through an open-ended play experience. It is a fun game app that allows kids to build their own stories.

The app encourages kids to create scenarios by designing their own characters, buildings, and even settings, which makes it one of the most engaging apps for kids. The app includes all the other Toca Life games and activities and can be used on both Android and iOS devices.

• Price: Free with in-app purchases
• Best for kids aged 6 to 12

5. Sago Mini Friends

Sago Mini Friends is an app that promotes social and emotional development through interactive play. It is one of the best iPad gaming apps for kids that promotes empathy, creativity, and sharing with others.

The app allows kids to explore a virtual world filled with colorful characters and engaging activities, including puzzles , mini-games, and dress-up. Plus, it is ad-free and can be used in online and offline modes.

• Price: $3.99
• Best for kids aged 2 to 5

6. Zen Studio - Meditation for Kids

Zen Studio is a finger painting app that allows children to create digital artwork using a variety of tools and colors. The app features a blank canvas where children can paint using their fingers, as well as tools, such as paintbrushes, markers, and spray paint.

The app also features stickers and stamps that children can use to decorate their artwork. So it is one of the best creative apps for kids on iPad that provides a calming and stress-free environment for children to express their creativity.

7. HOMER: Fun Learning for Kids

Homer is an educational app that offers personalized learning programs for children ages 2-8. The app covers a variety of topics, including reading, math , and social-emotional skills.

Homer is one of the best apps for iPad kids can use for a personalized learning path based on their age, interests, and learning level. Also, this alternative which is one of the best apps for schools , provides kids with an engaging learning experience with interactive games, stories, and songs that are designed to make learning fun.

• Best for kids aged 2 to 8
• Support available: Help center

As a parent, you want to make sure that your child is getting the most out of their screen time and boost him or her skills with and entertaining way. Choosing the right iPad learning apps for kids can make all the difference in their development and growth.

The certified learning games app MentalUP was created by academicians, game developers, and educators with a holistic and innovative approach to learning. It is the ultimate app that provides kids with both brain training games and physical education exercises . 👍

You don’t need to waste your time trying to find a safe and fun learning app for your kids. If you want your child to excel in school and beyond, choose MentalUP . ✨

GIVE MENTALUP A TRY

8. Trace It, Try It - Handwriting Exercises for Kids

Trace It, Try It is a handwriting app that helps children practice their writing skills through a variety of exercises and tracing activities. With its contribution to kids' fine motor and handwriting skills, it is among the best educational kids apps for iPad users.

The app features a wide range of tracing and writing activities that can improve kids' letter formation and in turn, handwriting. It also includes fun animations and sound effects to keep kids engaged for a long time.

• Best for kids aged 4 to 8
• Support available: In-app support

9. PBS KIDS Video

This is among the best apps for kids on iPad who enjoy watching fun videos and cartoons. PBS KIDS Video is an app that offers a variety of educational videos from the PBS KIDS television series.

The app includes content from popular shows, such as Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, and Sesame Street. The videos cover a wide range of topics, including math, science, and social-emotional learning.

10. Bugs and Buttons

Bugs and Buttons is an educational app that helps children develop cognitive and fine motor skills through a variety of mini-games. It is one of the best apps for kids on the iPad, especially for toddlers.

The app includes 18 different games, each designed to help children learn and practice a specific skill, such as counting, sorting, and matching. It is also a great resource for helping kids expand their pattern recognition, hand-eye coordination, and critical thinking skills.

• Price: $2.99

11. WWF Together

This is one of the best free iPad apps for kids and adults alike. WWF Together is an educational app that teaches individuals about the world's wildlife through interactive experiences.

The app includes features such as videos, photos, and 3D interactive models of animals. It also includes information on conservation efforts and ways that children can get involved. So if you want to promote kids' environmental awareness and help them expand their naturalistic skills, you can check out this app.

• Suitable for kids of all ages
• Support available: Email and in-app support

12. Tynker: Coding for Kids

Tynker is an educational app that teaches children the basics of coding through interactive games and activities. It might be one of the best educational apps for iPad for kids as it helps them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The app features over 2,000 coding activities, including puzzles, games, and quizzes. It provides kids with a comprehensive coding curriculum, including a variety of step-by-step coding lessons and tutorials.

