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Educational Games for Kids

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.

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Introduce kids to new, exciting ways of learning with the help of fun online games, videos, experiments, puzzles, coloring sheets, and more! TurtleDiary activities pair with the appropriate grade level to enhance retention of material and increase success in the classroom.

Multiplayer Games

• Pronoun Games
• Assessments Tests
• Subtraction Games
• Addition Games

Typing Games

• Adverb Games
• Adjectives Games

Top Rated Games For Kids

Explore Quizzes

Turtle Diary offers a unique blend of education and entertainment to create the ideal interactive learning platform for your little ones. The kids' quizzes offered on our site enable children from first to fifth grade to become confident in applying learned concepts, and grant instant evaluations.

Free Educational Games

TurtleDiary offers 1000+ games that are interactive, educational, and that kids love to play. TurtleDiary includes multiple learning-based games for kids that support necessary skills while promoting fun.

From basic topics like Number Recognition, Simple Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division, to more complex topics like Geometry, kids can master Math basics and more.

Language and Art Games

Kids learn Sight Words, Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, and other Parts of Speech, developing grammar skills right in the app.

Nowadays, the skill of typing is undoubtedly essential. More activities are technology based and knowing how to type efficiently and successfully is key. TurtleDiary provides fun keyboarding games for kids that develop the necessary skills for typing success.

For kids who thrive on competition and challenge, we offer many fun multiplayer games. Kids can engage with their classmates, a friend (with an invite) and others in the world, in a safe environment.

Science Games

Our science games will develop your child's sense of curiosity. They build upon basic science concepts, reinforcing comprehension in an engaging, approachable, stimulating manner. Our program offers a collection of science games covering topics like the human body, weather, life cycles, animals, and much more.

Geography Games

In our map games, kids learn about US and World Geography. Students have access to maps of the world divided into different regions, so learning is simpler, and tasks feel less overwhelming.

Explore Worksheets & Quizzes

We have over 500+ Online quizzes enabling children from first to fifth grade to become more confident in applying learned concepts. They can also receive instant evaluations. Our fun quizzes give kids the opportunity to receive positive feedback as they master new skills and build their knowledge base.

Typing Lessons

The app offers 3 skill levels for typing - basic, intermediate, and advanced, that include multiple lessons in each. The basic level covers touch typing skills and introduction to the QWERTY keyboard. At the intermediate level, students learn to type basic words and simple sentences. The final advanced level progresses kids to more complex sentences and short paragraphs, all the while building solid typing skills. The program is comprehensive enough to ensure typing mastery and user friendly so your child can develop at an individualized pace.

Worksheets are a great learning tool for kids just learning to write or those who want additional practice at home. At TurtleDiary, we recognize the importance of practicing educational content online and offline. We offer 1000+ printable worksheets in subjects such as language arts, math, and science. Worksheets give students an opportunity to display their work in a written format and to receive feedback. Be sure to check out our fun and colorful worksheets for kids, available for download.

Geography Quizzes

Learn US states and Countries with their capital and their location.

Learn about World Currencies

Learn about Culture, Food and religion of the US and the World

Learn about Natural Wonders and Resources of the US and the World

Learn about important cities of US and the World

Math Quizzes

Foundational topics like Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division subdivided into smaller related subtopics, progressing from easy to hard, in a step-by-step manner.

Language and Art Quizzes

These quizzes will help kids learn Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, Compound Words, Conjunctions. They are the building blocks of all reading and writing.

Educational Tools for Parents & Teachers

TurtleDiary offers assessment tools and detailed reports for teachers to track students’ activities and to report their progress. For example, we offer:

Worksheet Generator

Teachers can create their own worksheets, with customizable and unique content.

Printable Lessons

Teachers have the option to print from our 100+ lessons or review lessons online for inspiration and ideas.

Assessment Tests

We offer plenty of assessment tests, accessible anytime, to analyze student performance and identify areas of concern to address.

Assignments

In the app, teachers can create their own assignments, and send them right to students, with ease.

Teachers can view reports, including quiz scores and activity performance to closely track how students are progressing.

Google Drive Integration

Our app offers a seamless integration with Google drive. Teachers can access current or past google drive documents without leaving the program.

Google Classroom Integration

Teachers can login to TurtleDiary using their existing Google Account. They can use a simple process to import their existing google classrooms into TurtleDiary, saving time and teaching resources.

Student Management Tools

Our app offers several management features that simplify and streamline processes for administrators and educators in a top-down approach.

Account Creation

District Administrators: The app design allows District Administrators to invite multiple schools to join the program. Once School Administrators become established, teachers can receive individual invitations to create accounts.

School Administrators: School Administrators can invite multiple teachers to join the program. A teacher can then create classes and add students to the class.

Educator Account: A teacher can create classes and add students to the classes.

Account Login

There are a few ways to access TurtleDiary:

Using TurtleDiary Login Credentials: Teachers and students each receive their own accounts so sharing passwords is not necessary.

Using Your Existing Google Account: Teachers can login to TurtleDiary using their existing google account.

Our dashboard provides an easy-to-use interface to access the TurtleDiary program and all its offerings. From the dashboard, teachers can manage classes and update student details, easily adding students or creating classes, as needed.

Educational Games & Activities to Guide Kids in Elementary School

Turtle Diary offers a huge compendium of online educational games from K4 through 5th grade. These support the content kids are already learning in the classroom. Often students need just a little bit of extra help to master those concepts that are introduced in the classroom. With Turtle Diary they can have that...and so much more.

The games contain amazing graphics with age-appropriate content for each grade level in each subject. Students will enjoy playing the games while you know that behind the scenes, they’re practicing and reinforcing new skills.

With Turtle Diary, kids can try multiple games that all reinforce the same concept. This gives them a scaffolded and repetitive approach to mastery of a variety of subjects. Gone are the days of rote memorization and boring flash cards.

With our site, kids will be begging to come back and play some more games. Students can play by themselves, with classmates online, or with other kids logging on. It adds an element of positive peer experience, knowing that other kids are also practicing. And they can have a bit of competition if they want!

Instead of constant battles about working on learning skills, introduce your kids to Turtle Diary. Then, take a step back to watch the magic of learning happen!

