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At Starfall, children have fun while they learn.

Starfall was founded by Dr. Stephen Schutz, who had difficulty learning to read as a child due to dyslexia. He was motivated to create a learning platform with untimed, multisensory interactive games that allow children to see, hear, and touch as they learn. read more...

Starfall was developed in the classroom by teachers and opened in August 2002 as a free public service to teach children to read. Since then it has expanded to include standards in language arts and mathematics for preschool through fifth grade and above. The program emphasizes exploration, play, and positive reinforcement—encouraging children to become confident and intrinsically motivated. Due to the engaging content that “feels like play,” Starfall serves as an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children. read more...

Starfall activities are research-based and align with state learning objectives for English language arts and mathematics. Its emphasis on phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics, and common sight words in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity is especially effective for teaching emergent readers, children of all ages with special needs or learning difficulties, as well as ELL (ESL) students. It is widely used in schools and homeschools.

Starfall’s low-cost membership program expands the free content to include additional animated songs, mathematics activities, and reading. Membership supports the production of new books, educational games, and movies.

Toy Theater | Educational Games for Kids

Toy Theater is your source for free educational games specially designed for elementary-aged students. It's available on all desktop computers, tablets, and mobile devices, ensuring learning is never out of reach. If you are a fan of our site, we encourage you to share Toy Theater on your social media or website.

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  • Math Games : Ranging from counting and numeral recognition to division and telling time, there's a vast assortment of interactive math games.
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  • Puzzles and Games : Ideal for early finishers or indoor recess, their online educational puzzles and games promise fun-filled learning.
  • Teacher Tools : Need a fun timer or a spinner? Or perhaps a simple way to evaluate basic math skills? Their virtual teacher tools have got you covered.

Whether you project Toy Theater games and interactive tools on your smartboard for the whole class to see or use them during small group work, you’re sure to love them!

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fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Free Math Games Games for 5-Year-Olds

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  • Kindergarten
  • Social Studies
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  • Logic and Early Math

Dive into the world of numbers with our fascinating Math for 5-Year-Olds games collection! Specially designed for young learners, these engaging and interactive games make math fun and accessible. Whether your child is mastering basic addition or exploring shapes and sizes, our thoughtfully crafted games support early math skills in a playful environment. Perfect for both at-home entertainment and educational enrichment, our games are currently available in interactive formats, with exciting web versions coming soon. Let your child embark on a delightful mathematical journey, nurturing a love for learning that will last a lifetime with our Math for 5-Year-Olds games.

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In today's digital age, making learning fun and engaging for young minds is more important than ever. Our specially designed Math games for 5-Year-Olds serve this purpose brilliantly, providing an enjoyable yet educational experience that nurtures a love for mathematics from an early age. These games, tailored to the cognitive abilities and interests of 5-year-old children, offer a perfect blend of entertainment and learning, ensuring that your child acquires fundamental mathematical skills in a stress-free environment.

The importance of early math education cannot be overstated. It lays the groundwork for future academic success and everyday problem-solving skills. Recognizing shapes, understanding spatial relationships, counting, and simple addition and subtraction are just a few of the essential concepts that 5-year-olds can master with our games. By turning these concepts into playful activities, children are more likely to engage with the material and retain the information.

Our interactive Math games for 5-Year-Olds stand out for their unique ability to captivate children's attention. Through vibrant animations, friendly characters, and intuitive gameplay, children are immersed in a world where learning math feels like an adventure. These games are not only designed to be visually appealing but also to cater to the diverse learning paces and styles of young children. Whether your child is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner, our games offer something for everyone.

Moreover, the interactive nature of our games encourages active participation, which is crucial for effective learning at this age. Children are not passive recipients of information; instead, they are explorers, solving puzzles, and overcoming challenges that build their confidence and understanding of mathematical concepts. This hands-on approach to learning fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are valuable not only in math but in all areas of life.

Excitingly, our Math games for 5-Year-Olds are soon to be available to play on the web too. This expansion means that access to our educational games will be easier and more convenient than ever before. Whether at home, in the classroom, or on the go, your child can continue their math adventure anywhere, anytime. The web version of our games will also feature new and updated content, ensuring that the learning experience remains fresh, engaging, and in line with current educational standards.

The safety and well-being of children are our top priorities. Therefore, our games are designed to be safe, secure, and age-appropriate. Parents and educators can have peace of mind knowing that children are learning in a safe digital environment, free from inappropriate content or distractions.

In conclusion, our Math games for 5-Year-Olds are more than just games; they are a stepping stone towards a lifelong journey of learning and discovery. By combining interactive gameplay with educational content, we are helping children build a strong foundation in math while igniting their passion for learning. As we continue to innovate and expand our game offerings, we remain committed to making learning an enjoyable and rewarding experience for every child.

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Cokogames educational games

Kindergarten Games Online

5 year old educational games.

5️⃣ Discover the fun of learning with our free online games for 5 year old preschoolers! They help children learn more before they start their elementary school years. Our games are didactic, educational and interactive, designed specifically for preschoolers and can be played online from your computer. They are easy to use, allowing children to enjoy a hassle-free gaming experience while learning and having fun.

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

ADDITION TABLE Game

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FARM COLORING Digipuzzle Game

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

DISCOVER SYMMETRY: Online Montessori Game

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

CAILLOU RESTAURANT Game

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SPACEMATH Game: Fun Addition and Subtraction

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Coloring Musical Instruments

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MATH vs BAT: Fun Math Game

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TINY SKETCH: Paint Online for Kids

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READING COMPREHENSION Game for Kids

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RESIZE MAHJONG: Animal Mahjong

rail maze puzzle game

RAIL MAZE Puzzle Game

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TANK MATH: Addition

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CONCENTRATION MEMORY Game :: SHAPES

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SPOT THE PATTERNS Game for Kids

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

CONCENTRATION MEMORY Game :: COLORS

tetris on the farm game

FARMING 10×10: Tetris on the Farm

pattern game for kids kindergarten and preeschoolers

PATTERN GAME for Preescholers / Kids / Kindergarten

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ANIMAL PATTERNS for Kids / Preschool

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FARM ANIMALS Jigsaw for Kids

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz game online

TYPE THE ALPHABET Game: Delete the Letters

tangram puzzles for kids

TANGRAM PUZZLES for KIDS

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

FIND MiniME: Search for Moving Objects

dot-to-dot animals game online

DOT-TO-DOT ANIMALS Game

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

DRAG PUZZLE: Children’s Swap Puzzles

numbers memory matching game

NUMBERS MEMORY Game

toy parking game online

TOY PARKING Game

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

TAP THE RAT Game

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

SUBTRACTION MEMORY Game

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

ADDITION MEMORY Game

pixel artist color by number game

PIXEL ARTIST: Color by Number

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

GO TO MARKET: Drag and Drop in the Supermarket

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

FIND ME: Where’s the Different One?

connect the dots animals game online

CONNECT THE DOTS: Animals

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

FIND 3 DIFFERENCES

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

TIC-TAC-TOE Addition Game

hidden objects tractor game

Hidden Objects: Tractor Game

coloring car police game

ROBO CAR: Police Car Coloring

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

TEXTMATHS: Subtraction & Numbers in English

addition and subtraction up to 10 for kids

FEED MY PET DOG NUMBER: Addition and Subtraction to 10

aliens vs math game online

ALIENS vs MATH: Fun Mental Maths Game

whack a mouse game online

WHACK A MOUSE Game

whack em all game online

WHACK ‘EM ALL: Whack a Mole Online

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

LISTENING-PUZZLE Numbers 1-10 for Kids

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

SLIDE PUZZLES for KIDS

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

FIND THE MISSING LETTER

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

ZOO MEMORY Matching Game

dinosaurs coloring book online

DINOSAURS COLORING BOOK

autumn copy mosaics for kids

PIXEL MOSAICS for Kids in Autumn / Fall

Learning topics for 5 years, maths for kinder.

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FUN GAMES for KIDS

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At age 5, children continue to develop their skills in various areas of knowledge. Here are some of the learning and concepts that children of this age tend to acquire:

What do 5-year-olds learn?

They expand their vocabulary and learn new words. They begin to understand and use more complex grammatical concepts, such as plurals and verb tenses. They develop early reading and writing skills, such as recognizing letters and writing their name.

Mathematics:

They learn to count to higher numbers and understand the number sequence. They start adding and subtracting small numbers. They grasp concepts like ‘bigger,’ ‘smaller,’ ‘equal,’ and begin exploring geometric shapes and patterns.

They improve their ability to focus and concentrate, allowing them to tackle more complex and enduring tasks. They develop the skill of following more detailed instructions.

They learn about more advanced social norms, such as empathy, cooperation, and respect for diversity. They begin to understand concepts of time and routines, such as days of the week and months of the year.

Computer Science:

They can start using electronic devices more skillfully and engage in online activities designed for children their age, such as educational apps and interactive games.

Natural Sciences:

They develop a deeper understanding of their natural environment, learning about the life cycle of animals, the seasons, weather, and the importance of environmental conservation. They start exploring more advanced scientific concepts, such as gravity and the properties of matter.

It’s important to remember that children’s development varies from individual to individual, so some children may acquire these concepts earlier or later than age 5. Additionally, learning should be a fun and tailored experience to each child’s needs and interests to foster a lasting love for learning.”

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40 Amusing Games For Your Five-Year-Olds

October 19, 2023 //  by  Seda Unlucay

By age five, your kids are probably forming complex sentences, reading independently, and engaging in group activities. We’ve compiled a list of fun-filled games and activities that are guaranteed to get your learners developing these key attributes while having a ball of a time doing it. From messy and colorful crafts to amusing physical games – these activities are perfectly tailored to your growing five-year-olds.

Related Content:

  • Games for Kids
  • Games for 1-Year-Olds
  • Games for 2-Year-Olds
  • Games for 3-Year-Olds
  • Games for 4-Year-Olds
  • Games for 6-Year-Olds
  • Games for 7-Year-Olds
  • Games for 8-Year-Olds
  • Games for 9-Year-Olds
  • Games for 10-Year-Olds

1. Get Creative with Googly Eyes

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This inventive craft makes for hours of classroom fun! Task your kids with drawing unique animals or creatures and once they’ve completed their drawings, prompt them to adorn their quirky doodles with googly eyes. 

Learn More: Mess for Less

2. Try a STEM Challenge

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Engage your little learners in various STEM activities designed to challenge them in different spheres. Have them explore how magnets work with different objects or treat them to a colorful experience as you have them craft color-changing flowers.

Learn More: Taming Little Monsters

3. Make Your Own Kinetic Sand

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Indulge your kiddos’ senses as you have them forge this sensory-rich craft. Invite them to mix corn flour, sand, and water together to create their very own kinetic sand. Then, prompt them to get their hands dirty as they shape and mold their sand into beautiful 3D art.