• Best for kids aged 5 to 18

13. PJ Masks: Moonlight Heroes

This is among the best iPad gaming apps for kids on every list as it is a game app based on the popular children's TV show PJ Masks. It is a great alternative for enabling kids to practice their cognitive skills while staying entertained.

The app allows children to play as their favorite PJ Masks characters and complete missions using a variety of tools and gadgets. It includes features such as puzzles, mini-games, and interactive stories.

14. Petting Zoo by C. Niemann

Petting Zoo is an interactive app that allows children to engage with hand-drawn animals through touch and sound. The app includes 21 animated animals, which respond to children's touch and movement with various sounds and animations.

The app provides children with a fun and interactive way to develop their cognitive skills by exploring cause-and-effect relationships, hand-eye coordination , and creativity. So it may be one of the best apps for kids iPad provides.

15. Dumb Ways JR Boffo's Breakfast

Dumb Ways JR Boffo's Breakfast is a fun and educational game designed for young children. The game features Boffo the Clown, who needs help preparing breakfast for his circus friends.

The app is great for sparking kids’ cognitive skills, such as attention, memory , and problem solving, by presenting children with fun and engaging challenges. It also helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills by requiring children to use touch-and-drag movements.

16. Leeloo AAC

This is one of the best iPad apps for kids with autism. It is a communication app designed for children with autism and other speech disorders. Developed with AAC and PECS principles, the app features a wide range of cards to help children express themselves.

The app is great for cognitive skills, such as attention, memory, and communication. It also promotes social and emotional development by helping children connect with others and express their needs and feelings.

• Best for kids aged 3 years old and up

17. Tayasui Sketches

Tayasui Sketches is a digital sketchbook and drawing app that allows children to create their own artwork using a variety of brushes, colors, and textures. It is among the best iPad drawing apps for kids who enjoy drawing.

The app features a simple and intuitive interface with a range of tools and options for children to experiment with. It promotes children's cognitive skills, such as attention, perception, and creativity .

It also accelerates the development of kids' fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination by requiring them to use touch-and-drag movements.

• Best for kids aged 6 years and up

18. Kids Autism Games - AutiSpark

This is one of the best iPad apps for autistic kids who enjoy playing games. The app offers an educational program especially made for children with autism. It features a wide range of games, activities , and puzzles that teach them basic math and linguistic skills.

The app is also great for expanding cognitive abilities, such as memory, visual recognition, attention, as well as social and emotional skills. So it is a great option for helping kids to keep core concepts in mind and learn the basic skills needed on a daily basis.

• Best for kids aged 2 to 8 years old

Are you tired of sifting through endless learning apps for your child? Look no further than MentalUP - the top-rated app that is trusted by parents and educators around the world! 👪

With its captivating games and challenging activities, MentalUP is designed to help your child develop essential skills like memory , attention , and problem-solving . It's the perfect tool to ensure your child's screen time is both entertaining and educational. 👏

What makes MentalUP stand out is its fun and interactive approach to learning. With personalized programs that cater to each child's unique needs and progress, MentalUP keeps kids motivated to learn and achieve their full potential. 🏆

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The Best iPad Apps for Kids Features Summary Table

Tips to Choose the Best iPad Learning Apps for Kids

It's essential to choose apps that are age-appropriate, engaging, and designed to meet your child's specific needs. Here are a few additional tips to help you choose the best iPad learning apps for your child:

• Look for apps that are designed by reputable developers and have positive reviews from other parents and educators.
• Check if the app has any awards or recognition from trusted organizations.
• Consider apps that focus on developing specific skills, such as reading, math, or problem solving.
• Search for apps that offer a range of activities and cater to different learning styles.
• Prefer apps with clear navigation and intuitive controls to keep kids engaged.
• Make sure the app is not only educational but also enjoyable.
• Check if the app offers game-like elements, fun animations, or interactive features to keep kids interested.
• Beware of apps that have too many in-app purchases, as they can be distracting.
• Try to choose ad-free apps if possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

So far, we have evaluated the best iPad apps for kids to help you choose the right ones for your kid. If you still have some questions left in your mind, let’s take a look at the most commonly asked questions about the best kids apps for iPad users.