Award-Winning Learning Games Created by Top Educators

Put away your flashcards and workbooks and log on to see the new way to master educational skills! Top educators worked exclusively with Turtle Diary to create game after game with superior content and maximum fun for every child.

The concepts reviewed parallel those taught in the everyday classroom for grades K4 through 5th grade. Students focus on mastering the concept on their own with consistent and repetitive review. They won’t even realize they’re reviewing thanks to incredibly fun graphics, sounds, and interactive games.

These games will keep your kids coming back for more day after day. You can rest easy knowing they’re working towards their future.

With skills backed by top educators, parents know that Turtle Diary is giving their kids the best they have to offer. The games help to solidify the necessary skills needed for their specific grade levels.

Turtle Diary’s games are not only educational, but incredibly fun. They can even be a bit competitive at times when you choose a multiplayer option.

Students can also link up with kids in their classes and play games specifically recommended by their teacher. This helps them master the exact concepts they are working on in their classroom. The possibilities are endless, and the fun is never-ending.

Gamification of Education to Make Learning Fun & Exciting

Gamification isn’t just a new buzzword around education. The concept swirls in every educational endeavor that involves helping kids to master concepts by including games, rewards, and fun.

With Turtle Diary, concepts can be practiced in a variety of ways. But the kids will tell you they prefer the gamification features. They can see how well they’re doing in the games with the interactive scoring component.

Often, there is a countdown that occurs with each game. This encourages the students to beat their own best time on whatever concept they happen to be studying.

Who doesn’t love a good story or to be the hero in your own story? With Turtle Diary, students can play games where they must slay a dragon, or shoot hoops, or race a car. They answer questions that help them to practice and master important grade-level concepts.

Students will come back again and again for more competition as well. Turtle Diary’s multiplayer options allow students to pit themselves against kids from their own class. They can also play someone in the Turtle Diary platform. A bit of friendly competition often encourages students towards mastery in a way that nothing else quite can.

Worried about Grades in School? Try Our Learning Games for Kids to Find Success!

Sometimes grades in school don’t reflect a student’s true aptitude, and sometimes they do. Either way, students can benefit from time spent on Turtle Diary instead of in front of mindless video games.

Our platform takes the fun of video games and puts it into an educational context. This helps students learn more and enjoy the process while they’re playing. Students who don’t quite seem to be able to get a leg up in the classroom will love the opportunity to work on their skills by playing games. Those who excel can come and practice their processing and recall speeds, or work on something more challenging.

With a wide variety of great games in every subject, students will always find a place for them at Turtle Diary. Students will be empowered by the option to choose their own games. They can work towards the same goals established in their classroom in a fun and engaging way.

They often don’t realize that the games are actually helping them find success in a variety of subjects. They’re just having fun choosing their characters and working to get the next high score. Spend 15-20 minutes on Turtle Diary each day in problem areas and watch how quickly your child will improve!

Flexible Learning On-the-Go Boosts Kids Learning Potential on iPads & Tablets

Kids learning games that can travel with you wherever you may be are one of Turtle Diary’s most exciting features. As long as you have a stable WiFi connection, your student will always have access to Turtle Diary’s entire platform. Kids learning games are everywhere these days, so you want to have the right one at their fingertips at all times.

Turtle Diary promises to be an adventure in education that can travel with you wherever you may be. There’s nothing like learning on the go! Kids have this opportunity with the wide variety of games and materials available for parents.

No matter where you are or when you’re there, Turtle Diary will always be there. Kids can master both problem areas and areas needed to challenge kids. Wouldn’t you rather have the kids be mesmerized by the games than pull teeth as they actively protest their schoolwork?

Simply download the app on your tablet, iPad, or iPad. Your kids will be able to join in on the ultimate fun of Turtle Diary. No matter what your busy situation is, kids can always have Turtle Diary with them. They can master their current subjects with a high quotient of fun and gamification.

Build On, Gear Up, and Test for Mastery of Common Core Subjects

With Turtle Diary, we’ve done the hard work for you. Common Core Standards used in their classrooms will be reinforced with our games, lessons, and quizzes.

All of the fun we offer on our site is aligned with the newer vision of mathematics and other subjects. By sticking with Turtle Diary, you can let us handle the hard work of explaining Common Core. Sometimes this method may seem foreign to you if you’ve learned with “old math.” In fact, you might just learn along with your student!

Students have the necessary skills to be able to compete in a competitive world with an increased focus on STEM. Cognitive demand reigns higher than rote learning, and students are able to quickly visualize and manipulate numbers. They can “see” the inner workings of the problems, especially in math, and learn to mentally work the numbers.

Turtle Diary helps students to learn and practice these concepts, especially if they aren’t quite grasping it in the classroom. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your student picks up the new concepts. Just remember that they’ve never learned it the “old” way. The Common Core way is THE way for their learning journey.

Get Access to Unlimited Fun and Learning for Free

24/7 access to great games while still building a foundation for learning? Welcome to Turtle Diary, where you can have it all! Edutainment at its finest is alive and well here.

Students can access our platform from wherever they go on whatever device they have. All you need is an internet connection.

Once you enter Turtle Diary, the world is yours to explore. From learning videos to quizzes to entertaining games and multiplayer challenges, students will never be bored. Turtle Diary offers students amazing graphics, sounds, and intense gaming. This allows students a chance to breathe while learning in a stress-free environment.

With new games being added all the time, your student will never get bored with Turtle Diary. And since our games align with Common Core, the more they play, the more they’ll learn. The more they learn, the better their classroom experience will be because the information will click with repeated exposure.

Even though there may seem to be an overwhelming amount of games, the idea is to give students the choice. All of the games in a grade level reinforce the same necessary concepts, but just in a different way. Students will be practicing the same ideas over and over again as they choose from one fun game to another. We dare them to be bored!

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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.

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

1. SplashLearn’s Online Educational Games for 5 Year Olds 

2. the rubik’s cube , 3. sequence cards, 4. tic-tac-toe , 5. knock the can, 6. alphabet bingo , engaging and easy board games, 7. chutes and ladders , 8. candy land, 9. scrabble jr. , 10. feed the woozle .

Parents of 5 year olds know that this age is a critical time in their child’s development, and finding the right way to help them learn can be challenging. Fortunately, there are plenty of fun learning games for 5 year olds that can make the process enjoyable for both parents and children.

