I used to be that mom who would oppose the idea of kids playing with tablets, I used to believe they added little to no educational value to children, but I was very wrong about that. I considered giving my three-year-old daughter a tablet only after COVID-19 hit my city (during March 2020) and I started working from home and my daughter had to stop going to the Daycare.

I decided to try the well-known Amazon Fire tablet for kids, and as soon as she started using it, it became a game-changer and a life-saver for me. She did not really need my help to understand the games and activities, I just had to set the age range for the apps and some additional (very general) information and that was it. After a couple of weeks I realized that she was learning so much from all those games, she was learning to count way beyond the number 20, she was practicing the ABC, and learning new words. That is when I realized I had been very wrong for so long.

Fast forward to the present day, and she still uses her Amazon Fire tablet for kids, but I have also downloaded a few educational apps for my iPad that have also contributed to her at-home education. The educational apps I’ve found are not only free but also safe, as they are ad-free, which gives me peace of mind.

I have enlisted below my four favorite apps that I totally recommend for your kids.

1. Duolingo ABC – Learn to read

This app has excellent engaging and fun activities for your young child, whether they are just starting out or already know how to read. It teaches the letters, proper way of writing them, vocabulary words and comes with many phonics exercises.

2. Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy kids offers a complete learning program full of games, books, and activities. It instills the love for reading and writing, straightens math skills, and stimulates social and emotional intelligence, as well as it promotes creativity. It has so many things to offer, it is much more than just an app.

3. PBS KIDS Games

This app has a HUGE collection of games and activities with all-time favorite characters. There are so many engaging activities that promote exploring and discovering new things. This app is updated weekly and they are always adding new games, so they always keep it fresh, innovating, and entertaining for your kid.

4. PBS KIDS Video

Do you hate YouTube Kids’ content as much as I do? This app is an answer to your prayers, as it offers all-time children’s favorite shows at anytime. You can download or even live stream videos and TV shows. New episodes are added weekly, so content will always remain current and dynamic.

There are so many good apps out there, and while not all of them are for free (like the ones mentioned in this list), some are certainly worth paying for, but I will save that list for another time. In the meantime, I hope you find these apps useful, and most importantly, that your child enjoys them and benefits from them as much as mine has.

Love,

Lorena