Kids are addicted to the screen more than ever before and there is no going back from this situation. If you can’t stop them from getting their hands on your iPad or smartphone, restrict their access to educational and gaming apps that are fun and teach a thing or two. Good strategy, eh? Here are some of the best educational and gaming apps for under 5 year olds.
Let’s begin.
Table of Contents
1. Khan Academy Kids (Education)
Khan Academy Kids is completely free and features a huge resource of content around math, arts, language, drawing and coloring, math, etc.
The UI animations are fun and the app is easy to navigate throughout. Khan Academy is popular among kids, parents, and even teachers alike due to its rich content and non-profit nature. New content in the form of games, activities, and ebooks is added every month.
Pros:
- Resources for teachers and parents like reports, assignments, etc.
- Easy and fun animated UI
- Printable content for offline education
- Huge library of content focusing on multiple subjects
- Free, no ads
Cons:
- Lacks Google/Apple sign-on options
Download Khan Academy: Android | iOS
2. Sago Mini World (Social)
Sago Mini World has a number of themed games that will teach your kids a thing or two about babysitting, parenting, pets, character building, etc. Animations are fluid and smooth and UI is good. Sago is home to over 40 mini-games that each take a new ambiance and allow kids to learn in an interactive environment.
Sago Mini World offers a free 7-day trial but will cost $59.99 per year.
Pros:
- 40+ interactive games
- Fluid UI and animations
- Learn about different characters, settings, places, etc.
- No ads
Cons:
- Lacks Google/Apple sign-on options
Download Sago Mini World: Kids Games: Android | iOS
3. Endless Numbers, Endless Alphabets (Learning)
These are two different apps from the same developer. As the name suggests, they are focused on teaching your kids how to read and write numbers and alphabet. The emphasis is on helping kids identify and remember what alphabets and numbers look like by counting, spelling, colorful objects, and vivid animations. They feature a number of puzzles, some free while others paid.
Endless Alphabet costs $8.99 while Endless Numbers has packs starting $6.99.
Download Endless Numbers: Android | iOS
Download Endless Alphabets: Android | iOS
4. Toca Kitchen 2 (Game)
Teach your child what happens in the kitchen. Different types of foods and their names, utensils, and finally, how to cook delicious, or really bad, meals for your guests. After all, you are the head chef of a Sushi Restaurant.
Toca Kitchen was wildly popular with the kids and cashing on its success, the team has released Toca Kitchen 2 which has even more responsive characters, food items, a descriptive kitchen, and better animations.
Pros:
- Interactive gameplay
- Characters reactions
- Open-ended with no direction
- No ads or in-app purchases
Cons:
- No free trial
Download Toca Kitchen 2: Android | iOS
5. PBS KIDS Video (Entertainment Videos)
Video content has become more popular than ever before. However, not all videos are suitable for children under 5 years old. PBS Kids Video is a video streaming app dedicated to kids where they can stream from over 35 shows with over 400 episodes. What we like is the parental options so you view TV schedule, goals and intended age, and offline viewing. It is free to download however some shows are paid. No ads.
Pros:
- Huge library
- Offline viewing
- Educational content
Cons:
- Restricted to the USA only
Download PBS KIDS Video: Android | iOS
6. YouTube Kids (All-in-One)
YouTube is the biggest video streaming platform in the world with all kinds of content available. You can literally learn anything there. However, Google decided to take things further and launched YouTube Kids which hosts kids-friendly content. Because it is owned by Google, you get parental controls, filters, and screen time limits. kids profiles, etc.
We have a detailed guide explaining how YouTube Kids differs from YouTube apps. As with all Google apps, it is free to use but ad-supported. You may subscribe to YouTube Premium or Family plan to remove ads.
Pros:
- Largest library
- All-in-one content
- Parental controls
- Offline viewing
- Profiles and filters
Cons:
- Can be overwhelming
Download YouTube Kids: Android | iOS
Gaming Apps for Under 5 Year Olds
There are plenty of other gaming apps for kids that are young and under years, however, these should get you started. We don’t want to overwhelm you with too many options. Start with these and take it slow. You don’t just have to download and install the app but also monitor it to make sure that the content is suitable for your kids, and that they are responding to it positively.