What are the best free iPad apps for kids?

The answer to this question depends on your kid’s interests, age, and skills. However, PBS, Duolingo, and OLogy can be examples of the best free iPad apps for kids.

What are the best learning apps for kids on iPad?

Some of the best learning apps for kids on iPad include MentalUP, Homer, and Sago Mini Friends due to their interactive features and extensive educational content.

What are the teacher approved iPad apps for kids?

MentalUP, OLogy, HOMER, Leeloo AAC, PBS Kids, and Trace It Try It are teacher-approved iPad apps for kids.

We all know that children are our future. Therefore, when choosing the right apps for them, it is essential to be aware of the educational values of the apps and if they are safe and provide entertainment for kids.

Whatever your kid’s needs are, MentalUP is here to help. With its wide range of content, intriguing layout, and exciting features, like screen-time limiting and performance tracking , it can be your partner in crime to provide your kids with a continuous learning experience. 🎉

Additionally, it has no ads to provide kids of all ages with a safe learning environment where they can practice their skills effectively. It is time to use MentalUP to enable your kid to reach their learning and developmental goals! 🎓

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Top 18 best educational kids games for iPhone and iPad (iOS)

Some scholarly kids games to play on your iPhone and iPad

Children are put in front of screens quite often these days, and with the variety of educational and kid-friendly apps, I totally understand why. However, note that none of these educational kids' games will substitute the real methodical education, they are rather here to keep them interested and hooked up to learn and educate themselves!

If you’d like your child to lean towards the more scholarly route when it comes to their screen time, we have compiled a list of the best educational games that are children friendly to play on your iOS device! That said, I’d also suggest picking up a strong case if you’re going to let young ones play!

• Take a quick glance at our list of the best free phone games in 2023 !

Click through below to find out what are, in our opinion, the 18 best educational kids' games on iPhone & iPad.

1 Metamorphabet

Metamorphabet is the most wonderful alphabet-learning game out there. Each screen shows you a letter that you can pinch, zoom, tap, and otherwise play with to reveal words that start with this letter. A calm voice reads you the words, tells you what the letter is called and allows you to explore.

Once you have discovered all the words that letter has to offer, a star appears, and in your own time, you can tap to move on to the next letter. It’s a very engaging way to look at the alphabet.

2 Ruffy the Husky: On Ice

Taking you into the article, Ruffy the Husky: On Ice gives you an adorable dog to help you solve a bunch of different little puzzles and games. This app can help children identify shapes, learn to count, listen to animal noises, practice speaking and more. There are a bunch of other cute characters that are also featured, from penguins to seals, which will keep any animal lover captivated as they learn more.

The top one, however, would have to be the husky. This smart dog has a super entertaining way of teaching toddlers and pre-schoolers the shapes, numbers and alphabet, and have a blast while doing so.

Tappity is a science game for ages 4 and up, which breaks down a variety of topics from outer space, to dinosaurs, to tectonic plates and explains them in bite-sized games that any child will enjoy. It's one of our top picks in terms of educational apps because it showcases a little bit of everything.

The game has its own teacher, who walks you through each area, explaining more as you go along. There are interactive experiences, choices to be made, and more in this game, which really brings a fun twist to education!

4 Oinky the Piggy: On Farm

More for toddlers and preschoolers, Oinky the Piggy: On Farm allows younger children to solve sliding puzzles, and then interact with animals. This game is completely focused on barnyard animals, introducing them to the player through these sliding puzzles, before allowing the player to watch them play around on the farm, eat, grow and make sounds.

It’s a familiar world as every child has grown up playing some sort of farmyard game, understanding animals, but this time it’s taken to the digital world. The best part, however, has to be the puzzles. They're as entertaining as physical puzzles and equally challenging.

