My son turns 5 this year and, as the end of the school year approaches, I find myself staring down the barrel of a long summer working from home with him there too. How can I keep him busy and entertained, but maybe still learning, at least a little bit here and there? So far we’ve managed to save tablet time only for road trips, but it’s about to become a much bigger part of our days — so what the hell do I put on there? I’ve heard all the horror stories and warnings not to download YouTube Kids, but what apps should you put on a kid’s first tablet? We want a little bit of fun, a little bit of learning, and lot of good, wholesome content (preferably with no random, weird ads).
Here’s what my fellow Scary Mommy editors and the parents of Reddit recommend.
PBS Kids Video & PBS Kids Games
Free
OK, so there’s PBS Kids Video where your kid can watch their fave PBS shows — from Wild Kratts and Donkey Hodie to Daniel Tiger and Arthur. Then, there’s PBS Kids Games, where they can play educational games featuring their favorite characters, offline, for free. I happily put these on my little guy’s tablet, knowing PBS won’t do us wrong.
ABC Mouse
$14.99 per month
My son plays ABC Mouse at school from time to time, so when we wanted to download his first game onto his tablet, we opted for this one since he’d know the ropes. It’s a hefty subscription fee for an app, but there are seriously endless games inside, and they’re all designed by experts to be educational and engaging. It’s a lifesaver over spring break when my kid needs something to do while I’m on a call.
(The downside of this app is it’s not available offline unless you’re a premium subscriber, and even though we are, we’ve had issues with the app not recognizing that on roadtrips anyway. If you’re traveling, maybe just don’t bank on this app being your kid’s main source of entertainment.)
Khan Academy Kids
Free
I had never heard of this app before, but it gets recommended over and over again by parents on Reddit. Khan Academy’s games are designed to build kids’ skills in early literacy, reading, writing, and math, and it’s developed in collaboration with experts from Stanford. Its methods align with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core, and the website promises it’s 100% free forever, with no ads or subscriptions required.
Meet The Numberblocks
Free
My son first watched Numberblocks at school, and his obsession has since extended into the physical blocks you can count and build with. The franchise was actually so helpful in helping him learning to count and do simple addition and subtraction. There are a multitude of Numberblocks apps available from its creators, but Meet the Numberblocks — where you count the blobs and rearrange the shape of each number friend — seems the most educational.
Crayola Create & Play
Free with in-app purchases
A collaboration between Crayola and The Smithsonian, this app lets kids color, customize a pet, play with virtual Scrubbies, visit a digital museum, and so much more. The games even help with letter and number recognition. You can customize the app based on the age of your child, and the content will tailor itself from there.
Duolingo ABC
Free
Duolingo is known for teaching users other languages, but Duolingo ABC teaches kids to read through play, sight words, and engaging stories. They can even practice their handwriting! The app has won its fair share of awards, so for a free resource, it definitely seems worth the download.
The Yoto App
Free with in-app purchases for digital story cards
If you already own a Yoto Player, don’t forget to add the app to any devices your child may want to listen from! The app will sync all the cards you own digitally to their tablet, where they can listen without carrying the cards along, hear the daily Yoto podcast, free radio, and more. And you don’t have to own a Yoto to enjoy some of those features.
Toca Boca Games
Free with in-app purchases
Two Scary Mommy editors with kids ages 3 to 13 said their children love the Toca Boca games. There are a bunch of apps to choose from — hair salons, kitchens, doctors’ offices, robot labs, and more — all of which let kids play as stylists, doctors, chefs, inventors, et cetera. Toca Boca World is the big one, where you can design a character and customize their house, but the Junior version of the app looks super cute too.
Storyline Online
Free
Another Scary Mommy editor said her kids enjoy this app, which features beloved celebrities reading children’s books aloud. Who doesn’t want to hear Stone Soup read by Kathy Bates, or Sean Astin’s version of A Bad Case of Stripes? Their videos are also available on YouTube, and all of it is for free — an initiative of SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
Pok Pok
$59.99 lifetime subscription
Pok Pok is designed to be engaging but not addicting — their website specifically says it’s made to be put down without a fight. It’s meant to feel like real-life Montessori play, and all the games are beautifully designed. They’re open-ended and meant to promote creativity, experimentation, and free play.
Teach Your Monster To Read
One-time fee of $8.99
Teach Your Monster to Read gamifies phonics, helping your child learn the very foundations of reading and guiding them through blending sounds, recognizing letters, and the finer points of literacy. Parents can even check the dashboard to see how their child is progressing and any areas they’re struggling in. This is one of those apps where the quality genuinely seems there, and the price doesn’t bother me at all.
News-O-Matic
Free with in-app purchases
This one’s for readers (think ages 6 and up), so preschool parents can skip this one. News-O-Matic publishes a small number of nonfiction articles each day about current events — nothing crazy or controversial, but news about science, sports, holidays, that sort of thing. Kids can practice their reading skills and have the article read aloud to help them through. It’s a great way to help your kids feel in tune with the world around them and teach them the importance of staying informed safely.
Brb, time to go trick out my kid’s tablet before summer break.
Disclaimer: This content was automatically imported from a third-party source via RSS feed. The original source is: https://www.scarymommy.com/lifestyle/what-apps-to-put-on-your-kids-first-tablet. xn--babytilbehr-pgb.com does not claim ownership of this content. All rights remain with the original publisher.