Whether you’re looking for ways to teach your child the alphabet or basic math concepts, there are plenty of options. So, let’s get the ball rolling with our list of the best games for 5 year olds!

Looking for more online Math games and ELA games to educate and engage your kids? Here are more games to check out!

List of the Best Educational Games for 5 Year Olds!

With so many different games on the market, we’ve divided our list into categories to make it easier for you to find the perfect game for your child.

Learning Games That Kids Will Definitely Enjoy!

First on our list are classic learning games for 5 year olds that have been around for years. These time-tested games are perfect for helping your child learn the basics, including the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors.

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 prekindergarten to grade 5. The games teach children essential math, reading, and spelling concepts. And best of all, they’re fun and engaging.

One of the great things about SplashLearn is that the learning program creates a daily personalized learning plan for your child. This plan will ensure that your child is always working on the concepts they need to learn and they’re able to do so independently.

SplashLearn: Most Comprehensive Learning Program for PreK-5

SplashLearn inspires lifelong curiosity with its game-based PreK-5 learning program loved by over 40 million children. With over 4,000 fun games and activities, it’s the perfect balance of learning and play for your little one.

Skill Development: Helps with cognitive development, motor skills and problem solving

What you need: Rubik’s cube

Not only is the Rubik’s Cube a classic game that’s perfect for helping your child learn about colors and patterns, but it’s also a great way to develop their problem-solving skills. You can help your child get started by teaching them how to solve the first layer of the cube. Once they’ve mastered that, they can move on to solving the entire cube.

Tip: Many online tutorials and how-to videos are available to help your child learn how to solve the Rubik’s Cube.

Skill Development: This game helps with critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It’s also a great way to teach your child how to count. 

What you need: A deck of cards

Sequence cards is a classic card game that is perfect for helping your child learn about numbers and patterns. The game aims to lay down cards in numerical order, from 1–10. Not only will they be having fun, but they’ll be learning essential math skills too!

Tip: Make sure to start with an easy level before moving on to the more difficult ones.

Skill Development: This game is a lot of fun and also a great way to teach your child about numbers and strategic thinking.

What you need: A piece of paper and a pencil.

This game is a classic for a reason—it’s easy to learn, and it’s a lot of fun! Draw a grid with nine squares, and label each square with a number from one to nine. Players take turns drawing Xs and Os in the squares, trying to get three in a row. The first player to do so wins the game!

Skill Development: It is a great way to teach your child about aiming and hand-eye coordination. It’s also a lot of fun! 

What you need: An empty can and a softball.

This is a classic outdoor game for active kids. Players take turns throwing the ball at the can, trying to knock it over. The first player to do so wins the game! Your child will love spending time outdoors while playing this game.

Tip: Set up the can at different distances to make the game more challenging.

Skill Development: This game helps with letter recognition and letter sounds.  

One of the most basic games you can play with your child is Alphabet Bingo. Write out the alphabet on each piece of paper, leaving a few spaces blank. The player then draws a letter from a bag or hat and fills the blank space. The first player to fill in all of their spaces wins the game!

What you need: A piece of paper for each player and a pen or pencil.

Tip: You can make the game more challenging by having the player fill in the spaces with words that start with the drawn letter.

Board games for children are a great way to teach them about different concepts. They’re also a lot of fun! Here are a few of our favorites:

The game’s objective is to be the first player to finish by climbing up ladders and avoiding slides (chutes). This is a perfect math game for younger kids, as it doesn’t require any reading. It’s a great way to spend some quality time with your child while they learn important skills.

Skill Development: This classic game is a great way to teach your child about numbers and counting. 

What you need: Chutes and Ladders board, dice, and different colored counters

Tip: Use dice with pictures instead of numbers to make the game more accessible for younger kids.

Candy Land is a classic board game for children. The game is simple—players move their pieces around the board according to the colors of candies they draw from a deck of cards. It is a fun, easy game that young children will enjoy.

Skill Development: It is perfect for 5 year olds, as it helps to develop counting and color recognition skills.

What you need: Candy Land board game

Scrabble Jr. is a great way to introduce your child to spelling and vocabulary. The game is played with two to four players. Players take turns making words with the letter tiles they have been dealt. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins! You can even help them by teaching them the definitions of words they don’t know.

Skill Development: This game is perfect for helping your child expand their vocabulary and learn new words. 

What you need: Scrabble Jr. board game

Tip: Use smaller words and simpler rules when playing with younger children.

This game is about matching shapes and colors. The aim is to get the Woozle fed by matching the right colored food to his mouth. This is an extremely fun game for 5 year olds as it is both fun and educational. Your child will love playing this game, and you’ll love watching them learn!

Skill Development: It’s a great way to help your child learn about shapes and colors and develop their fine motor skills.

11. Guess Who?

Guess Who? is a classic board game that has been around for years. The game’s objective is to be the first player to guess which character their opponent has selected.

To play, each player chooses a card with a character on it. They then take turns asking yes or no questions about the other player’s character, such as “Do they have blue eyes?” The first player to guess correctly wins the game!

What you need: All you need is the game board pack of Guess Who?

Skill Development: It’s a great way to help your child learn about facial features and matching.  

12. Katamino 

A puzzle game that helps kids with spatial awareness. With eighty different challenges to solve, it’s a great way to keep little ones engaged and learning.

You can also play the game with multiple players, making it a great option to spend more quality time with your child.

Skill Development: Katamino is perfect for kids starting to get a handle on shapes and geometry

What you need: Katamino puzzle set

Exhausting Physical Games for Kids

Along with the indoor games, there are a lot of outdoor games for children they can play to have some physical activity in their daily routine. Here are some popular and fun games for 5 year olds.

13. Hula Hoop 

Hula hooping is not only a great workout but also a lot of fun! It’s the perfect game for 5 year olds to play to use up some of their boundless energy. Your kid can practice hula hooping in the backyard, at the park, or even indoors if you have enough space. With some practice, your kid will be a pro in no time!

Skill Development: This physical activity can also help improve coordination.

What you need: One or more Hula Hoops, and you’re good to go!

14. Scavenger Hunt 

A scavenger hunt is a great way to get kids moving and exploring. To play, hide different items around your backyard or house. Then, give your child a list of items they need to find. Once they find all the items on the list, they win the game! Depending on your child’s age and ability, you can make the game as easy or as difficult as you like.

