By the time our children start elementary school, the cat is usually out of the bag when it comes to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Even if we’ve done a great job of limiting screen time, many schools have adopted iPads and other tablets as great learning devices. They can be of course. They can also be a lot of fun and, at the best of times, are often a mixture of both.
Monster Math
Math can be a struggle for kids and parents alike, especially for kids that get easily frustrated with it. Monster Math turns it into a fun and light-hearted game while teaching some of the basics that will go hand-in-hand with what kids are learning in the early grades of elementary school. The characters are cute and the games are simple enough and engaging enough to make it fun.
Set grade level for difficulty.
Fun animation for kids.
Arcade style game play.
Rules aren’t clear.
Answer choices are confusing.
Best for Ages — 5 to 7
Dragonbox Algebra 5+
This might be one of the most ingenious apps available. It takes some of the basic concepts of math and algebra such as canceling out numbers and variables on both sides of the equal signs and turns it into a game. The early games concentrate more on canceling out rather than the math itself, and as the child continues through the missions, the math side of it is inserted. And by then, the child is already used to some of these basic concepts.
Very addictive game.
Kids learn algebra at their pace.
Cute graphics.
Game length is very short.
No tutorial.
Best for Ages — 6 to 8
Epic!
This great app is basically Netflix for children’s books. While it has a monthly subscription, kids get access to a large library of popular books that cross multiple genres and range from books for pre-schoolers to those aimed at pre-teens. You can also track your kid’s progress and little readers can earn badges by both reading books and taking quizzes.
Books focused on child’s interests.
Great for multiple age groups.
Books have colorful and fun graphics.
Requires monthly subscription.
Thousands of available books.
Best for Ages — 5 to 8
ABCMouse
Perhaps the most popular educational app and the one most likely to be used by your kiddo’s school, ABCMouse features dozens of educational games and exercises. It also has a collection of read-to-me books and sing-along songs, which makes it great for a younger audience and perfect for families with toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary students. The monthly subscription grants access to apps on smartphones and tablets as well as the website itself.
Age appropriate graphics.
Interactive learning.
Kids earn rewards.
Monthly subscription.
App may feel cluttered and confusing.
Khan Academy
This free educational app is slowly becoming one of the more popular resources on the Internet. The lessons with Khan Academy range from excellent math courses from K-8th as well as science classes, economics, finance, computer science, and many others. This may be the one app that both parents and kids can use to continue their education.
Free to download and use.
Covers multiple subjects.
Volumes of educational material.
Much of the content is video.
No tutorials.
Best for Ages — 5 to 8+
YouTube Kids
Kids are fascinated by YouTube, but there is a lot of content that simply isn’t appropriate. How do you solve the problem? YouTube Kids. This curated list of YouTube videos allows your kid to safely browse age-appropriate videos on YouTube. And younger kids will enjoy the voice recognition search options. It should be noted that while videos are appropriate for kids, they aren’t necessarily educational and the curated list includes “unboxing” and “let’s play” videos that mainly feature kids unboxing and/or playing with toys.
Safe videos for kids.
Strong parental controls.
Great selection of videos for kids.
Possiblity of inappropriate videos.
Many videos have ads.
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