Learn More: Crafty Morning

4. Play a Game of Brain Freeze

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Here’s a cooperative board game that will encourage your learners to develop their social skills . Start by having them partner up and sit opposite one another before prompting them to select a picture on their board. Proceed by encouraging them to ask their partner questions about their object to help them guess what picture they’ve selected.

Learn More: Amazon

5. Bubble Wrap Hopscotch

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

This fun-filled game makes the perfect activity for rainy days spent in the classroom. Set up a game of hopscotch for your students by cutting out squares of bubble wrap and labeling each square with a number. You’ll then prompt them to skip and jump their way across the bubble wrap for a kinesthetic day of number learning.

Learn More: Craftaphile

6. Egg Decorating Craft

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Get your little hands decorating in this creative craft! Invite them to gather up a variety of small items such as gems, straws, colorful buttons, and wooden shapes before encouraging them to use their supplies to decorate an egg pattern mat. 

Learn More: Picklebums

7. Scrabble Junior

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Help your class build familiarity with the alphabet with a game of Junior Scrabble! It’s just like regular Scrabble, except in this version you’ll challenge them to match tiles to letters that have already been printed on the board. It’s a game that’s sure to capture their attention while allowing for plenty of practice in forming bonds with letters. 

Learn More: The Spruce Crafts

8. Cookie Matching Game

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What better way to develop basic math skills than with some cookie fun? Provide your kiddos with these adorable cookie shapes and then task them with matching each shape to its corresponding shadow displayed on a worksheet.

Learn More: Teaching Mama

9. Alphabet Phonics Hunt

Examples-of-Alphabet-Hunt-Leters.jpg

Send your little ones on an exploratory phonics hunt! Simply place letters on objects around your classroom that begin with the corresponding letter sound. Then, prompt your kids to set off on a quest to find each hidden letter. 

Learn More: Meaningful Mama

10. Animal Charades

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Let your kids’ imaginations run wild as they play this cheerful game of animal charades. Start by cutting and placing different animal cards into a basket. You’ll then prompt them to pick a card and act out the animal using sounds and movements, encouraging their classmates to guess the correct answer.

Learn More: Buggy and Buddy

11. Monopoly Junior

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This iconic board game is sure to keep your class entertained for hours! Engage them in a game of Monopoly Junior, packed with kid-friendly places such as the Zoo and Ice Cream parlor. It’s a great way to teach them basic math skills like counting and organizing without them even realizing. 

Learn More: Hasbro Shop

12. Play a Balancing Game

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Incorporate some creative movements into your little learners’ day with a balancing game! You’ll help them build motor coordination as you challenge them to walk on lines backward, with one foot in front of the other, or in a zig-zag pattern.

Learn More: Kinder Care

13. Classic Card Games

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Engage your class in cooperative play with a classic game of Old Maid. Simply start by explaining the basic rules of this game before prompting them to partner up and challenge their peers to see who can get rid of their cards the fastest by making matches.

Learn More: Kidspot

14. Bubble Wrap Body Slam

Bubble-Paint-Body-Slam-Art-and-Gross-Motor-Activity-for-Kids.jpg

Develop your kiddos’ love for colors with this ingenious activity! After wrapping them in bubble wrap, allow them to dip their bodies in paint and then apply the paint to a wall covered in canvas to create abstract art.

Learn More: The Chaos and the Clutter

15. Vocabulary Hunt

find-the-letter.jpg

Add a literary twist to treasure hunts by having your learners seek out hidden words. You’ll provide them with a plastic bag filled with sight words that’ve been covered in rice. Then, prompt them to push around the rice to find the words hidden in their bag while encouraging them to repeat each word as they find it.

Learn More: Hands On As We Grow

16. Play an Educational Online Game

Screenshot 2022-05-11 101417

Engage your kids in a modern twist on learning as they play digital games! National Geographic has a whole host of educational online games to choose from. Try this leaf identification game where you’ll challenge your pupils to identify leaf types from real-life pictures, making for a creative resource that’s great for incorporating the natural world into lessons on science.

Learn More: National Geographic Kids

17. Sight Word Games

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Indulge your little ones in sight words galore! Engage them in memorizing these words by having them paint, look for them in a book, or spell them out with Play-Doh. There’s no better way to help your tots develop the necessary skills they’ll need for Kindergarten!

Learn More: 26 Sight Word Games For Kids To Practice Reading Fluency

18. Number Bonds to 10 Egg Game

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This egg-citing game makes a fantastic resource to practice your kiddos’ math skills without any pesky worksheets. Simply start by labeling plastic egg halves with various numbers before prompting them to match the halves to create the number 10. It’s a hands-on way to develop your learners’ understanding of number bonds to 10.

Learn More: The Imagination Tree

19. Cutting Practice With a Princess Doll

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Hone your little ones’ fine motor skills with this cute craft. Invite them to cut a princess doll out of a template before allowing them to use markers or crayons to add some color to their doll. Then, have them use a punch to create holes that they’ll use to thread through yarn – giving their princess beautiful locks of hair.

Learn More: Lalymom

20. Craft a Waterproof Boot

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Create an interactive science investigation right in your classroom! Challenge your class with waterproofing a paper boot by having them stick different materials such as foil and fabric over it. Then, test their creations by spraying each material with water to see whether their designs are a success.

Learn More: Science Sparks

21. Salt Dough Heart Craft

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For a beautiful keepsake or gift, have your learners put together this creative craft! Engage them in mixing flour, salt, and water together to create salt dough. Then, allow them to mold their dough together before pressing down firmly with bubble wrap and using a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out their shape.

Learn More: Red Ted Art

22. Egg Carton Flower Math 

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In this interactive game, your kiddos will solve addition problems using flowers. Start by crafting a paper garden, filled with addition problems and then provide them with colorful egg cartons that you’ve labeled with the answers. Challenge them to solve each sum and glue down the corresponding flower to bloom their math garden.

Learn More: Sparkling Buds

23. DIY Bucket Ball

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Invite your eager learners outdoors for some fun in the sun. Start by setting up two pyramids using buckets filled with water. Kick off the festivities by having them throw balls into the buckets, removing each bucket when they successfully sink a ball. The first player to remove all their buckets wins!

Learn More: South Lumina Style

24. Learn About Color Mixing

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Inspire those budding artists in your classroom with a color-mixing activity. Introduce them to color theory by having them mix different color paints together to create new and unique colors. Engage their creativity by then prompting them to label their abstract color mixtures as they see fit.

Learn More: No Time for Flashcards

25. Make a Printable Five Senses Book

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Explore the 5 senses with your kiddos as they craft their very own Senses Book. Simply start by providing them with a template and then task them with filling in the prompts and decorating their book with colorful doodles. It’s a great way to get them motivated to read, write, and learn about the world through their senses.

Learn More: Still Playing School

26. Pirate Treasure Hunt

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Invite your little ones on a swashbuckling adventure as you have them hunt for pirate booty! Equip them with maps containing clues that they’ll use to figure out the secret location of hidden treasures. They’ll sharpen their navigational skills, practice reading maps, and enjoy the thrill of this exciting hunt.

Learn More: Twinkl

27. Moon Rock Collecting

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

In this space-age activity, your class will become astronauts for the day as they hunt for moon rocks. Begin crafting these shiny rocks by wrapping plastic balls in aluminum foil. Then, hide them around your classroom or schoolyard before prompting your kiddos to search for these cosmic curiosities.

Learn More: Get Your Holiday On

28. Story Stones

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Ignite your kids’ imagination by having them create vibrant story stones. Supply them with smooth rocks and then task them with painting or sticking characters onto their rocks. Their rocks can then be used during story time where you’ll prompt them to use them as aids to construct whimsical tales.

Learn More: Happy Hooligans

29. Musical Chairs: Animal Edition

Crank up the tunes for a jungle jam! In this twist on musical chairs, you’ll label chairs with animal pictures. When the music stops, encourage your little learners to find a chair and mimic the sound of the animal displayed before sitting down.

Learn More: YouTube

30. Paper Plate Ring Toss

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Transform your classroom into a bustling carnival with this ring toss game! You’ll create rings from paper plates and use a paper towel roll as a target pole. Then, kick off the fun by engaging your kiddos in this captivating game by having them aim and toss the paper rings onto the target.

Learn More: Crayola

31. Nature Scavenger Hunt

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Ignite your students’ curiosity by inviting them to explore Mother Nature. Simply provide them with a checklist filled with natural items that they can find outdoors. As they find each item, they’ll observe different types of leaves, flowers, and maybe a few wriggly critters.

Learn More: Happy Mom Hacks

32. Indoor Obstacle Course

Don’t let a rainy day spoil your classroom fun! Create an indoor obstacle course for your children by setting out pillows, chairs, and tables around your class. Then, allow them to test their agility in this energetic activity by having them crawl, jump, and zig-zag through the course.

33. Build a Snow Volcano

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Take advantage of snowy days by engaging your young learners in a captivating chemical reaction. Task them with using snow to build volcanoes and then guide them in adding baking soda, food coloring, and vinegar to their structure to create an icy eruption.

Learn More: Raising Dragons

34. Grocery Store Dramatic Play

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

It’s time to get role-playing as your kiddos learn basic math. Simply set up a mini grocery store in your class using empty boxes and toy food items. Afterward, supply them with a grocery list and encourage them to shop around the store as they tick off the items they find.

Learn More: Pre-K Printable Fun

35. Popsicle Stick Puzzle

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

In this activity, you’ll challenge your littles to complete a crafty brainteaser! Engage them in drawing shapes on sets of popsicle sticks. Then, prompt them to shuffle them up and have them reassemble their crafty puzzle.

Learn More: Toddler at Play

36. Freeze Dance

Get your students grooving in this musical game. Begin by playing a melody for them before stopping the music and prompting them to freeze. They’ll have to pay close attention to the auditory clues because if they move when the music stops, they’re out for the next round.

37. Magnetic Fishing Game

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

This stunning game will make the most perfect addition to your children’s play corner. Invite them to pick up some magnetic sticks as you task them with catching as many ocean critters as they can. It’s a delightful way to teach them patience, concentration, and even a bit of physics!

Learn More: Jaques London

38. Rain Cloud Science

Add a touch of color to your science lessons by having your kids create a cloud in a jar! Guide them in filling a jar with water and topping it with shaving cream. Then, hand them plastic tubes that they’ll use to drop food coloring into the shaving cream. Encourage them to observe the process as they marvel at the “rain” falling through the water.