Skill Development: It’s also a perfect opportunity to teach them about nature and the world around them.

What you need: Some items that can be hidden as treasures and some sheets do draw maps or write clues for the hunters.

15. Don’t Let the Balloon Touch the Ground 

All you need is a balloon and an outdoor space. The game’s objective is to keep the balloon from touching the ground. Players can use their hands, feet, or other body parts to keep the balloon aloft. If the balloon touches the ground, the player who last touched it is out! The last player standing wins the game.

Skill Development: This game is great for coordination and gross motor skills.

What you need: A balloon, that’s it!

16. Hide and Seek

Hide and seek is a classic game that children can play anywhere. It’s a great way to get kids moving and exploring their environment. 

Your child can play hide and seek with you, another adult, or even older kids. If you’re playing with younger children, be sure to provide them with some good hiding spots!

Skill Development: It’s the perfect opportunity to teach them about blending with environments and how to use their senses.

What you need: An enclosed area indoors or outdoors, like a small field or in a hall where players can hide

17. Bean Bag Toss 

A bean bag toss is a great game to engage children in physical activity. To play, have your child stand a few feet away from the target and try to toss the bean bag inside. If they succeed, move the target further away. 

If they miss, move the target closer. You can also make the game more challenging by having them toss the bean bag with their eyes closed or from a sitting position.

Skill Development: It is a great way to get kids moving and improve their coordination.

What you need: A bean bag and a target. You can make your target by drawing a circle on a piece of cardboard or using a hula hoop.

18. Ring Toss

Ring toss is a classic carnival game that children can play at home with a few simple supplies. Set up the target can in the middle of the room, and let your child take turns tossing the rings from a few feet away. 

As they get better at releasing the rings, move the target further away. Your 5 year old will love the challenge of getting all the rings on the target.

Skill Development: This game will help improve hand-eye coordination.

What you need: You only need a few small objects for rings and something to use as a “target”—like an empty soda can. 

19. Freeze Dance! 

Turn up the music and get moving! This is a great game to get kids up and active. When the music stops, everyone has to freeze in place. The last person to freeze is out of the game. To make it more challenging, ask kids to make different moves when the music is playing—like hopping on one foot or touching toes.

It would be best if you also tried different genres of music to keep the game interesting. Your child will love busting a move to their favorite songs!

Skill Development: This will enhance their improve their attention to detail as well as their body movement skills.

What you need: Speakers and some free space for the kids to dance.

Indoor Games For Kids to Stimulate Their Brain

Not everyone has access to an outdoor space, but that doesn’t mean your child can’t be active. There are plenty of games for 5 year olds that can be played indoors!

20. Tangram 

Tangram is a Chinese puzzle game that people of all ages can play. The game’s objective is to create different shapes using all seven pieces. 

You can help your child get started by showing them how to make basic shapes, like a square or triangle. They can try to make more complex shapes as they get better at the game.

Skill Development: This game is great for problem-solving and spatial awareness.

What you need: The Tangram puzzle set

21. Balloon Volleyball 

Set up a net in your living room or basement and play a game of indoor volleyball! To keep the game fair, you can have one person on each team hit the balloon three times before it goes over the net. The first team to reach 21 points wins the game!

Skill Development: This is a great way to get kids moving and improve their hand-eye coordination.

What you need: A balloon instead of a volleyball and if you don’t have a net you can use a rope or a laundry basket.

22. Cup Stacking

Cup stacking is an easy game and all you need is a set of plastic cups and some patience!

To play, have your child stack the cups into towers of different heights. As they get better at the game, they can try to stack the cups faster or in more complex patterns. 

Skill Development: Cup Stacking is a great way to improve your child’s hand-eye coordination and improve motor skills.

Tip: You can also turn cup stacking into a race by timing how fast your child can stack and unstack the cups.

What you need: Just a bunch of cups!

23. Dots and Boxes 

Dots and Boxes is a simple game that kids can play with a pencil and paper. The goal of the game is to create as many squares as possible by connecting the dots. 

However, one player can only make one line per move. To make the game more challenging, you can increase the grid size or have your child play with more than one person.

Skill Development: This game is great for honing problem-solving and planning skills.

What you need: A pencil or pen and a sheet of paper.

24. Frozen Words

Simply write down a bunch of words on slips of paper, and put them in a container. Then have your child draw a slip of paper out of the container and try to guess the word from the definition you give. If they guess correctly, they get to keep the word. The person with the most words at the end of the game wins!

Skill Development: This is an excellent game for teaching kids vocabulary. 

What you need: Some small chits of paper to write the words and a big sheet of paper or board for the kids to draw on.

25. Who’s the Baby? 

This game is a great way to introduce fundamental concepts like family and relationships. Players take turns asking questions about the baby in the picture, and the player who correctly guesses the baby’s identity wins the game.

Objectives:

• To learn about family and relationships
• To practice identifying people in pictures

Skill Development: This game will help your child practice their memory and observation skills.

What you need: Lots of photos of family and friends.

Let’s Make Learning Fun!

Learning should be enjoyable for both you and your child. By incorporating games into your child’s learning, you can help them retain information while having fun! Try out some of these games the next time you’re looking for a learning activity. Your child is sure to love them! So get out there and make learning fun for your kids!

What are some benefits of playing games for 5 year olds?

Playing games has many benefits, including improved problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. Games can also help to introduce new concepts and vocabulary words. Educational games for 5 year olds can also prepare them for the skills they’ll learn in school.

What should I do if my child isn’t interested in educational games?

Don’t worry! Not every child is interested in games, and that’s okay. There are plenty of other ways to help your child learn. Try reading books together, doing puzzles, or even just talking about the things that interest them. As long as you’re spending time together and engaging with your child, they’ll be learning!

How can I tell if my child is ready for some of these games?

The best way to know if your child is ready for a particular game is to try it out and see how they do. If they seem to be struggling, that’s okay! Just try an easier game or one that’s more tailored to their interests. With time and practice, they’ll be playing more complex games in no time!

Do I need to buy anything special to play these games?

No, you don’t need to buy anything special. There are various free games for 5 year olds to enhance their learning. Many of the games on this list can be played with items that you already have around the house!