5 Masha and the Bear Educational

Masha and the Bear Educational is a single app that has a lot of different mini-games within the app that showcase different learning skills. Masha and the Bear is a children's TV show, so this game has the two main characters of that TV show going on an adventure! On the main screen of the game, children can pick from a bunch of different categories; math-related games, spelling games, reading games, and even musical games. Each category then has a bunch of simple to play games within them, that showcase this skill. It's great for children who like playing a variety of games and jump between them quickly.

6 The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Based on the classic children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar has a lot to offer in its 3D book form, providing a variety of games which help you learn to count, sort and about healthy eating (we wouldn’t want our caterpillar eating too many sweets!) Sprinkled between games are facts about real-life animals - which are just as fun to learn about after you’ve been playing.

This beautiful app is the equivalent of the physical 3D book, with pop-ups and what looks like stunning hand-drawn graphics. It's brilliant.

7 Coco – Educational Game

Another variety game for younger players, aged 5 to 10 years old, Coco focuses on a bunch of children’s puzzles, from math games to memory games to keep children entertained.

The interface for this game is quite soft in color and design, which is quite appealing for children both young and old, and the variety of puzzles and games are very nice - it is worth noting that the game does work for free for a week, then is subscription-based, depending on what you want to use it for.

8 Pinky the Hippo: In the Wild

Pinky the Hippo: In the Wild focuses on teaching children age two and up about colours, jungle animals, and languages. The interface is very child-friendly, with cute animals that can easily have their environment coloured and explored. You can see their shelters and their world, as well as learn about the noises they make. You can also learn different languages through the app, learning how words are said and should sound.

It's an app that will be well-liked by kids, with beautiful graphics and an entertaining play style. That's exactly what makes it one of the best educational kids games for iPhones even today.

9 Endless Alphabet

Endless Alphabet is an interesting app where you are able to select a word, then watch the letters run away, and bring them back to place. These letters are lifelike, wiggling and attempting to get away, but once the word is complete, they all animate together and the game explains what the word means, teaching you exactly what you have been creating.

This is much more than teaching the alphabet. It brings a lot of joy to reading, so it's on our list of best educational kids games for iOS for a reason. Make sure you check it out.

10 Baby Panda's School Bus

Baby Panda's School Bus is a bright and colorful game that has children taking on a bunch of different puzzles, that they can learn from! The game has a big focus on buckling up and driving the bus around, going to various locations where mini-games are waiting. Your child will be taking children to the hospital for check ups, rescuing people who have gotten themselves into dangerous situations, and even bringing your car to a car wash! There are little mini-games around understanding numbers and colors, as well as learning day to day skills. It's a really well made kid's game!

11 Montessorium: Intro to Colors

A look into coloring, Montessorium: Intro to Colors aims to teach you the basic foundations of primary and secondary colors, shades, gradients, names of colors, mixing colors, and practicing fine motor skills. You are able to paint canvases, bringing the world to life in your own way. There are recaps throughout the app, testing to see if you can listen to the name of a color, find it, and select it.

This game is not only beautiful but also oddly satisfying. You'll get to enjoy a world filled with colour and gradients, and let's be honest - it is great for adults too (if you want a beautiful and relaxing game)!

12 Star Walk Kids: Astronomy Game

Made for children aged 6 and above, Star Walk Kids teaches you more about the galaxy. Unlike other apps about the stars, this game is kid-friendly, providing a good interface for younger audiences. You can explore the solar system, see constellations, find the ISS and Hubble - as well as view different animated videos that give more facts and details about what can be found in outer space.

It’s a great dive into the world beyond ours. It should really be included on the list of educational games that you'd play with your kids on your iPhone.

13 Where's My Water? 2

What should you do when your kid does not want to play a regular educational game? That's right! You should find a game that will be both useful and exciting for your child. Where's My Water? 2 is a great game where your kid will have to solve puzzles and complete levels.

In the game, you will find more than 100 interesting levels, cute graphics, and an adorable soundtrack. Moreover, you will find challenge modes that make the puzzles more complicated for older children. Also, your kid can use the hints if he gets stuck.