Learn More: Fun Learning for Kids

39. Handprint Sun Catchers

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Give your young learners the gift of sunshine by creating dazzling suncatchers! Simply start by inviting them to press their hands into salt dough. Assist them in cutting out their hand shape and filling the space with pony beads. You’ll then place their design in an oven to melt the beads and allow it to cool before encouraging them to adorn your windows with their stunning artwork. 

Learn More: Homegrown Friends

40. Chalk Constellations

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Explore the whimsy of astronomy without the need for a telescope! Set out a constellation map for your kiddos by scattering star stickers onto your pavement or mini chalkboards. Then, arm them with chalk and encourage them to draw lines between each star to create a web of starry constellations.

Learn More: Gift of Curiosity

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51 Best Activities for 5 Year Olds for Holistic Development

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1. Math Worksheets

2. count by skipping 1, 2, 3s, 3. solving a paper maze, 4. writing imaginary letters, 5. let’s make a story, 6. puzzle-based treasure hunt, 7. journalling the day & feelings, 8. time for a fashion show, 9. finding the pairing word, 10. home instruments.

Learning-based initiatives offer the most value when it comes to the most impactful activities for kids. Kids can joyfully participate in learning activities for hours while absorbing knowledge practically through experiments, hands-on playtime, and active problem-solving. Let’s explore some of the best learning activities for 5-year-olds that spark creative thinking and curiosity.

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The Best Indoor Activities for 5-Year-Olds You Can Play Now

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Things you’ll need: Templates

You can print out math worksheets from SplashLearn for your 5-year-old and have them solve word problems , addition and number sense questions, and more.

Skills learned: Core math concepts, 

Things you’ll need: Worksheets and a pencil or pen

Having your child count out loud by skipping every second, third, or fourth number can be a fun learning activity. To make the activity more challenging, you could make your child skip by higher numbers.

Skills learned: Mental calculation

Things you’ll need: Stationery

This learning activity for 5-year-olds can be set up by drawing a giant maze on paper. They can pretend to be a hero trying to save a trapped prince at the end of the maze.

Skills learned: Memory, problem-solving

Kids can write imaginary letters to Harry Potter, Santa Claus, and other figures, asking specific questions on unique topics.

Skills learned: Comprehension, creativity

Things you’ll need: Toys, books, props

Kids can develop rich stories using toys, torches, shadow play, blankets, and other cool props.

Skills learned: Creative thinking

You can make a treasure hunt activity for kids by testing their ability to think on the spot and find the next clue.

Skills learned: Problem-solving

Things you’ll need: A notebook or diary and a pen or pencil

One of the most wholesome indoor activities for 5-year-olds is journaling, as it allows for quiet time, self-reflection, and intuitive thinking.

Skills learned: Introspection

Things you’ll need: Dresses, blankets

Children can drape pillowcases, blankets, and sheets around them to create gowns and various outfits. They can then put on a fashion show for the grown-ups.

Skills learned: Creative application, confidence

Things you’ll need: Cutouts, word list

You can cut out pairs of words, such as painting, coloring, school-bus, etc., and have your kids match the pairs.

Skills learned: English comprehension

Things you’ll need: Household objects

Pots, pans, boxes, and jars can be turned into musical instruments to strengthen creative thinking and self-expression.

Skills learned: Musical ability

Improve Problem-Solving & Motor Skills With Outdoor Activities

A young girl tending to a plant in a flowerpot

11. Follow The Story Map

Things you’ll need: Map template, puzzles,

Kids can find pieces of a map and follow the story to find clues about their next pieces. Once the map is complete, they can discover a valuable prize.

12. Making An Ocean In A Pool

Things you’ll need: Inflatable pool, toys

You can have your kids make a mini ocean ecosystem in an inflatable pool. They can add whales, sharks, fish, underwater plants, etc., to make it unique and interesting.

Skills learned: Biology

13. How Big Is Your Cardboard Fort?

Things you’ll need: Cardboard boxes, tape, and stationery

Engineering-based educational activities for 5-year-olds can be immersive for young ones who love building things. You can provide a template, use old boxes for fort making, and have them personalize the decor and exterior.

Skills learned: Basic engineering

14. Sandbox Castles

Things you’ll need: Sand buckets, shovels

Kids can make sandcastles of varying sizes through active problem-solving by interacting with the sand material.

Skills learned: Shape manipulation

15. Watch Me Grow!

Things you’ll need: Mud, pot, seed

You can teach the basics of germination by planting seeds in cotton and placing them in a pot of mud. These fun biology-based activities for 5-year-olds can be fulfilling in multifaceted ways.

16. Planting A Tomato Garden

Things you’ll need: Pot, mud, tomato seeds, shade

A tomato garden is one of the most perfect outdoor activities for 5-year-olds who enjoy being in nature. It not only means spending time outdoors and working with their own hands but has the added bonus of watching the plant grow and bear fruit! They can get something substantial to hold or even eat to reward their efforts.

Skills learned: Biology, gardening, and taking care of a plant

17. Obstacle Jumps

Things you’ll need: Boxes, pillows, ropes

Your kids can strengthen their vision and body control skills by jumping over obstacles. This is one of the best activities for 5-year-olds to do at home and is super easy for you to set up.

Skills learned: Coordination, Agility

Art & Craft Activities for Kids To Bring Out Their Creativity

Children using construction paper to create a rocket ship

18. What Does Your Zoo Look Like?

Things you’ll need: Stationery, animal toys

Kids can fully explore different ideas on how they would design a zoo from scratch. They can draw fences, place toy animals, and make hot dog stands to create a fun-filled experience.

Skills learned: Creative thinking, problem-solving

19. Making Expressions

Things you’ll need: Template, Stationery

To strengthen the development of social skills, you can have kids fill out a blank face with the appropriate expressions for sad, angry, happy, curious, etc.

Skills learned: Self-expression

20. It’s Time For Dessert!

Things you’ll need: M&M’s, ice cream, wafers, sprinkles

Kids can make theme-based desserts like winter, Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Summer. A cooking and baking-themed activity for 5-year-olds is a great weekend project for curious kids.

Skills learned: Cooking, baking

21. Making A DIY Coin Box

Things you’ll need: Box, stationery, crayons

Kids can make a coin box out of cardboard and seal it with tape and glue. They can keep adding coins to it and intuitively grasp the concept of saving.

Skills learned: Creativity, money saving

22. How Cool Is Your Dress?

Your 5 year old can design whacky, creative, and cool dresses for themselves with chart paper, frills, sequins, glitter, and other creative tools.  

23. Writing A Permanent Message

This learning activity for 5-year-olds involves decorating garden rocks with colors and shapes and writing a positive message that stands as a loving reminder.

Skills learned: Optimism

24. Let’s Make A Clock

Things you’ll need: Paper plate, pins, and stationery

You can have your kids make a clock face and hands and have them tell the time by turning the hands around a fixed central pin.

Skills learned: Concept interpretation

25. It’s Time for Origami!

Things you’ll need: Instruction sheet, paper

You can create birds, animals, houses, and other interesting objects in origami which uses only paper folding. It is a great activity to teach precision and alignment while inspiring creativity.

Skills learned: Creativity

26. Making A Month-Based Card

Your little ones can make greeting cards celebrating what’s special about the month they’re in. For example, October can focus on Halloween, changing weather, etc.

Skills learned: Comprehension, creative thinking

27. Making A DIY Guitar

Things you’ll need: Shoebox, rubber bands, scissors

You can cut a hole in the middle of a shoebox and strap rubber bands around its length. You can pluck the bands near the hole and create unique sounds.

Skills learned: Musical skills

Developmental Activities for 5-Year-Olds: Let’s Explore the World!

Three children looking at leaves under a microscope

28. Playing Development Games

Things you’ll need: Smart device

Kids can play educational games to learn English and math skills while traveling with interesting characters.

Skills Learned: Active learning, English, math

29. Will It Float?

Things you’ll need: Bucket, various objects to test

A bucket and some cork, plastic, balloons, and other objects can teach your children about floating and sinking.

Skills learned: Buoyancy of certain objects

30. The Role Of Oxidation

Things you’ll need: A few apples, a fork or knife, and a magnifying glass

You can place apple slices cut at different intervals to test for brownness and oxidation.

Skills learned: Chemistry

31. Sorting Objects

Things you’ll need: Distinct objects

Sorting activities and organizing games or tasks are fun for 5-year-olds and can be done with different types of shapes and different themes of objects.

Skills learned: Pattern detection

32. Science Experiments

Things you’ll need: Depends on the chosen experiment

Interesting science experiments for kids , such as balloon cars, flying tea bags, and glitter repellants, can be a great learning activity for 5-year-olds.

Skills learned: Chemistry/Physics

33. Jigsaw Puzzles

Things you’ll need: Age-based puzzle games for kids

Jigsaw puzzles can be essential for cognition, pattern detection, and problem-solving.  

Skills learned: Spatial understanding

34. Memory Tray Activities

Things you’ll need: A tray with objects placed on it

You can present a tray of toys and objects and have your 5-year-old remember and recall these items after 10 seconds of viewing.

Skills learned: Memory recall

Related Readings: How to Nurture Growth Mindset for Kids: A Complete Guide

Sensory Activities for Improving Coordination and Pattern Recognition

Three children in art class

35. Finger Painting

Things you’ll need: Paint, paper sheets, and soap

Finger painting on new textures, such as cardboard boxes, paper, leaves, etc., will create unique experiences for 5-year-olds.

Skills learned: Color and shape recognition

A child finger painting a cardboard box

Alt text: A child finger painting a cardboard box

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36. Art With Seeds

Things you’ll need: Template, seeds, grains

This sensory-based activity involves handling seeds and grains of different colors and textures to create works of art.

Skills learned: Color analysis, sensing

37. Playdough Animal Molding

Things you’ll need: Playdough, template cutter

Kids can make animals, birds, structures, and other interesting things with playdough. You can have them structure their designs with templates, cutters, and prompts.

Skills learned: Object manipulation, sensing

Two boys playing with playdough

38. What’s That Sensation?

Things you’ll need: Objects that are at various temperatures or sport different textures 

You can have your 5-year-old describe different sensations by touching objects that are warm, cold, slimy, gooey, stringy, etc.

Skills learned: Touch-based differentiation, recall

39. Auditory Sensory Tubes

Things you’ll need: Paper towel roll, different objects

Using a cardboard roll of a paper towel, you can pass rice, grains, small toys, and other objects through to teach kids about the different sounds they make. These sensory activities for 5-year-olds can help them better understand the world of sounds.

Skills learned: Auditory differentiation

40. Tasting Flavors And Textures

Things you’ll need: Different flavored foods

You can fill a plate with foods of various sweet and savory categories. For example, candy would work for a sweet taste, lemons for sour, kale or arugula for bitter, fries for salty, broth or a cooked mushroom for savory, etc.