Are there any games for kids that can be played quickly?

There is no need to worry if you don’t have much time to spend on these games. Just a few minutes here and there can make a big difference. If you’re short on time, try incorporating learning into everyday activities like cooking or cleaning. Add games to your weekly or monthly schedule since every little bit helps!

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40+ Best Online Educational Games for Every Grade in 2023

Make screen time meaningful and fun!

Kids are always asking for more screen time, and parents and teachers are always looking for ways to make that screen time more worthwhile. Fortunately, there are endless free online games for kids that teach language arts, math, science, art, and STEM. If you’re not quite sure where to get started, try this list of our favorite teacher-approved online educational games. You’ll find educational games for students in every subject and every grade.

Preschool and Elementary Online Educational Games

Middle and high school online educational games.

Offering a full curriculum for children ages 2 to 8, this site includes fun and interactive games, songs, and puzzles for reading, math, science, and art. (Free for teachers and classrooms; subscription available for home use)

Adventure Academy

From the same company as ABCMouse, Adventure Academy takes kids ages 8 to 13 on a knowledge quest through language arts, math, science, and social studies. (First month free, then monthly subscription fee)

Looking to improve outcomes in a way that kids will enjoy? This educational game takes K-12 students on a time-traveling adventure to meet some of the most influential mathematicians in history. (Monthly or annual subscription plans for families; schools request price quote)

Duck Duck Moose Reading

Based on Common Core State Standards, this app teaches phonics including the letter sounds for all consonants, short vowels, and long vowels. Kids will also practice spelling consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. If you like this one, check out Duck Duck Moose’s whole collection of school games online. (Apps are free to download and play.)

Test your knowledge while earning rice for those in need! Each time you play, you’re helping the United Nations World Food Programme provide food to those around the world who need it. The game offers a variety of subjects and difficulty levels. (Free)

Dive into a coral reef or be a star climber on this great site that features a wide assortment of free online games for kids. These educational games focus mainly on reading and math, but you’ll find lots of fun activities here with options for pre-K through grade 8. (Free)

Gamestar Mechanic

Do you have gamers in your class? This site helps kids ages 7 through 14 learn how to design their very own video games through game-based quests and courses. (Free)

Whether they’re jetpacking through the stars in Zapp Von Doubler’s Space Race or clearing weeds in the garden in Om Petalhead’s Flower Power, kids will enjoy this collection of fun educational games that get them up and moving! (Free)

KUBO Play – Coding for Kids

KUBO Play is an interactive online platform that teaches coding and computational thinking to early learners. Its three activity modes (Free Play, Practice, and Story) include more than 100 coding tasks combined. You can even customize your students’ learning pathways. (Contact for pricing)

Learning Games for Kids: Health Games

Kids in grades K-5 can learn about a range of health topics, from body parts to staying fit, with these interactive online games. They’re perfect for science learning enrichment. (Free)

Little Alchemy 2

This deceptively simple game is actually a lot of fun. Kids (and teachers!) can experiment with combining different elements, such as fire or dirt, to create something entirely new. It encourages creative thinking as well as knowledge of the world around us. (Free)

Minecraft: Education Edition

Kids love the regular Minecraft video game, but this education-focused version takes learning to the next level. With lessons, STEM curriculum, and project-based challenges, this immersive digital environment promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. (Priced per user, per year)

Moose Math engages kids in a mathematical adventure and teaches counting, addition, subtraction, sorting, geometry, and more. While playing five multi-level activities in the Moose Juice Store, Puck’s Pet Shop, and Lost & Found, kids can earn rewards to help build their own city and decorate buildings. (Free)

Multiplication.com

Need to master your multiplication facts? This is the site to try! Fun games and memory-building strategies will help students tackle this key skill. (Free, with Premium membership available for extra features)

National Geographic Kids

Head out on the trail with Captain John Smith, explore Ancient Greece with Zeus the Mighty, or just take a quiz about sharks on this robust site filled with great educational games for students. (Free)

PBS Kids Games

You’ll find everything from social studies to teamwork and feelings in this incredible collection of games that vary in degree of difficulty. The website is truly filled with some of the very best educational games centering on science, social studies, history, and art. (Free)

Prodigy Math

Looking for personalized math lessons for your students? Kids in grades 1-8 take a Prodigy placement test that generates games tailored to their strengths and weaknesses. They’ll build confidence by solving math challenges to progress in the game. (Free)

RoomRecess.com

Access over 140 online educational games for kids in grades K-6 on this site, which was developed by an elementary school teacher with a focus on reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. (Free)

Roy: Tale of a Singing Zebra

Kids pre-K to grade 2 will enjoy the punctuation, reading, and spelling games on this cute, simple site. You’ll also find online guided-reading stories and lesson plans for teachers. (Free)

Starfall activities are research-based and align with individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. There are engaging and interactive games for students in grades K-3. (Some free content with subscriptions available)

Teachers love this great site that offers personalized math and spelling practice for kids ages 5 through 13 through adaptive learning and multi-player games. This is definitely one of the best online educational game sites out there! (Monthly subscription fee)

How good are your airbrush skills? Which famous artist should design your bedroom? Are you a master of street art? Kids can explore these questions and more with the cool quizzes and games on this art-focused site from the Tate Gallery. (Free)

Toy Theater

How would your students like to learn multiplication while shooting hoops? They can do that and more at Toy Theater, which teaches early math concepts through game-based learning. (Free)

Turtle Diary

Introduce kids to new, exciting ways of learning with the help of fun online games, videos, experiments, puzzles, coloring sheets, and more! Turtle Diary activities pair with the appropriate grade level to enhance retention of material and increase success in the classroom. (Free)

The games and challenges on Tynker give kids ages 5 and up a fun and easy way to build coding skills. This is one of the top online educational games for young coders— see more of our favorites here . (Subscription required)

Vocabulary A-Z

Dive into engaging learning activities and games for kids in first through sixth grades, designed to promote vocabulary, spelling, phonics, and language arts. (Free basic access; Premium membership unlocks complete library)

Algebraic Reasoning Sweet Shop

Who doesn’t like candy? Buy and sell sweet treats in this game that helps students grasp concepts related to price and purchasing. (Free)