14 Quick Math Jr.

Quick Math Jr. allows you to adjust the difficulty depending on the age, for 3 and up, learning through different maths games as you play. Questions can be answered in the form of multiple-choice or you can use your finger (or a stylist) to write in the answers, practicing handwriting as you learn.

Quick Math Jr. also has little monster characters that you can create, to help you connect with the games that you are playing. It's actually quite fun from an adult perspective and makes math pleasant and easy to learn for children.

15 Shape Gurus

Shape Gurus aims to teach younger children to identify shapes and place them into their slots, creating larger pictures that can then come to life. They can play mini-games where they must find the shape that doesn’t match the others and ones that can be sorted by size. Creating pictures is where the real fun begins, as shapes are placed into slots, creating more of a picture.

This is the ideal game for pre-schoolers, and it's easy to see why - it's simple to get into, it's fun, and it's highly educational. Everything you could want in one place.

16 Minecraft: Education Edition

Minecraft is a big platform that works like a game engine. Inside the game, you can make a bunch of different content, mechanics, and add interactive elements.

In addition, Minecraft is understandable to children. It is easy to learn due to its simplicity and accessibility, plus, it is convenient that the game has a large children's audience. That is why Minecraft has become a popular tool in education: it is a convenient platform for creating content, and the interest of children around the world in it is huge.

17 Math Bingo

Math Bingo does exactly what the name says - allows younger children to play bingo by answering math questions and putting little bugs on the correct number of a bingo card. To make things more challenging, a timer can be added to see if you can answer the math question in a swift manner. Though the game itself is simple, it’s a fun way to practice mental math.

And with Math Bingo we are closing our list of best educational kids' games for iPhone and iPad! Hopefully, you found the games you were looking for on this list, and if you've got some more title suggestions for us, make sure to let us know!

18 Sago Mini World

Sago Mini World is a game full of games - with over 40 to choose from, there is a lot to keep a young one busy! Instead of focusing on Math and Reading skills, Sago Mini World focuses on understanding feelings and being accepting. There are diverse characters that your child can meet and help out. They can learn what makes characters happy and what makes them frustrated or upset. There is also a lot of freeform play, so kids can build confidence while playing this game!

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9 iPad Games for Kids of All Ages

Keep them happy and engaged with these educational and fun apps

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The iPad can be the ultimate family entertainment system, with tons of games and entertaining apps that are perfect for kids of all ages. Every game for iOS has a minimum age rating so that you can tell if the game is right for your child.

Many games are free downloads that offer in-app purchases. Other games cost between $.99 and $2.99, with the expensive games rarely going for more than $6, so you don't have to break into your kids' piggy bank to pay for their entertainment.

Turn off in-app purchases before installing games on iPad for your kids. Some games can seem like a great deal until you get the bill with the in-app purchases.

'Candy Crush Saga'

Fantastic artwork and unique board designs.

Hundreds of new stages.

A great take on the classic matching game.

It's easy to break the piggy bank on in-app purchases.

Some levels are nearly impossible to pass.

Cost of gold has risen, but the prizes have been reduced.

Candy Crush has taken on a life of its own since its release. It mixes the classic connect-the-matching-symbols gameplay with everyone's favorite pastime: eating candy.

Candy Crush Saga is good for younger children, too, because just tapping the screen results in a lot of graphical fun. Older kids will enjoy the puzzles the game presents, and even adults will find it engaging.

Appropriate for kids ages 4 and older.

'Minion Rush'

Great costumes.

3D environments based on Despicable Me movies.

Download and play for free.

Can be glitchy.

Updates may wipe out progress.

Slow play without certain minions.

The endless runner game has exploded since Temple Rush hit the app store. Although many games in this genre are just Temple Rush with new graphics or a new theme, Minion Rush adds fun new gameplay mechanics and includes the humorous charm of those cute little minions.

Kids will enjoy this game because it's quick to play and fun to compete for the highest score.

Appropriate for kids ages 9 and older.

'Miracle Merchant'

Great graphics and music.

Challenging daily tasks.

Solitaire-style gameplay.

Tutorial not much help.

Could use more variety.

Too difficult for younger children.