Skills learned: Taste differentiation, recall

41. The Sounds Of Water Levels

Things you’ll need: Glass, water, spoon

You can fill up four glasses of water at varying levels and strike a spoon gently to produce sounds. Kids can instinctively learn how the water levels impact the pitch of the sound produced.

Skills learned: Pitch differences

Related Reading: Painting Ideas Kids Can Have Fun With & Easily Pull Off

Fine Motor Activities for 5-Year-Olds for Hands-on Fun

A boy building a tower with blocks

42. LEGO-Based City Landscapes

Things you’ll need: LEGO blocks

City planning is one of many fun activities for kids , which is also immensely rewarding. Kids can create a city or neighborhood, highlighting specific monuments with blocks.

Skills learned: Engineering, Architecture 

43. What’s In The Box?

Things you’ll need: Shoebox, Toys

You can place objects of different textures inside an empty box and have your 5-year-old guess what’s inside.

Skills Learned: Memory, object identification 

44. Pasta Necklaces

Things you’ll need: Pasta, thread, colors

Coloring individual pieces of pasta and threading them to form a necklace can be one of the simplest fine motor learning activities for 5-year-olds .

Skills Learned: Hand-Eye coordination

45. Searching In A Toy Chest

Things you’ll need: Toy chest, diverse toys

Kids can hunt for a specific toy using their vision, sensory touch, and sound experiences to find the right one.

Skills Learned: Multisensory Learning

46. Let’s Thread Some Beads Together!

Things you’ll need: Thread, beads

By threading beads, kids can improve their hand–eye coordination and focus skills. This is also a great activity for budding artists and creative thinkers.

Skills learned: Focus development

47. Shape Replicating

Things you’ll need: Blocks, templates

A great activity to enhance your child’s fine motor skills is to have them replicate different items, such as trees, school buses, and buildings, through basic blocks and elementary shapes.

Skills learned: Object parameter detection

48. Different-Sized Words

You can ask your kids to write common words in larger sizes to strengthen their ability to comprehend scaling.

Skills learned: Scale Comprehension

49. Time For Paper Snowflakes!

Things you’ll need: Paper, safety scissors, and maybe some glitter to make it fun

You can make paper snowflakes by folding around the edges and cutting out various shapes. These crafts activities for kids can help teach certain fine motor skills, as kids would need to hold scissors carefully and make precise cuts.

Skills learned: Attention to detail, coloring & shading, and other arts & crafts skills

Paper Snowflakes #02 – Easy Paper Snowflakes – How to make Snowflakes out of paper

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50. Tripod Finger Exercises

Things you’ll need: Pencil

You can have your kids practice pencil holding, chopstick holding, and forming letters with fingers to improve their finger agility.

Skills learned: Dexterity

51. Paper Folding

Things you’ll need: Paper

Kids who are weaker in hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills can fold a sheet of paper into smaller and smaller sizes to strengthen their finger strength.

Skills learned: Finger strength, hand-eye, Co-ordination

What Are Some of the Questions to Ask Before Choosing Learning Activities?

Two girls cutting up paper into fun different shapes

Here are some of the main questions you can ask yourself before introducing a new activity to kids.

1. What area of learning is this activity going to impact?

2. What types of tools and props will I need to facilitate the activity?

3. What prompts should I provide to help my child through the activity?

4. Should I collaborate with my child or let them independently figure out the solution?

5. What senses am I strengthening when participating in specific activities?

When you pin down the answers to these questions across all activities, you can make them more impactful and learning-oriented when introducing them. You can also ask your kids about the activities they enjoy most and build upon those foundations.

Why Are Learning Activities Important for 5-Year-Olds?

Overhead view of two girls creating a collage

There are multiple ways to approach learning activities for 5-year-olds , especially if we want to help strengthen the areas with which a child struggles. By making the activity collaborative in nature, we can improve their sense of creative thinking without fear of making errors or embarrassment.

The importance of learning activities is also highlighted when we see their eyes light up as they solve problems of varying skill levels. Kids are naturally curious about the world and want to explore all aspects of their surroundings through cognitive and motor skills. Kids can remain active and engaged throughout the day by introducing the right learning activities. 

Let’s Conclude

A red paper boat with two blue and two green paper boats

Now that we’ve explored all areas of learning activities for kids, we can start introducing these activities over time. By starting with areas of keen interest, you can shape how kids play and participate in different activities. Adding new props, experiments, technologies, and activities will make them enjoy active learning.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you make learning fun for kids.

You can make learning more fun for kids by integrating multiple sensory activities, different stimuli, and different forms of teaching to keep kids engaged.

How do I keep my 5 year old busy at home?

Learning activities, educational gaming platforms, storytelling, watching a play, or even helping them put on a play can be enriching experiences for 5-year-olds at home.

What types of learning activities can be played with multiple kids?

Indoor and crafts-based activities can be played with multiple kids for endless learning.

What are the benefits of sensory play for 5 year olds?

Sensory play develops motor skills such as lifting, grabbing, dumping, and object manipulation.

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

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Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids

Courtney Schley

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

A screenshot of the Bedtime Math app showing different options for nature themed word problems.

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

A screenshot from DragonBox Big Numbers, showing a food stand in the shape of a mushroom.

DragonBox Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual numeracy.

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

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

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

A screenshot of Lighbot, with an avatar instructing players on how to use the light command to illuminate a tile.

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.

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

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

A screenshot of the ScratchJr app showing an animated cat and octopus walking down a city street controlled by the game's programming boxes.

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

A child using physical game pieces from the Osmo Coding Starter kit to navigate a maze game on their tablet.

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.

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

Osmo Coding Starter Kit for Amazon Fire Tablet

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

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

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

A screenshot from The Human Body, one of our picks for best education app and learning games for kids, showing screens for both the digestive system and the heart

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)

A screenshot from Toca Nature, showing one of the screens of a landscape that users can alter using the app's tools.

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

A screenshot from the kids multimedia journalling app 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

A screenshot from Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings, showing an animated tiger holding a paintbrush and standing next to their painting.

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

Two children looking at books in the Epic ebook subscription app.

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.

Three children gathered around an iPad, playing one of our picks for best educational apps and learning games for kids.

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

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

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.

Further reading

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Free online exercise videos can help everyone from toddlers to teenagers stay active and calm during a coronavirus self-quarantine. These are our favorites.

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Old-school games from the sidewalks of New York are still surprisingly fun—and require not much more than chalk.

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We’ve assembled our favorite games for families and friends to play together on the Nintendo Switch (and more).

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After testing 14 craft subscription boxes with nine kids, we recommend the Koala Crate for preschoolers and the Kiwi Crate for early elementary students.

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Our Top 17 Educational Board Games for Young Learners (K-5)

In a world of tablets, laptops, portable games and so forth (cue dramatic movie voice), the humble board game still has it’s place as an educational tool for young learners.

From learning cooperation, playing by rules, accepting setbacks and defeats and controlling their emotions; board games help with social skills and thinking.

So what are our favorites for young learners, students in Kindergarten through 5th grade? Let’s get to our comprehensive list of the best educational board games. Each game we will breakdown how age appropriate is and best use case.

Race Across the USA – 8 and up

Race Across the USA is a game where young adventurers embark on a thrilling journey across the United States in a quest to visit six states, conquer geography questions, and race back to their home states for victory.

Utilizing the game board as a navigational tool, players will unravel clues to triumphantly claim state cards. Tailored to suit each player’s academic level, the game ensures an inclusive and fair playing field, fostering camaraderie among children of various grades.

Math Island – 7 and up

Embark on a thrilling adventure with Math Island Addition & Subtraction Game. Designed for 2-4 players, this fast-paced math game challenges kids to solve equations while navigating hazards like quicksand and temple guards.

With equation dice determining moves, it’s an exciting way to reinforce counting, addition, and subtraction skills up to 20.

Perfect for homes and classrooms, this game adds excitement to learning and seamlessly fits into Montessori math curriculum.

Taco vs Burrito – Ages 6 to 12

Taco vs Burrito is a fun, fast-paced card game where players build the most valuable meal by adding ingredient cards to their taco or burrito while using action cards to sabotage their opponents.

Created by then 7 year old Alex Butler , the game combines strategy and luck as players compete to create the highest-scoring meal or make their opponents’ meals as unappealing as possible. With its quirky theme and easy-to-learn rules, it’s perfect for all ages and great for family game nights.

Finally, there are also two expansion packs available for the original game which are worth getting once you get through the Taco vs Burrito base set.

Wordle – 3 years and up

Wordle is a popular online word puzzle game where players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word. The game became a cultural phenomenon, loved for its blend of challenge, simplicity, and the communal experience of solving the same puzzle each day.

Adsumudi – Ages 8 and up

Adsumudi is an educational math card game designed to help players practice and improve their arithmetic skills in a fun and engaging way.

The game is suitable for ages 8 and up and can be played solo or with multiple players. The whole goal is to solve math problems using the numbers on the cards by finding various combinations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division that lead to the target number.

Each card features five numbers, with one number in the center called the “Adsumudi number” and four other numbers around it.

Outfoxed – Ages 4 and up

Outfoxed is a cooperative board game designed for young children, where players work together as detectives to solve the mystery of who stole Mrs. Plumpert’s prized pot pie.

The goal is to identify which fox stole the pie before the guilty fox escapes. The game is educational, focusing on developing deductive reasoning, teamwork, and basic logic skills.

It’s a great choice for developing critical thinking and cooperative skills in young children. It encourages players to communicate, share information, and work together to solve the mystery.

Rivers, Roads and Rails – Ages 6+

Rivers, Roads & Rails is a classic tile-laying game designed for children and families that focuses on connecting different types of transportation routes. The goal is to be the first player to use all of your tiles by connecting them to the existing network of rivers, roads, and rails on the table.

The game is simple yet encourages creativity, spatial thinking, and problem-solving as players build an interconnected network of rivers, roads, and railways. The game’s straightforward rules and visually appealing design make it a favorite for young learners.

Candy Land – Ages 3 to 6

Candy Land is a classic board game that is great for helping young children develop color recognition, counting skills, and the ability to follow simple rules. It’s a wonderful introduction to the concept of board games, taking turns, following set rules and and winning or losing gracefully.

The game is known for its colorful and charming artwork and imaginative theme, which immerses children in a whimsical candy-themed world.

Chutes and Ladders – Ages 3-5

Chutes and Ladders is a classic children’s board game that teaches kids basic counting skills, taking turns, following rules and introduces children to the concept of cause and effect as well as luck, as landing on a ladder or chute can significantly alter a player’s progress

Sloth in a Hurry – Ages 5 and up

Sloth in a Hurry is a lively and imaginative party game designed for children and families, where players race against time to perform silly and creative actions. This game encourages creativity, self-expression, and quick thinking.