Boat Coordinates

Use this fun boating game to learn and practice concepts related to grids and quadrants. Race along the X and Y axes to get to the finish line as fast as you can! (Free)

Cells Alive

This information website provides all sorts of interactive ways to learn about cells! Interactive models, puzzles, and more all help tell the story of this building block of life. (Free)

This guessing game uses maps and photos from around the world to educate kids on world locations as well as historical landmarks and famous cities. User-made quizzes add to the guessing fun! (Free)

Get the Math

Explore all the ways you really do use algebra in the real world. Students see how professionals use math in music, fashion, video games, restaurants, basketball, and special effects. Then take on interactive challenges related to those careers. (Free)

Created by a high school student, this interactive review game is something kids can play on their own devices, earning in-game money for correct answers that they can use to buy upgrades and power-ups! (Free, with Pro subscriptions available)

High-Stakes Heist

Kids use their knowledge of the order of operations to crack the safes and help hero Kit Foxtail return the townspeoples’ money that was stolen by the evil Duke von Wolfington. They’ll have to think fast as they try to solve equations in the correct order before time runs out! (Free)

Help kids learn the foundations of civics and government with this collection of highly interactive games including Court Quest, Newsfeed Defenders, and Do I Have the Right? (Free)

Kids Environment Kids Health

Through a wide assortment of puzzles, riddles, brainteasers, and more, kids can learn about their own health and the health of the environment on this website from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (Free)

NASA STEM Engagement

With a variety of games, activities, and educational options to choose from, the NASA Stem Engagement site offers options for all grades. Learn, discover, and play online educational games related to space technology and exploration. (Free)

Physicsgames.net

This website offers dozens of different simple games to choose from that help educate kids on the mechanics of physics. Whether they are shooting pigs, knocking down walls, or trying to balance a building, they’ll learn and have fun at the same time. (Free)

Science Vocabulary Hangman

Use the clues to guess the scientific term before the cellular hangman disappears. Choose from literally hundreds of subject sets that include grade-specific vocab, state-level standardized tests, and more. (Free)

smokeSCREEN

As part of their #BeTheFirst Initiative, smokeSCREEN was developed by the play2PREVENT Lab, 1stPlayable, and Schell Games and funded by the NIH/FDA and the CVS Health Foundation. The game addresses the range of challenges that young teens face, with a dedicated focus on youth decision-making around smoking and vaping and strategies for both smoking prevention and cessation. Educators can request free access to the web-based game here . (Free)

Sortify: Angles

Learning about angles can be tricky, but this game uses cue cards and sorting bins to help students learn to properly classify angles into different categories. Make sure they’re all correct and then submit the responses to earn the most points. (Free)

Though Quizlet is known for its huge array of digital flash cards, this educational site offers much more for students. AI tutors help kids learn more about tricky subjects, plus transform their own notes into interactive learning activities. (Free; Quizlet Plus has more features available for a subscription fee)

Trigonometry Minigolf

Trigonometry has never been more fun than in this game that uses correct answers to power your golf swing as you aim for a hole in one! Miss an answer? The game will let you know what you did wrong and give you another shot. (Free)

Wrecks Factor

S.O.S.! Ships are sailing into your harbor and you need to help keep them from sinking! Solve the quadratic equations to keep the boats afloat and clear the board … if you take too long, boats start to sink and you lose a life. (Free)

Did we miss one of your favorite online educational games? Share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, 28 online interactive math games kids will love ..

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Now your child can join Kiki in a virtual music class – for FREE! That’s right – Kiki – from our Kiki’s Music Time videos, will meet your child virtually in these engaging music classes. Each class is designed to encourage and support your child’s love of music and to get them to sing, move, and play!

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New Game - Play Music!

Birds on the wires.

Best for 1-5 year olds. On desktop requires basic mouse movements. On mobile devices simply tap the screen.

Free Online Games For Toddlers That Are Educational And Surprisingly Fun

Screen time you’ll both love.

“is your kid musical do they love to dance around and sing kneebouncers is filled with catchy and memorable songs that will even get stuck in your head. this program offers educational games for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. so, you can stick with the same program even after your little one ages out of their terrible twos and threes., play with purpose.

For kids, play is their job – and their job is to play. This natural instinct is how they learn. Our games and videos reinforce what your children are already learning. So let them play and know that they’re building their confidence, while learning foundational skills.

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The importance of play

KneeBouncers is play with purpose. Our interactive online games and videos are designed to engage, encourage, entertain and educate babies, toddlers and preschoolers. We keep our content age-appropriate, and l earning fun.

KneeBouncers employs a play-based developmental learning strategy to create our games. Specifically, we focus on games that spark kids’ curiosity and creativity , exploration of the world , social understanding , communication skills and movement . Our play-based developmental strategies support concrete learning objectives, including: mathematical concepts , science , language and literacy , social and emotional development , arts and music and social studies .

We strive to create age-appropriate engaging games that promote playing with purpose. Games increase in complexity as a child grows, allowing us to provide learning fun for babies through preschool students.

“Life is more fun if you play games.”

A whole lotta fun for the itty bitty ones.

KneeBouncers.com , a website full of engaging toddler games  and  baby games online. Featuring a collection of fun, interactive online games designed specifically for babies ,  toddlers , and  preschool kids.  

KneeBouncers’ gang of characters will delight your child as they explore the interactive online games that  parents, daycare and preschool teachers have embraced for their fun, simplicity, and age appropriateness. These toddler games are easy to play and your preschool kids can enjoy playing on their own. The goal with all of our interactive games is to make learning more enjoyable for your baby, toddler, and preschooler.  

Download the coloring sheets and continue the fun and learning offline. They’re a great way to learn new skills, or reinforce skills that your little one is learning. 

Check out every episode of “The KneeBouncers’ Show” – ad free! And sing-along with Kiki and her KneeBouncer friends in all the “Kiki’s Music Time” episodes! From classic children songs to our original songs – you’ll kids will be singing and dancing!

“Play gives children the chance to practice what they are learning.”

Fred rogers, learn. practice. repeat..

You learn by doing and repeating. Once your child is introduced to a new concept, it’s important for them to practice and repeat the new skill. And we make the process fun for them!

Cause and effect games are designed as tapping games that respond to the touch of the keyboard or screen. These simple baby games build confidence and encourage further exploration. 