Miracle Merchant players are apprentices of a master alchemist, where they learn to mix and match different ingredient cards to make potions for their customers. The cards change daily, and daily tasks keep players coming back for more.

The gameplay is Solitaire-style and offers amazing graphics and fun music. While the basics of the game are easy to learn, mastering it is difficult.

Appropriate for kids ages 12 and older .

'Fruit Ninja 2'

Fantastic graphics and sound effects.

Modes give lots of play options.

Solid folllowup to the original Fruit Ninja.

The game is a bit buggy.

Lots of ads, especially at higher levels.

Some in-app purchases reach $20.

Few games have as many customer reviews as Fruit Ninja 2 and manage to stay above four stars, and there's a reason for that.

Fruit Ninja 2 is good old-fashioned slicing and dicing fun, with a simple concept and yet enough challenge to keep kids swiping. The goal: Slice as much fruit as you can without slicing through a bomb and blowing your virtual finger off.

Appropriate for kids ages 4 and older .

'Alto's Adventure'

Gorgeous graphics.

Play as a snowboarder on never-ending mountains.

Interesting story line.

Is difficult in places.

More characters would be nice.

Alto's Adventure is a infinite runner-type game, where the player is on a snowboard racing down mountains and doing backflips. The game is not too hard and not too easy.

The graphics are stunning and the story is interesting, if limited. This app is designated as an Editors' Choice game by Apple, but does require purchasing to play.

Appropriate for kids ages 9 and older .

'Where's My Water?'

More than 500 puzzles for hours of gameplay.

Water moves realistically.

Easy-to-use controls.

Syncing with iCloud can be glitchy.

Paid app with in-app purchases.

Need in-app purchases for the best experience.

If cleanliness is next to godliness, Swampy is going to make one fun little deity.

Rather than slinging birds at boards and stones, Where's My Water? concentrates on teaching kids the value of bathing by helping Swampy the alligator stay clean despite the actions of Cranky, the antagonist of this story. Where's My Water? is one of the best games for kids on the iPad.

'Cut the Rope GOLD'

Outstanding graphics.

Great way to learn about physics.

Lots of levels to keep you interested.

Difficult for children under 10, despite the rating.

Paid app contains ads.

Om Nom loves his candy, but he needs a little help getting it. Cut the Rope GOLD is a physics puzzle game in which kids use ropes to move a piece of candy, swinging it across the screen and— with luck—into Om Nom's mouth.

Fortunately, it's not as simple as it sounds, forcing kids to think about how to get past the various obstacles standing between Om Nom and his candy.

'Slice Fractions'

Playful learning at its best.

Best for kids aged 5 to 12.

Teaches important math concepts.

Challenging for kids under 6.

Difficult for kids who learn by listening.

Some levels require abstract thinking.

Many kid-friendly games are about having fun, not about learning something new.

Slice Fractions manages to capture fun inside a game that's all about learning fractions. It's ideal for kids who are ready to move beyond whole numbers and conquer division.

'Bubble Ball'

Create your own levels or play user-created ones.

A fun way to learn physics.

The first 48 levels are free.

Won't challenge older kids.

Graphics aren't terribly sophisticated.

Rudimentary user interface.

What do you get when you have an addictive physics-based puzzle game made by a kid rather than just for kids? You get Bubble Ball.

Developed by 14-year-old Robert Nay, Bubble Ball enjoyed a million downloads in its first two weeks on the App Store. The game doesn't have the fun graphics found in titles like Cut the Rope and Fruit Ninja, but it does contain engaging play that will please puzzle lovers ages 4 to 94.

As of 2022, of the almost 3.6 million apps at the App Store, 984,000 are games. Games are the most popular App Store category and are downloaded twice as much as the second most popular category (business).

Of all the apps at the App Store, 92.3 percent are free downloads (many with optional in-app purchases). The average price for an game that isn't free is under $3.

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Best iPad Games for Kids of All Ages

Check out CNET's list of age-appropriate iPad games for kids.

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Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a dialed-down version of New Horizons, but still fun to play.

If you're looking for kid-friendly games, you might not know where to start. And how can you be sure what's safe and age-appropriate? 