It’s a great way for children to develop their imagination, social skills, and confidence as they perform in front of others.

Scarabble Junior – Ages 5+

Scrabble Junior is an excellent tool for helping children develop early literacy skills, such as letter recognition, spelling, and vocabulary. It also introduces them to the concept of strategic thinking as they decide where to place their tiles for maximum points.

Construction Kids – Ages 4 and up

Construction Kids is a creative and educational board game designed for young children that allows them to explore the world of building and construction.

It helps children understand the basics of construction and engineering while also fostering teamwork, planning, and decision making abilities.

Headbanz – Ages 6+

Hedbanz is a fast-paced, guessing game where players wear a headband with a card on it and try to figure out what’s on their card by asking yes-or-no questions.

This game is an excellent learning tool for developing critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and communication skills.

Phonics Board Game – Ages 4-5

Phonics based games are all typically geared toward early learners, focusing on the basic sounds of letters, word formation, and phonemic awareness.

My Feelings – Ages 4 and up

My Feelings is a fun game to help kids express emotions, improve social skills, and develop self-regulation.

I Never Forget a Face – Ages 3+

I Never Forget a Face is a memory-matching game designed for children, focusing on recognizing and remembering faces from around the world. The game is both educational and entertaining, helping players develop their memory skills while also introducing them to diverse cultures .

Bluey Scavenger Hunt Game – Ages 3+

“ Bluey ” is a popular children’s TV show. The game invites players to join Bluey and her family in a fun and engaging scavenger hunt around the house, promoting problem-solving, cooperation, and imagination.

Jumbo Checkers – Ages 4+

It’s Checkers, but on a rug sized board with big plastic checker pieces that are oh so satisfying to stack. Perfect for playing in the classroom.

Chess – Ages 6 and up

Chess is the best board game to teach your students how to play as they can play this game throughout their life. Students begin to recognize patterns and remember strategies, which enhances their memory and cognitive skills.

It also provides valuable life lessons about winning, losing gracefully and not quitting till the game is over. Children learn to respect their opponents, celebrate victories, and handle defeats with resilience.

That’s it for our breakdown on some of the best board games for young learners. From simple games like Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders, to learning how to play Chess. Board games provide a fantastic alternative to digital devices.

fun online educational games for 5 year olds

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Contemporary author, Diane Ackerman, once said, “Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning” and we couldn’t agree more! Can there be learning without play? Indeed. However, recent studies suggest a lack of joy in learning can lead to boredom and overall dissatisfaction with education.

Children coloring and playing

Play has many health benefits, including physical fitness, cognitive function, and mental health. The beauty of PLAY is that it comes naturally to us all! Yup! Babies, children, and adults are all inherently masters of play.

Play is such an essential part of our lives that doctors are even including play on their prescription pads for children.

5 Benefits of Play for Children’s Development

1. Play Promotes Creative Thinking.

Play is essential for fostering a child’s imagination. Through play, children explore the world around them and develop unique problem-solving abilities beyond structured learning. According to a graph published on Linkedin, creativity tops the list of soft skills companies seek in employees.

Check out these creative and fun educational board games: Asymbol , ARTributes , and Clover Leap .

2. Play Fosters Social Development.

Play allows children the opportunity to practice listening, compromising, and feeling empathy for others, according to an article published on Harvard.edu.

One of our most popular educational game boards for early learners is Wake Up Stars . This adorable game helps young children identify and express emotions and practice storytelling.

Wake Up Stars educational board game by SimplyFun

3. Play Builds Strategy Skills.

Play can help children solve problems and actively look for solutions as they engage in critical thinking to overcome obstacles and adapt to challenging situations. Strategy board games are an excellent way to challenge young minds and help them develop early adaptability and problem-solving skills.

Amalgam educational board game by SimplyFun

4. Play Can Help Children Learn Time Management Skills.

Some forms of play can even help children develop time management skills that will serve them into adulthood. Educational games with a timer, like Get Four and Score and ARTributes encourage quick thinking as players manage their time to score points before the timer runs out!

ARTributes educational board game by SimplyFun

Educational board games to build time management skills: ARTributes , Pelican Cove , Get 4 And Score .

5. Play is Great for Cognitive Function.

According to Sergio Pellis, a researcher at the University of Lethbridge, “The experience of play changes the connections of the neurons at the front end of your brain.”

When we play, we actively engage the prefrontal cortex of our brain, which is responsible for moderating social behavior, organizing ideas, and problem-solving. Furthermore, play helps us keep our brains sharp. It’s a case of “use it or lose it” when it comes to our brains. Engaging cognitive function is especially vital for brain development in children. Studies show it’s also critical for avoiding cognitive decline in adults.

Although we focus here on the benefits of play for children’s development, the benefits certainly do not plateau after primary school. Play is the foundation for intellectual curiosity for all ages! Studies show that teenagers also tend to do better on tests when they are engaged in what they are learning.

Ready to play? Game On! Break out some of these fun educational board games, puppet theatre, or jigsaw puzzles, and let’s make education an immersive experience for a lifetime of learning through play!

Take the Play Promise Challenge

Making time for PLAY can significantly boost our mental and physical well-being. An unplugged playful moment can set the tone for our day and spark joy and positivity for all those involved. Whether it’s an impromptu living room dance party or a round of your favorite card game, why not commit to the daily practice of PLAY with a Play Promise?

What is a Play Promise?

It’s the belief that everyone should make time for PLAY no matter their age or circumstance. We get it; making time for PLAY sounds FUN but may seem out of reach on days when we feel depleted or overwhelmed. However, like all healthy habits that enrich our lives, we always seem to feel better when we carve out time for them.

In fact, play has many health benefits due to the release of endorphins that studies show relieve stress, boost mental clarity, and spark creativity.

Shouldn’t everyone play if it’s so good for our mental health?

The answer is a resounding YES! Mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, babies, teens, and everyone in between. We all benefit from play! The healing benefits of play are just too good to be ignored. Not to mention, PLAY is one of the most accessible measures we can take to strengthen cognitive function and relieve stress. Thanks to board games, educational activities that improve listening skills, memory skills, mathematics, and logic can be fun for the entire family. And the best part? These fun and interactive games are suitable for all ages!

Did you know Adults need PLAY just as much as children do?

Studies have shown that humans are hardwired to play, which may explain why those who lack playful tendencies may struggle with stress and depression. If you’ve been feeling stressed lately, it may be a sign you need to make more time for PLAY!

Furthermore, The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending doctors prescribe play for children, not just for development but to reduce the toxic effects of stress. Perhaps adults need the same prescription? We think YES!

Why start a Play Promise in your home?

Let’s face it, some days are tough. We all have those “missed the bus, flat tire”- kind of moments. Still, a play promise is that small, daily gesture that allows families to check in with each other and promote positive feelings. Even a small commitment of 20 minutes a day has major returns on our well-being.

As tempting as it may be to classify PLAYTIME as non-essential, make no mistake, play should be taken seriously. Did you know playing can boost your productivity? Yup, include creativity, collaborative skills, and cognitive function into the mix, and you’ll find playtime to be one of the essential tasks in your day. Plus, it’s an excellent opportunity for kids to stimulate their brains outside of the classroom, developing skills like working as a team and solving problems.

How to work PLAY into your day

  • Play an educational board game, card game, or marble game after dinner.
  • Turn bedtime reading into playtime.
  • Go outside on a nature scavenger hunt.
  • Have 10-minute mini-sessions throughout the day.
  • Work puzzles a little at a time.
  • Do fun crafts together.
  • Start a dinner-prep dance party.
  • Play a social board game, like Asymbol in as little as 30 minutes.
  • Explore a fantasy world with a strategy board game, Amalgam .

Choose fun activities for everyone, and don’t be afraid to mix it up! If you need to schedule playtime into a planner, make it FUN with colored gel pens and stickers while getting the kids involved in the planning!

Remember: play is essential and should be your non-negotiable healthy habit, so resolve to start a Play Promise today!

The Importance of Social Play

by Dr. Toni Linder

Social Play, Skills, and Development

Make time for play! Playing and learning with games is not only fun, but it can also help children develop essential social competence that will benefit them throughout life. Children need to be able to communicate their own thoughts and feelings in some way and read others’ social cues. This means they need to be able to recognize the meaning of facial expressions, gestures, and words, and understand the reasons behind other’s actions.

Children learn these things through interactions with others, particularly in play. Emotional regulation, or the ability to control and express emotions in appropriate ways is also necessary for positive social interactions. We are socially attracted to people who are happy and fun to be with. On the flip side, children who are grumpy, easily frustrated, or angry are not so fun to play with! Behavioral regulation, or the ability to act in ways that are expected for the situation, is a companion skill to emotional regulation.

Another important social skill is being able to communicate (verbally or nonverbally) with others in a way that acknowledges the value of each other’s contribution to the interaction. Furthermore, learning to negotiate and compromise is another positive ability to gameplay.

These social skills develop through all interactions, beginning with initial care and play interactions with caregivers. Because play is such a pleasurable form of interaction, and children, therefore, seek out play, it is one of the best paths to gaining social competence! Many forms of play encourage interaction among peers. Block building, sports, gross motor play, and dramatic play all support developing social skills.

Phantom Seas educational board game by SimplyFun

Games Encourage Social Play

Supporting social play is simple! The best educational board games and card games offer a great way to help children learn positive social interactions with people of all ages.

  • First, the rules are built-in, so there is no need to negotiate how to play. However, you may find that younger children like to make up their own rules!
  • Second, turn-taking is required, so children learn to wait for their turn (e.g., patience). This also provides an opportunity for kids to pay attention to someone else’s play (e.g., social awareness).
  • Third, in most games, someone wins, and the other players lose. Consequently, players need to learn to be a “good loser.” Being a good loser means being able to feel good about another person being happy. This helps children understand and respond to another’s feelings. A good loser is also able to contain sad or frustrated feelings without acting out (e.g., modulate emotions). On the other hand, players must learn how to be a “good winner,” who is aware of others’ feelings and doesn’t gloat (e.g., empathy). Games of chance, where luck is primarily involved in winning, are often the first games children play, so they have little control over the outcome, which can be challenging!

Strategy Games Encourage Social Play in Older Kids

Games of strategy for older children have their own advantages and disadvantages, as well as learning opportunities. A sense of pride accompanies winning a strategy game while losing requires the child to reflect on what could have been done differently (e.g., self-reflection and flexible thinking).