Matching games are designed to challenge your little ones memory skills. Zoo and farm animals to shapes , colors, letters , and numbers matching games will keep your child’s memory sharp. (Yours too!)

KneeBouncers was created to instill a love of learning in babies, toddlers, preschoolers and everyone in your family. We’ve created lots of original baby games , online games for toddlers , preschool games , coloring pages , memory games , keypress games , tap games , point and click games , original animated videos , sing-along songs , nursery rhyme videos , original children songs , and so much more! 

Extend the play and learning

Get the refrigerator cleared and ready download coloring sheets from your favorite games and reinforce the lesson, more love to share..., love love love.

KneeBouncers has become a go-to for us when we need a quick and easy educational activity for our toddler.

Making Learning Enjoyable

This site has become an essential resource for our homeschooling journey. Thank you for making learning enjoyable!

Supplementing Lesson Plans

This website has been an invaluable resource in supplementing my preschool lesson plans. The games and activities are a hit with my students!

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FROM KNEEBOUNCERS’ CREATOR

To my fellow parents and educators,

From one parent to another, and as the creator of KneeBouncers.com, I want you to know that our platform is more than just another website – it’s a labor of love dedicated to early learning and fun.

It started from a personal need – to create a space where little ones could play games without the fuss of a mouse. Our small haven has now grown to include over 100 ad-free, engaging games, videos, and worksheets. We believe that children learn best when they’re having fun, and that’s exactly what we’re here to provide.

By choosing us, you’re not just opting for a safe, educational journey for your child, you’re also supporting a family-owned small business. We’re still a small, passionate team at KneeBouncers, and your trust in us means more than you can imagine. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your child’s formative years.

Thanks – and keep on KneeBouncin’!

Punch Robinson

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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.

FIND THE MISSING LETTER

ZOO MEMORY Matching Game

DINOSAURS COLORING BOOK

PIXEL MOSAICS for Kids in Autumn / Fall

ANIMAL WORLD Puzzle for Kids

MOVING MAZE Game for Kids

FEED MY PET DOG NUMBER: Addition and Subtraction to 10

ENGLISH NUMBERS 11-20 Listening Exercise

SEQU?NCES: Seriation Game for Kids

WHOSE BABY IS IT: Animal Families Game

ANIMAL CONNECT Game

AUTUMN/FALL Math Riddles

Animals and their Babies Game Online

ANIMAL PATTERNS for Kids / Preschool

MONSTER BRAINS: Alphabetical Order Game for Kids

SHUT THE BOX: Dice Adding Game

MATH RACE Addition Game

MATH DOODLE: Matching Pairs Game

MATH BOY: Math Quiz Game

ALPHABET TYPING: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Game

MAZE PAINT Game

COUNT AUTUMN LEAVES

COUNTING in SPRING: Game for Kids

Shadow Challenge: SEA ANIMALS

Autumn Vertical Jigsaw Puzzle

CLEAN OCEAN Game for Ki

SPRING LABYRINTH Game

SNAKE ALPHABET Game

ONET ANIMALS: Animals Matching Game

ANIMAL SHAPES Puzzle Game

SNAKE AND LADDER Online

SNAKES AND LADDERS Multiplayer

PUSHEEN CAT Painting Online

PUSHEEN COLORING Pages Online

COUNT ANIMALS Up to 10

DOGE BLOCKS: Complete the Grid Puzzle Game

SHADOW GAME: Visual Perception

MOSAIC FANTASY: Mosaic Board

Bike Racing Math Addition

Connect the Dots in 3D

BUG CATCHER: Fun Addition and Subtraction Game

ADDING PUZZLES: Valentine’s Day

DOT TO DOT with NUMBERS: Marine Animals

EDUCATIONAL FARM: Match the Animals

BUS JIGSAW PUZZLES Online

LETTERS POPPING in the Sea Game

HIDDEN OBJECTS in the Room Game

ANIMAL MAHJONG for Kids

Learning topics for 5 years, maths for kinder.

• Numbers 1 to 20
• Simple Sums
• Differences
• Animal Sounds

Social Science

• Days of the week
• Means of Transport
• Telling Time
• Musical Instruments
• Drag the Mouse

Board Games

• Domino for Kids
• Tic Tac Toe

FUN GAMES for KIDS

• Car Games for Toddlers
• Kids Board Games

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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Kids can also learn independently in the Khan Academy Kids Library—a curated collection of activities, books, videos, and coloring pages. Our book reader allows kids to follow along with recorded audio narration or read on their own across our fiction, non-fiction, and fiction leveled books.

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• Recognizing letter names and sounds
• Recognizing lowercase and uppercase letters
• Tracing letters and numbers
• Putting the letters of the alphabet in order
• Matching letter sounds to beginning word sounds
• Counting syllables
• Reading sight words
• Recognizing rhyming words
• Engaging in wordplay
• Understanding and contributing to a short narrative
• Counting to 10
• Recognizing written numbers from 1 to 10
• Sorting by color and number
• Tracing numbers
• Recognizing shapes and patterns
• Recognizing “more” and “less”
• Painting and coloring
• Illustrating a story
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• Recognizing and naming colors
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• Comparing sizes
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• Using a mouse, trackpad, or touchscreen

Play free online toddler games and games for babies!

Online games for babies to play using keyboard or touchscreen.

Free Educational games for babies and kids. We have created the most beautiful and popular online games for kids, babies and young children available to play for free. Our aim is to provide a safe and recommended free website dedicated for kids, crafted with love and offering the best online learning benefits for toddlers, babies, and preschoolers.

Toddler Games to point and Click (PC) or Tap (Mobile)

We believe that learning should be a fun and enjoyable experience for children. Therefore, our online and free educational activities for kids 1-2-3-4-5-years old are designed with the most beautiful drawings to play and captivate their imagination and foster their cognitive and motor skills.

Free Toddler Games: dragging and dropping

From online puzzles for kids and colorful memory games to paint drawing activities for 1-2-3-4-5-years old and educational activities for children, our online collection offers a wide variety of options to keep young minds stimulated and entertained.

Toddler games online to move and direct the mouse or to swap the finger on touchscreens

We have carefully designed each online educational game for kids to be age-appropriate, ensuring that it caters to the developmental needs and interests of preschoolers and young children with the most beautiful drawings.