We've got you covered with a list of the 30 best iPad games for kids, with Apple's age rating for each (scroll further down for games for older kids, even though a lot of the games for ages 4 and up would be fun for kids of all ages). Some, but not all, of these iPad games are available as part of Apple's $5 a month mobile gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade . Others are available to download free or for a price in the App Store.

Ages 4 and up

Monument Valley

In Monument Valley, you must help Princess Ida on a mission through Monument Valley -- a world of mazes, crow people and strange, impossible structures. The game uses the way you interact with the environment to play with perspective and reveal pathways. The artwork is also absolutely beautiful. 

If you like this one, the studio has a sequel -- Monument Valley 2 ($5) -- which stands on its own as an original story and takes a step forward as a more sophisticated narrative and style. In this one, you must guide Ro and her child through Monument Valley. 

Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 are both available on Apple Arcade as well.

Way of the Turtle

Available through apple arcade subscription ($5 a month).

Way of the Turtle is a cute, colorful, single-player platform game. Navigate a beach obstacle course and gather coins while avoiding traps. As you continue, you'll earn shells that give you more abilities. The only trouble is that Mr. Turtle never stops moving, which might make him difficult to maneuver sometimes. 

Fledgling Heroes

Take to the skies as Biscuit the Brave, a young macaw, in this tropical platform game. Tapping the screen makes Biscuit fly. Too much tapping sends the macaw too high, while not enough tapping drops him too low. You must maintain the right altitude to avoid enemies and obstacles while collecting coins. As you explore more islands, you'll learn tricks and meet different characters including Penny the Penguin, who wants to be a pirate. 

Read more: The 10 best iPad apps of the past decade

Crayola Create and Play

Crayola Create and Play is loaded with fun features like coloring pages, tending to in-game creatures and plants, learning and arcade-style games, puzzles, and more. It encourages creativity and curiosity with digital versions of Crayola art supplies (remember stamp markers?), while encouraging kids to think about letters, numbers, problem solving and more. There are no "wrong" answers, just creativity. You can also find Crayola Create and Play in the App Store, but you'll encounter in-app purchases and ads.

Pok Pok Playroom

Available through pok pok subscription ($4 a month).

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Best Apps for Kids Age 5–8

The best mobile apps for kindergartners and early elementary schoolers cover a spectrum of entertainment and educational offerings. At this age, socialization and creativity are key -- and believe it or not, there are several quality apps for that! When choosing apps for this age group, go beyond the usual arcade games (although those can be fun) to apps that help kids express their feelings and unleash their creativity . Check out the rest of our app tips for more advice on how to find and download the best picks for your kids.

Crazy Gears

Fun STEM-themed free play with easy offscreen connections.

Kahoot! Algebra by DragonBox

Kids learn concepts of algebra in stellar game app.

Faces iMake - Right Brain Creativity

Kids make fanciful facial art using everyday objects.

GoNoodle Games

Jump, wave, and wiggle with fun immersive movement games.

GoNoodle - Kids Videos

Get hearts pumping with fun, kid-friendly movement videos.

The little line

Sweet animated story of friendship uses kids' own drawings.

LOOPIMAL by YATATOY

Create sound sequences with music blocks, cute creatures.

Marble Math Junior

Younger kids' version of great math app holds its own.

Monkey Word School Adventure

Cute monkey guides kids through six early-reading games.

Pango Build Park

Imagine, create, and play at custom theme parks.

Plum's Creaturizer

Make creatures and take pics outside for fantastic fun.

PuppetMaster

Create puppets, craft stories, co-play with cool tools.

Superhero Comic Book Maker

Engaging way to make stories with great graphics and audio.

Adorable physics platformer creates little problem-solvers.

Thinkrolls Play & Code

Delightful puzzles inspire innovation and problem-solving.

Toca Hair Salon 4

Free-play styling game grows, now with in-app purchases.

Creative challenges, social media for kids with purchases.

Interactive word-builder impresses with lots of options.

Barefoot World Atlas

Delightful way to learn about animals, people, and more.

Build a Truck - by Duck Duck Moose

Rollicking monster-truck fun, minus the noise.

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