With strategy games, players learn spatial reasoning, risk and reward, and sometimes specific academic skills. Players can discuss their moves and talk about their thinking. Paying attention to someone else’s ideas provides a way for children to learn strategy through observation and conversation. Whether the play was a good one or not is determined by the results, helping children to consider actions and consequences.

Gameplay benefits all areas of development, including cognitive, motor, and communication, but the development of social competence is one of the primary benefits of play. Are you ready to commit to the daily practice of PLAY?

Dr. Toni Linder is a leader in the field of early childhood development and early childhood special education. She’s also a member of our Play Advisory Council .

Award-Winning Games of 2021

Our Award-Winning Games of 2021 range from early-learning board games and educational board games for elementary students, to games the whole family can enjoy on game night! The best part? They are just as fun as they are educational, making learning a new subject engaging and interactive.

Let’s take a look at our award-winning and fun educational board games of 2021!

Ice Tumble is a fun strategy stacking game, but did you know it also received a Mensa Recommended Game seal in 2021? Mensa Recommended Games are a selection of educational games chosen by the nation’s most trusted game reviewers on the Mensa Mind Games board. This year, our popular Ice Tumble board game made the recommended list!

Asymbol is our popular social board game and educational board game for 8 year olds that focuses on exploring imagination and creativity. One of the best educational board games for kids, it'll present exciting challenges and brain teasers that will keep everyone on their toes. Players build 3D forms while their opponents try to guess what they are making. In 2021, Asymbol was honored with a whopping FOUR awards!

  • NAPPA (National Parenting Product Awards). The National Parenting Product Awards have been reviewing games for 31 years. They are a go-to source for parents and educators seeking the best children’s products available on the market.
  • Creative Child Awards: Creative Play of the Year Award. Creative Child Magazine’s Awards are tested and approved games submitted by moms, educators, and early education professionals.
  • Mom’s Choice Awards-Honoring Excellence. Mom’s Choice Awards is a globally recognized panel of experts that evaluates children’s toys and games and highlights high-caliber family-friendly products.
  • Parents’ Picks Award. Parents’ Picks Awards is a leading organization that showcases parent-tested and kid-approved toys and games. As a Parents’ Picks award winner, Asymbol underwent an approval process receiving high marks in 50 educational gaming criteria!

Shore Seekers

Another unique and original game ranked among the best educational games, Shore Seekers is played with cards and dice. It’s designed to take the player on an adventurous and educational journey to the beach! Shore Seekers is an island-themed addition and early multiplication board game where players help turtles migrate while practicing their math skills. This popular educational board game for elementary students received four awards in 2021!

  • NAPPA (National Parenting Product Awards). NAPPA is one of the nation’s longest-running awards programs considered a “go-to” source for high-quality family-focused toys and games.
  • Creative Child Awards: Preferred Choice Award. Shore Seekers won a Creative Child Preferred Choice Award in the Strategy Games category. Creative Child is a leading resource of creative toys and games that trustworthy game reviewers approve.
  • Parents’ Picks Awards- 2021 Award Winner. Parents’ Picks Awards is one of the leading resources for parents seeking parent-tested and kid-approved toys and games. Shore Seekers was awarded a 2021 winner of ‘Best Elementary School Games.’
  • Academics’ Choice Award. Shore Seekers won a Brain Toy Award by Academics’ Choice. Academics’ Choice is an educational gaming evaluation organization that helps parents select the best educational toys and games on the market.

Rooby's ABCs

Come fly with Rooby Roo as you learn your ABCs.

Rooby’s ABCs is an early learning board game that teaches both upper and lowercase letters and the alphabet sequence. It’s a classic game designed to help young children develop literacy skills, perfect for toddlers. Kids will progress through this educational game board’s letter cards to learn their ABCs in a fun and engaging way. It’s full of fun and provides a new way to explore the world of sounds and words. With colorful and inviting game pieces, it earns its spot among the top board games for learning. Rooby’s ABCs is an award-winning early elementary game that received both a PAL Award and PAL Top 10 in 2021!

  • PAL Award. PAL Awards select toys and games that advance language skills with a speech-language pathologist seal of approval. In 2021, PAL awarded Rooby’s ABCs for language development.
  • PAL Top 10. Rooby’s ABC’s also made the Top 10 PAL Gift Guide list in 2021. The PAL Top 10 list is a trustworthy source of toys and games that earn high marks with children for playability and a speech-language pathologist seal of approval for language development.

Dish ‘em Out

This board game’s educational theme is centered around offering a creative and welcoming way to explore the fast-paced world of serving hungry customers in a restaurant. Dish ’em Out is a zippy strategy game with a diner theme that won an Academics Choice Brain Toy Award in 2021. Academics Choice is a panel of qualified academics, teachers, and parents who recognize games that boost cognitive development. Dish ’em Out also received a Creative Child Awards 2021- Game of the Year for its strategy game playability.

Planet Voyagers

Planet Voyagers is one of the best board games for education in STEM topics. Whether you’re a teacher searching for a fun and engaging way to teach science and math concepts or a parent who wants to share the thrill of space exploration with your kids, Planet Voyagers is the game for you. Did you know this fascinating astronomy game was an Academics’ Choice- Brain Toy Award Winner? Academics Choice is a panel of qualified academics, teachers, and parents who recognize a selection of toys and games that boost cognitive development.

Hazel’s Helpers

In Hazel’s Helpers, players sharpen their fine motor skills and practice decision-making to help Hazel and her siblings build a beaver lodge. In 2021, the National Parenting Center awarded Hazel’s Helpers with a Seal of Approval.

The National Parenting Center consists of a panel of child development experts who select products that help parents source the best educational toys and games on the market.

Four Reasons to Bring More Play into Your Life

When was the last time you relaxed and played? Playtime for adults shouldn’t be limited to rare occasions.

You might think playing is just for kids, but it’s incredibly beneficial for adults too. After all, wouldn’t it feel great to get that child-like joy back in your life on a regular basis?

Now’s the perfect time to make time for some adult recess.

More Time with Your Kids

Kids learn a wide variety of skills through play. It’s why playtime is so important for them. Why not join in on the fun? Not only do you get to feel like a carefree child again, but you get more time with your kids. They’ll love the extra time, and you’ll wonder why you ever stopped setting aside time to have fun.

Reduce Your Stress

Being an adult isn’t easy. Can you think of a day when you didn’t feel stressed out? It’s not healthy for you. Play takes you out of your normal routine and instead of stress, you start feeling pleasure and joy. Even when you’re being competitive, you’re enjoying yourself. Regular playtime helps keep your stress at a manageable level.

Improve Relationships

When you’re less stressed, it’s easier to connect with others. Plus, if you take the time to play games with other adults and/or kids, you’re creating a bonding experience. You’ve probably noticed a surge in social and party games. They’re silly and make you laugh, but they also bring people together to have fun.

Boost Learning and Productivity

Taking a break from a hectic schedule gives you time to refresh your mind. Think of how much sleep benefits you. Play does the same thing. When you’re playing, you feel happier and more confident. You also relax. Those feelings carry over into the rest of your life. You might find that you have more energy, you retain information better, and you’re more productive at tasks. Kids use play as a form of education, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that playing helps adults learn better, too.

It doesn’t matter how old you are. You’re never too old to play. Play board games with other adults. Act out silly scenes from a book with your kids. Whatever you do, set aside dedicated time to play.

Ignite Your Child’s Interest in Learning

It’s not unusual for a child to either lose interest or not be interested in learning at all, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ignite that interest! This is easy to do, especially through educational board games.

Now is the perfect time to start getting your child excited to learn. With the right methods, your child will be eager to absorb knowledge and try out new skills.

The more time you spend fostering a child’s interest now, the easier it’ll be for them to learn as they get older.

Uncover Their Interests

Children of all ages and even adults learn better when the topic is something they’re interested in. For instance, a kid who loves basketball may absorb math concepts more easily if basketball and math were tied together, versus just trying to get a child to memorize math concepts via flashcards or a book.

The first step to igniting a passion for learning is to tie education to something the child already loves. If they have a favorite cartoon character, educational board games involving that character may get them excited. So much so that they won’t even realize they’re learning.

Make Learning Less Obvious

Structured learning is necessary sometimes, but it can also be extremely boring. Interactive or playful learning works much better. For instance, adults attending iPadpalooza didn’t exactly pay attention to dull lectures, but they learned about technology concepts through a fun race filled with playful challenges.

The same approach works for children. For instance, teach them reading skills by playing an educational game together that involves reading silly jokes off a card. Or, ask them to read you a bedtime story instead of you reading to them.

Eliminate Consequences

Sometimes children, especially school-aged children, lose their interest in learning because every mistake seems to lead to lasting consequences or feedback comes too late to make a difference. With free play and games, mistakes don’t matter. Instead, they’re learning opportunities. A child feels safe learning and wants to try again to do better.

As children build confidence through play-based learning, they retain their interest in learning in other ways as well.

Focus On Having Fun

Learning should be fun. Ignite your child’s interest in learning by focusing on letting a child learn naturally through games, free play, and their natural interests. Don’t try to force the issue. Your child will learn, but they’ll be more interested if they enjoy the process.

Play is Not Just a Little Word

Most of us think of play as this fun thing that we go do as we have time. What we don’t realize is that play is made up of nine specific activities that each bring added value to family life and skill development for your little ones. Just look at these benefits:

  • Gross Motor Play – Developing control of body movements for activities like sports, dance, and balance.
  • Art Play – Building creativity, expressing a vision and creating an awareness of shapes, colors and forms.
  • Pretend Play – Exploring different worlds and roles, creating empathy and understanding of differences and likenesses.
  • Reading and Narrative Play – Learning to communicate our ideas and understand others.
  • Fine Motor Play – Developing control of our fingers for writing, eating and all the small things that require precision movements.
  • Construction Play – Building spatial reasoning by working with forms and objects to create something new.
  • Sensory Play – Exploring our feelings including joy, laughter, pleasure and a sense of achievement.
  • Music Play – Exploring the rhythms and cadences that are mathematical in nature.
  • Game Play – Developing resiliency and a sense of fairness through winning and losing, taking turns, and being honest while using strategic thinking to solve problems.

OK, now you are thinking ‘How do I fit all that into my family life? Our days are packed already!’

Well let’s take a look and you may be pleasantly surprised at how many types of play are lurking around your daily life:

  • Does your child run and jump? (Gross Motor Play)
  • Does your child do collages? (Art Play)
  • Does your child become a superhero, fireman or other character? (Pretend Play)
  • Does your child read or tell stories? (Reading & Narrative Play)
  • Does your child draw and color? (Fine Motor Play)
  • Does your child make forts or stack blocks? (Construction Play)
  • Does your child repeat activities that are funny or snuggly? (Sensory Play)
  • Does your child hum and sing? (Music Play)
  • Does your child play educational board games? (Game Play)

Are you surprised at how many of your answers are yes? Don’t be, as we are all pre-wired to learn through play and we gravitate to these activities naturally. Encompassing all forms of play may be worth adding to your list after all because play builds skills that can be used throughout our whole life.