Toddler Online Games: Coloring and Painting Games

Online activities for kids and preschoolers. In addition to the captivating gameplay, our free website for 1-2-3-4-5-years old also provides a user-friendly interface that is easy for young children to navigate independently.

4 pieces jigsaw puzzles for toddlers: by dragging and dropping

At our free website for kids, we understand the importance of providing a secure online environment for children to explore, play, and learn. Safety of children 1-2-3-4-5-years old is our utmost priority, and we have implemented stringent measures to ensure a secure browsing educational experience for children.

Online Games for Toddlers: Maze Games

We take pride in the positive feedback we receive from parents and educators who have witnessed the developmental benefits our free educational games provide. Our online website offers a wide array of online activities for 1-2-3-4-5-years old young children, with the best drawings and completely free to play.

Free Online Memory Games for Toddlers

From enhanced problem-solving abilities to improved hand-eye coordination, our free activities for kids 1-2-3-4-5-years old have proven to be effective tools for early childhood learning.

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Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids

By Courtney Schley

To find our favorite learning apps and games for kids, we spent more than 40 hours researching and testing 50-plus apps recommended by educators, experts, and parents. If your family has a tablet and you want it to be more than a game-playing and video-watching device, or if you’re trying to find apps for your smartphone that will do more than keep your kids occupied in a pinch, we have some great suggestions.

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 the apps here 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 details, read more about how we selected the apps in this guide.) The apps we cover in this guide are great 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.

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

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

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. Teacher Jennifer Auten 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

DragonBox Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual numeracy.

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

DragonBox Big Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

More-complex arithmetic.

Kids follow characters called Nooms 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 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 5 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

Lightbot (iOS and Android)

Coding puzzles.

The app’s simple puzzle challenges are easy to jump into for kids and adults with no previous coding experience.

Lightbot Jr (iOS and Android)

Coding puzzles for younger kids.

A slower-paced, easier set of puzzles for kids as young as preschool.

Ages: 9 and up (Lightbot); 4 to 8 (Lightbot Jr)

How it works: In Lightbot ( iOS and Android ), 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 Android ) 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

ScratchJr (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual programming.

Using graphical coding blocks, ScratchJr lets kids animate characters and create storylines.

Ages: 5 and up

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

Osmo Coding (iOS)

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.

Ages: 5 to 12

How it works: Osmo Coding Awbie requires a base system—a stand and a mirror that attach to the device’s camera and that are compatible with other Osmo games —for the iPad , iPhone , and Amazon Fire . The system allows players to use physical pieces to interact with the screen-based game. Kids use bricks marked with commands, arrows, numbers, and loops to create scripts that direct a silly character through mazes and challenges, picking up prizes such as strawberries.

Why it’s great: Teacher Jennifer Auten, who uses Osmo Coding Awbie and other 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. She also likes that Osmo Coding Awbie is open-ended: “Kids can explore and create their own paths.”

In this category we chose these three apps—focused on anatomy, the natural world, and space—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

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.

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 Nature

Toca Nature (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Natural-world building.

Toca Nature is an open-ended building app—similar to Minecraft—where kids can explore and shape the terrain, collect resources, and observe wildlife.

Ages: 4 and up

How it works: In Toca Nature ( iOS , Android , Amazon ), 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.

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 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.

An app for exploring space: Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System

Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Cats in space.

Explore the solar system with a jet-propelled cat.

Ages: 8 to 12, or 6 and up with an adult

How it works: Kids explore the app much as they would read a book, delving into facts, illustrations, and animations about planets, moons, stars, and space exploration. At various points, quizzes and other challenges let you earn sardine treats for Professor Astro Cat.

Why it’s great: Jana Grcevich , an astronomer, science educator, and author , told us she enjoyed the Professor Astro Cat app ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), along with the popular book series it’s based on, with her then 6-year-old niece. The app requires reading, but the entertaining storyline and fascinating facts make it fun for adults along with younger children.

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 three apps let young kids explore different aspects of self-expression, emotions, and social play.

An app for self-expression: 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: 7 and up

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 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

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: 2 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 social play: Toca Tea Party

Toca Tea Party (iOS)

Tea for two (or more).

Toca Tea Party presents the elements of a tea party—drinks, desserts, and dishes—for unstructured imaginative play.

Ages: 2 and up

How it works: Toca Tea Party couldn’t be simpler: You set a tea table with plates, cups, drinks, and treats for three guests, and the rest is up to your imagination. There’s no objective beyond pouring drinks, munching treats, and wiping up spills, and the app has a built-in end point: Once you’ve finished the snacks and beverages, the table clears itself and the dishes drop into a sink, ending the party.

Why it’s great: Toca Tea Party isn’t so much a game as a scene for unstructured imaginative and social play for young children. Kids can play alone (perhaps by inviting dolls or stuffed animals as guests) or with one or two others—a unique feature for a tablet game to pull off well. My two daughters, now 4 and 5, haven’t tired of Toca Tea Party after two years, and their play centers on chatting, pretending, and sharing.

An app for reading: Epic! ebook subscription

Epic! e-book subscription

Endless ebooks.

This app allows young readers to choose from up to 35,000 different books for a low monthly cost.

How it works: For $8 a month, 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, where 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, Android and Microsoft tablets and smartphones.

Why it’s great: While some subscription kids’ e-book 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 both of my daughters can independently browse books by the cover art and find what interests them—even though they are both 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 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 has been using tablet and smartphone apps in her first- and second-grade curricula since the iPad was released in 2010; Christine Elgersma , senior editor, parent education, 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.

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 .

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.”

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.”

All the apps we recommend in this guide adhere to the FTC’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act . Among other things, COPPA requires that websites and apps directed at children under age 13 obtain permission from parents before collecting or sharing personal information from children, or targeting them with behavioral advertising. None of the apps in this guide require children to enter personal information in order to use the app’s functions, and none offer social media sharing or connectivity.

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

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, PhD, professor of psychology, Temple University , phone interview , January 8, 2019

Christine Elgersma, senior editor, parent education, Common Sense Media , phone interview , March 12, 2019

Pat Yongpradit, chief academic officer, Code.org , phone interview , April 18, 2019

Meet your guide

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.

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