When I was a kid, I used to watch television and read comics for fun. Yes, there were retro games (like Super Mario and Contra, etc), though that came much later.
But things have changed now. Thanks to technological advancement, the younger generation has a lot of cool stuff to play with. And it’s not just about playing, they also learn from it. So, here is a list of some of the best educational apps. (video demo)
Note: Since these kids apps cannot be monetized with ads, chances are many good apps are either paid or comes with in-app purchases. So if you are looking for some quality games for your child, be prepared to spend some cash.
That being said, let’s get started
Best Educational Apps for Kids
#1 YouTube Kids
Description: This is a special version of YouTube made especially for kids. The app is free (supports pre-roll video ads) and host — kids related tv shows, cartoons, educational videos, etc.
Suitable for: Age 2-13 years old
The good: There are three things, I like about the app.
One is the quantity. There are thousands of videos for children of any age or taste. Kids can spend months using this app and never get bored.
Second is also a parental control. Parents can set a daily time limit for this app. If the kid accidentally searched for an inappropriate keyword, there will be no results.
The third is the chromecast support. So if you have more than one kid watching YouTube Kids, you can cast the videos on a big screen using a chromecast.
The bad: Apparently, YouTube Kids is only available in the US, Canada, Australia and parts of Europe. So, if you are not living in these countries, you won’t find YouTube Kids in the App store. Update: It’s available in most countries now.
Bottom line: YouTube kids is a child-friendly video app. It has a huge collection of educational videos and omes with all the necessary settings for both kids and parents. Overall a must have app if you have kids in your house.
Download YouTube kids (iOS | Android)
#2 Endless Alphabet
Description: This app teaches your kids the basic alphabet and improves their vocabulary. It has around 60 words starting from A-Z. And to play the game, select any word, and then drag and drop the letters to its respective blank space.
Now, when you hold down the letter it makes a funny sound like ‘s’ will sound like this. And once you arrange the word in proper order, you’ll see nice animation explaining the meaning of that word.
Suitable for: Kids learning alphabets, age between 2-3 years old
The good:Â The app is very well built and easy to play. Kids can easily operate this app without any assistance.
The bad: There is nothing to complain about this app, it does what it says. Though te free version of this app comes with only 7 free words starting with the letter A, B, and C. To get the full version, there is a one-time in-app purchase of around $5.
Bottom line: Overall the app is fun, educational and very stable. It provides a good platform to introduce alphabets and build your child’s vocabulary. I have the pro version and it’s worth it.
Download Endless Alphabet (iOS | Android)
#3 Abby Basic skills
Description: This app focuses on basic skills.
As you open the app, you will see a monkey called Abby, who drives a train. And on every train journey, there is a small puzzle. This puzzle includes small tasks like — fixing a toy, identify different shapes, find out the toy of a given color, etc.
Suitable Age: The puzzles are basic and good for kids between 2-4 years.
The good: It’s a puzzle solving app that teaches sideway things that other apps don’t focus on. The app is nicely built and fun to play.
The bad: Though I have to say there is nothing outstanding in this app. For instance, there is no level or way to track progress. My nephew really enjoys this app in the beginning, but after using it for a month, it’s no longer interesting to him.
Bottom line: A decent app that covers 12 different educational activities like shape, colors, letters, pattern matching, etc.
Download Abby@Basic skills (iOS | Android)
#4Â ThinkRolls
Description: This one is like a monument valley for kids — artistic and channeling. The objective of this game is to reach the other end of the maze. And to do that, you have burst a balloon, break a rock or eat a cookie, etc.
Unlike the previous app, there is no voice instruction in this app. So your kids will have to play it by themselves. And it’s a bit challenging at first. Sometimes, even I have to think.
Suitable Age: The app is designed for slightly older kids like 4 or 7 years old. But with some assistance, my 3-year-old nephew was also able to play it.
The good: The game is quite big (more than 200 levels) and can easily keep your kids busy for a few months. It also supports up to 9 profile, so if you have more than one kid, they can all play this game and save their progress differently.
The bad: I didn’t find any downside, it does what it says. Though there is a room for improvement. Like, sometimes when the kid gets stuck, a visual hint would be nice.
Bottom line: Overall if you are looking for a challenging puzzle game, that even you can play with your children, go for this one.
Download ThinkRolls (iOS | Android)
#5 Puzzingo
Description: Puzzingo is one of the best games made for toddlers.
In the free version, you get 9-10 puzzles. And in every puzzle, you have to drag and drop an object to match its blank shape and while doing that it calls the name of that object. Similar to Endless Alphabet.
And once the puzzle is completed, it rewards the child with different (and very fun) games like racing, feeding the animal, dressing a character, etc.
Suitable Age: 2-4 years
The Good: It’s a nicely built app with strong graphic and audio. My nephew is playing it (free version) for more than two months now, and he still can’t enough of it.
The Bad Again, there is no problem with the functionality or features of the app. It does it very well. Though, I do feel the in-app purchases are quite expensive.
Bottom line: Overall the game is well built, fun to play and I am sure your kid will love it. I highly recommend this one.
Download Puzzingo (iOS | Android)
#6 Pepi Doctor
Description: It’s a role playing game for kids. Where you are the doctor and have to cure patients with simple diseases like cold, headache, scratches, etc.
Suitable Age: 2-4 years
The good: The app is well-built and the game is pretty straight forward. The graphics and visuals are enough to explain to any kid how to play the game. No need for any instruction. It teaches kids the importance of self-hygiene.
The bad: I find the app small. It has only five diseases which are common for all the three characters.  Though the game is entertaining, after a few weeks it gets boring. So considering that it’s a little bit pricey.
Bottom line: Pepi doctor is a good app for educating kids about health and disease. It’s a casual game with no winning or losing, you just play the games. However, after a few days, it can get boring.
Download Pepi Doctor (iOS | Android)
#7Â The Human World for Kids
It’s the simplest of all. In this game, there is flashcard of a real-life object like tools, vehicle, professional, etc, And when you scroll through the flash card, it speaks the name of that object. That’s it.
The good: The app will teach your kid the name of the object that they see around them. The app is paid with no further IAP, however, if you like to get the feel of it first, then try the other apps from the same developer.
The bad: There is nothing to complain as such, it’s a simple flashcard app which does what it says. Though, considering it’s such a simple app, they could lower a price little bit.
Bottom line: If you are introducing educational apps to your kids for the first time or if your kid is just started talking, go for this one. The app is simple yet pragmatic.
Download Human World for Kids (iOS | Android)
Conclusion
So these were some of the apps, that will help your child to learn faster and understand things better. Though I highly recommend giving them only one app for a few months and that for the limited time. Some of these apps are very addicting.
#Happy Parenting