Isn’t it wonderful that play is not just a little word, but a big powerful word that can help your child grow and have fun at the same time?

Make a quick play list of your own. See how many types of play your little one engages in during a week. Note where they are excelling and where they may be falling short. Incorporate some activities, or maybe some educational board games, that touch on their strengths and challenges and have a little fun while you’re at it.

By Patty Pearcy, SimplyFun CEO

Our Mission and Our Family

At SimplyFun, we believe that children deserve an opportunity for success in the world. We also believe that play and in particular educational board gameplay, can help kids learn and practice the skills that will help them navigate the challenges they face in adulthood.

Stop for a minute and think about what happens when you play a game. Likely you see both math and language skills being used, which is great! But look a bit deeper and you will see kids practicing skills like focus and self-control, good decision-making, working towards a goal, building healthy social relationships, and developing physical competence. Basically, the skills we use at the game table are just ‘table size’ versions of the skills we need to achieve a successful life.

The future is in the hands of those who follow behind us, those youngest members that we care for today. They will be faced with solving many of the growing problems in our world which will take creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills to address – all of which they can learn through gameplay.

Our mission at SimplyFun is to create smarter kids and stronger families through the amazing power of play. It is a mission we take seriously from the rigor with which we develop skills within the context of each game. We intentionally pay attention to things like length of gameplay, repetitive play value, and expanding play across age groups in order to remove some common barriers to getting the family around the game table. And as an added benefit, we make it fun.

The benefits of play are amazing, and we hope you too take a moment to add play into your family life and share with us what happens.

Play is Even More Fun with Friends

When you think of kids playing, you often think of small groups running around together. While kids love this, it’s not just about having fun. Social play is also a vital part of a kid’s development.

Think about how much you enjoy spending time with your friends. The same is true for kids. It’s a special connection formed during playtime that helps kids grow mentally and socially.

Introducing Social Play

There are four introductory levels of social play for kids as established by Mildred Parten. These levels are still used today to show how quickly kids advance through socializing through play. When introduced to peers their own age, kids may start exhibiting social behavior as early as 18 months, though most start at around 24 months.

At this point, kids’ naturally inquisitive behavior leads to them showing off toys, learning to share, and even communicating simple feelings of happiness or disapproval. By three years, social situations help them learn how to play together, express goals and start working out differences.

Develop Vital Skill Sets

Social play has the unique advantage of teaching some of the most vital skill sets for a child’s development. Playing with both peers and adults helps them to learn and improve certain skills, such as:

  • Social and emotional
  • Self-regulation
  • Relationship building

One other noticeable skill is stress management. Studies have shown that not only do kids who play together have a more prosocial brain, but they’re able to better process and manage toxic stress, which can damage development if not managed properly.

Social Play Proven at Daycare

If you need more proof about the benefits of social play, look no further than daycare. A study tracked 1,428 kids from 12 months to 8 years to determine how children developed under different childcare situations. Children in daycare had better cognitive, academic, language, social, and behavioral skills than their counterparts. Why? They were constantly engaged in social play with their friends and even childcare workers.

While solo play is great too, social skills are vital to a child’s growth and what better way to do that than letting them play with friends. Plus, studies have shown kids with friends, even just one or two close friends, tend to be happier and healthier. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Learn from Playing

Who doesn’t love playing with an infant!? We all love peek-a-boo, tickle, and chase games accompanied by bursts of giggles and laughter. When they are preschool age we love finger plays, songs, and tea parties. But as children move into school age, they can often entertain themselves, playing alone or with siblings or peers. While this independence is frequently welcomed, something valuable may also be lost.

Playing with your child allows you to discover their interests and passions. Follow your child’s lead and play with them with whatever they choose. If they want to play school, be the student. If they want to build with construction materials, work together to make a creation. If they want to play an educational board game, learn together. Watch what motivates them. What toys do they examine in the toy store? What board or card games do they select and play repeatedly? Children’s choices reflect their motivations, their interests, and their thinking style.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s mother saw that he loved building structures and provided many different construction possibilities for her child. Another child loved to dress in wild costumes and makeup and create her own plays. She became a fashion designer. A young boy dressed as a paramedic for Halloween and asked for a CPR training dummy for Christmas. He is now an EMT. Children’s passions and strengths emerge early and are often evident in their play.

Participation in the child’s play allows parents to learn about more than their child’s special talents and interests. Playing with your child also provides a fun arena for addressing areas that need encouragement or assistance. For example, you may see that your child has difficulty sharing or being a good sport about losing during play. By joining in the play, you can demonstrate how to be resilient, how to rebound from loss with a smile and congratulate the winner on a “nice game.” You can provide encouragement, model problem solving strategies, and reinforce sharing or positive social interactions.

Another key benefit of playing with your child is to nurture creativity. As children move into academic programs at the age of five and six-years of age, focus shifts to more structured learning, memory, and testing. The wonderful creativity shown in children’s art, dramatic play, and movement activities can be dampened as learning becomes more formalized. Creative thinking, or thinking and doing things in unique ways, is a valuable trait that should be cultivated. Generate ongoing opportunities for your child to express their creativity by making up stories, dramas, artwork, structures, dance, and music.

Make a point to get involved in some of your child’s or grandchild’s favorite activities and watch what happens. While these activities can be done with just kids, the mutual pleasure, expansion of ideas, and pure delight of all family members participating create strong family bonds and treasured memories for all to share.

Play Benefits Mental Health in Children

It’s not surprising that play benefits mental health in everyone, especially children. Maintaining good mental health is important to your overall well-being. What better way to support your child’s mental health than through PLAY! Let your child select their favorite learning board game or fun educational board game and watch their mindset shift, in a really good way.

“Time to play is more important now than ever,” says Dr. Toni Linder, a leader in the field of early childhood development. “Play of all kinds engages the pleasure centers of the mind, releasing endorphins associated with feelings of happiness.”

Benefits of Play

Play, especially social play, is one of the best ways children learn! It not only helps them develop essential social skills, but it can also aid in developing both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. These skills will benefit them throughout life.

Play is tons of fun! Children inherently love to play and will almost always say yes to a playtime opportunity. Play creates a foundation of stable mental health by allowing the brain to relax, which can relieve stress. It also enhances empathy, increases creativity, and promotes resourcefulness.

Many Ways to Play

There are many different ways to play to encourage strong mental health in children. Imagine or ‘pretend’ play, dramatic play, active play, and gameplay are all great examples of how to incorporate play into your child’s day.

Play. Changes. Everything. Make it a priority to play as little as 20 minutes a day, and you’ll find it to be a transformative habit, and notice the benefits to your mental health. So pull out markers and paper, or an educational board game—you may find that the more you do it, the better you’ll feel, and the better you feel, the more you’ll want to play.

Ready to make your day with PLAY? Find great educational board games at a price you’ll love. Shop today!

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Toddler Games Kids Ages 1 to 5 4+

Abc tracing phonics preschool, mighty leaps.

  • 5.0 • 52 Ratings
  • Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Jumpstart your child's education with Mighty Leaps! Made by parents inspired by their inquisitive 3-year-old, it's ideal for nurturing your child's growth & development. Mighty Leaps is an immersive educational journey tailored specifically for preschoolers, offering a rich learning experience guided by our charismatic mascot, Milo, the bunny. These kindergarten games are for kids ages 2 - 5. Baby games for 1yr 2yr 3yr old is our primarily focus with foundational learning for ages 1-5, set against a backdrop of global exploration and cosmic adventures. Kindergarten readiness is our goal for every baby, child and toddler who plays Mighty Leaps. With Milo the Bunny as their guide, children embark on a fascinating journey that transcends continents and galaxies, unraveling puzzles for toddlers and challenges that ignite curiosity and foster problem-solving skills. Our baby games for 1yr 2yr 3yr olds are for toddlers and boast an expansive suite of activities spanning over a dozen skills, each underpinned by pedagogical research to promote intellectual growth and development. Here's a deeper dive into the skills we nurture: ABC Alphabet Games: Developing early reading skills through sound-letter associations and word construction. ABC Tracing Games & Fine Motor Skills: Enhancing hand-eye coordination and precision. Learn Letters & Writing: Foundational literacy skills, from recognizing alphabets to forming letters with ABC games for kids in Mighty Leaps. Learn Colors, Shapes & Patterns: Recognizing and categorizing visual elements is a big part of our toddler games. Learn Numbers with Counting Games For Kids: Laying the groundwork for numerical literacy and mathematical operations is a major focus of our kids’ games. Problem Solving & Memory: Cultivating critical thinking and recall abilities, essential for academic success. Toddler Matching Games & Orientation: Spatial awareness and logical reasoning through matching and sorting activities. Mighty Leaps stands out with its fully voiced gameplay, providing clear, engaging instructions that empower children to navigate and solve tasks independently. This feature ensures a nurturing environment where children can learn at their own pace, fostering a sense of autonomy and confidence. Features for Parents: Easily Search Games Navigate through our extensive library of educational games effortlessly. The search functionality is designed to help parents and educators find games by name or skill set. Favorites Customize your child’s learning journey by favoriting their most-loved kids games. This feature facilitates quick access to preferred content, making repeated play both convenient and enjoyable. Set Screen Time Limits Balancing screen time is vital. With Mighty Leaps, parents can set daily screen time limits, promoting healthy digital habits. Track Your Child’s Progress Monitor and understand your child's developmental milestones with ease. We offer an intuitive progress-tracking feature that outlines skills, strengths, and areas for improvement. Your child's data remains secure and private, with all information stored locally on your device, ensuring a safe and protected learning environment. Create Multiple Profiles Mighty Leaps allows the creation of multiple profiles on a single device. Each child has a personalized learning experience, complete with individual settings, progress tracking, favorite games, and achievements, making learning personal and relevant. Our dedication to educational excellence stems from our personal journey as parents of a preschooler. Understanding the pivotal role of play in learning, we've crafted Mighty Leaps to ensure that screen time is enjoyable and educational, paving the way for cognitive development and overall growth. Joining Milo on this educational voyage offers kids a unique opportunity to make strides in their learning journey. Mighty Leaps is more than a toddlers game; it's a stepping stone to lifelong learning and discovery. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Version 2.2.03

New Game Added! ColorBlocks: Select one of 6 fun vehicles and practice colors and shapes all in one game. Improvements: Added onboarding with skill prioritization for all users! Minor bug fixes.

Ratings and Reviews

Brilliant product.

We absolutely love this app! Its easy to use. The audio is supper clear and the voice reminds us of an encouraging teacher or family member my 3 year old grand daughter is now doing all of the games her self. When we first played the fishing game she giggled so hard - she still loves watching the fish get caught. Even my one year old grandson likes to play on the game. Mostly to hi five the bunny, but eventually he will be playing along. We love FUN educational games. the children really don't know they are learning, they are just having fun playing Keep up the good work!

Developer Response ,

Thank you so much for the wonderful review! Our primary goal was to be a great educational tool for toddlers and not just mindless screen time while keeping them engaged and learning. We've noticed most games don't try at all with audio and clear instructions throughout so we strived to improve that, for our own 3 year old as well. We're working on many more games, especially language-based (phonics, letters, words ,etc), please be on the lookout for updates!

Fantastic for preschoolers!

This app is actually really well made and engaging! Things I love: 1. The graphics/design, you can actually tell what is what and it’s relatable in terms of characters, etc (other apps have these crazy cartoons and things that are bizarre so kids don’t connect to it) 2. ⁠The variety of games and categories 3. ⁠Easy to go to each category and back and forth (very user friendly) 4. ⁠Love the color and scenery themes 5. ⁠All the games are really great for this age group and easy for them see, hear and do (with their little fingers). As someone who has downloaded ALOT of these kids apps, I would have to say this one is definitely one of the best ones in terms of variety, graphics, design, user friendliness and content.
Thank you so much for such a thorough review! You hit on all the points that we did our very best to work on as we developed the app (as parents ourselves, we went through the same experience and found the current app market quite lacking and wanted something better for our own toddler). We're continuing making more games so please be on the lookout for updates coming very soon!

Download now!!

Our 3 year old LOVES this app. He normally has a very short attention span and easily changes his mind on what activities he wants to do on a regular basis… this app though?! has kept him so engaged and helped with his learning and development skills in numbers, colors, shapes letters, etc. this is a wonderful app! The voice is quite lovely as well compared to some of the other apps we’ve experienced.
Thank you for the amazing review! We're very glad to hear your son is engaged and learning with Mighty Leaps. Don’t hesitate to shoot us a note at [email protected] if you have any questions or feedback. Enjoy!

App Privacy

The developer, Mighty Leaps , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

  • Contact Info
  • Identifiers
  • Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

  • Mighty Leaps Premium Monthly $6.99
  • Mighty Leaps Premium $4.99
  • Mighty Leaps Premium Annual $49.99
  • Developer Website
  • App Support
  • Privacy Policy

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  1. Educational Games

    Welcome to TurtleDiary! Our award winning educational website offers 1000+ learning activities that are both interactive and educational. The games support necessary skills while promoting fun. TurtleDiary activities are compatible with grade levels K-5 and provide opportunities to enhance material retention and increase success in the classroom.

  2. Games

    Bob Dog is on a mission to become a top fetcher with his coach, Penguin Referee! Go Fetch! With Bob Dog is a fun, claw machine-style game from Donkey Hodie where players use classification, flexible thinking, and visual discrimination to help Bob Dog sort the toys he wants and toss the ones he doesn't as fast as they can. Everyone will dig it!

  3. Free Games for 5-Year-Olds

    Learning games. Discover a World of Fun: Games for 5-Year-Olds! Dive into our delightful collection of games designed especially for 5-Year-Olds, where interactive adventures and colorful journeys await! Our carefully curated selection ensures age-appropriate fun that stimulates creativity, enhances problem-solving skills, and nurtures a love ...

  4. Free Online Educational Learning Games for Kids

    Educational Learning Games for Kids. Explore the magical world of online learning games in math and ELA, tailored for Pre-K to Grade 5, well-suited for ages 2-11. Our teacher-designed learning program offers interactive educational games on counting, arithmetic operations, fractions, shapes, reading, writing, grammar, and more.

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    Kids LOVE our free online games! Race cars, meet cuddly penguins, and explore while practicing counting, sight words, and more kindergarten skills. ... Base Ten Fun. Grades K - 4. Birthday Candle Counting. Grades PRE-K - 1. Blast Off! Numerical Order ... The Leader in Educational Games for Kids! Featured in.

  6. 25 Best Educational Games for 5 Year Olds That are SO FUN!

    1. SplashLearn's Online Educational Games for 5 Year Olds . Skill Development: Math and reading. Price: Free for teachers and a 7-day free trial for parents. Subscription starts at $4.99 per month. You can find various learning games for 5 year olds online. SplashLearn is a website that offers over 4,000 educational games for kids in grades ...

  7. Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, Books & Music for K-5 and above

    Starfall was founded by Dr. Stephen Schutz, who had difficulty learning to read as a child due to dyslexia. He was motivated to create a learning platform with untimed, multisensory interactive games that allow children to see, hear, and touch as they learn. Starfall was developed in the classroom by teachers and opened in August 2002 as a free ...

  8. Toy Theater

    Make learning a blast! Toy Theater is chock full of interactive online art, reading & math games for kids. Designed with the needs of kindergarten through third grade classrooms in mind, these free games are trusted by teachers around the world to provide real educational value.

  9. Teach Your Monster: Free Phonics, Reading and Mathematics Games

    Inspire learning with our magical reading and mathematics games for kids. Play now for free. Learn to read. Play the ground-breaking game that makes learning to read fun. Read for pleasure. Collect books and go on quests that ignite a love of reading. Learn numbers. Master early mathematics. Learn more.

  10. ABCya! • Learning Games and Apps for Kids

    ABCya! is a website that offers fun and educational games for kids from PreK to 6th grade. You can choose from topics like math, reading, typing, logic and more. You can also join the premium membership to access more features and games. ABCya! is the leader in free educational computer games and mobile apps for kids.

  11. Sheppard Software: Fun free online learning games and activities for kids

    language arts, creative activities, health) and lots of levels for all abilities - loads of games and activities for learners of any age. and over 5 million hours of learning! *Geography* (learning and lower levels - states, countries, more). *Animal Environments Paint and Make* (paint 7 scenes and add animals!)

  12. Free Math Games Games for 5-Year-Olds

    Dive into the world of numbers with our fascinating Math for 5-Year-Olds games collection! Specially designed for young learners, these engaging and interactive games make math fun and accessible. Whether your child is mastering basic addition or exploring shapes and sizes, our thoughtfully crafted games support early math skills in a playful ...

  13. Reading Games

    The chickens vote for someone to watch them while the farmer is away! Read a storybook with Peg and Cat! Grow giant vegetables with Molly and Trini for the Alaska State Fair! Explore reading and play games with your favorite PBS KIDS characters like Elmo, Molly of Denali, Clifford, WordGirl, and Daniel Tiger!

  14. 5 YEAR OLD Games on COKOGAMES

    5️⃣ Discover the fun of learning with our free online games for 5 year old preschoolers! They help children learn more before they start their elementary school years. Our games are didactic, educational and interactive, designed specifically for preschoolers and can be played online from your computer. They are easy to use, allowing ...

  15. Popular Games

    Donkey Hodie Go Fetch With Bob Dog. Bob Dog is on a mission to become a top fetcher with his coach, Penguin Referee! Go Fetch! With Bob Dog is a fun, claw machine-style game from Donkey Hodie where players use classification, flexible thinking, and visual discrimination to help Bob Dog sort the toys he wants and toss the ones he doesn't as fast as they can.

  16. Free, fun educational app for young kids

    Circle Time. YouTube videos with interactive stories and lessons. Inspire a lifetime of learning with our educational app for kids ages 2-8. Kids can learn reading, writing, math, counting, ABCs, addition, subtraction, social-emotional skills, & more. 100% free on iPhone, iPad, Android, and Amazon.

  17. Sesame Street

    Field Day Fun. New! Gift of Giggles. New! Color Garden Pop-Up. New! Memory Match Mecha Builders. Inside, Outside with Bert & Ernie. Oscar's Rotten Ride. Super Salad Diner. Potty Plan. Ready, Set, Grow! Elmo's Brain Games. Abby's Sandbox Search. Cooking With Cookie. Big Bird's Basketball. Dress Up Time! Backyard Bug Hunt. FOLLOW. WATCH. SHOP.

  18. 40 Amusing Games For Your Five-Year-Olds

    5. Bubble Wrap Hopscotch. This fun-filled game makes the perfect activity for rainy days spent in the classroom. Set up a game of hopscotch for your students by cutting out squares of bubble wrap and labeling each square with a number.

  19. 51 Best Activities for 5 Year Olds for Holistic Development

    The Best Indoor Activities for 5-Year-Olds You Can Play Now 1. Math Worksheets. Things you'll need: Templates. You can print out math worksheets from SplashLearn for your 5-year-old and have them solve word problems, addition and number sense questions, and more. Skills learned: Core math concepts, 2. Count By Skipping 1, 2, 3s

  20. Preschool Learning Games, Ages 3

    Kids LOVE our free online games! Navigate mazes, befriend unicorns, and explore while practicing numbers, letters, and more preschool skills. ... ABCya's pre-K games are a great way for preschoolers and their caregivers to engage with literacy and math content in a fun and interactive way. In our pre-K games, kids can practice the following ...

  21. Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids

    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 ...

  22. Free Preschool Games

    Learn numbers from 1 to 10 with this cool math gam.. 129,078 Plays Pre-k (1068) Learn Numbers. Number Balloon 27,960 Plays Pre-k (282) Number Balloon. Number Matching is a simple fun game for preschool.. 132,389 Plays Pre-k (1036) Number Matching. Pixel Art Color by Number 109,907 Plays Pre-k (2415) Pixel Art Color by Number.

  23. Our Top 17 Educational Board Games for Young Learners (K-5)

    Phonics Board Game - Ages 4-5. Phonics based games are all typically geared toward early learners, focusing on the basic sounds of letters, word formation, and phonemic awareness. My Feelings - Ages 4 and up. My Feelings is a fun game to help kids express emotions, improve social skills, and develop self-regulation. I Never Forget a Face ...

  24. Shop Educational Board Games for Kids

    Asymbol is our popular social board game and educational board game for 8 year olds that focuses on exploring imagination and creativity. One of the best educational board games for kids, it'll present exciting challenges and brain teasers that will keep everyone on their toes. Players build 3D forms while their opponents try to guess what they ...

  25. Toddler Games Kids Ages 1 to 5 4+

    ‎Mighty Leaps is an immersive educational journey tailored specifically for preschoolers, offering a rich learning experience guided by our charismatic mascot, Milo, the bunny. These kindergarten games are for kids ages 2 - 5. Baby games for 1yr 2yr 3yr old is our primarily focus with foundational le…