The educational landscape is evolving, and mobile apps labeled as “educational” are booming, particularly for kids aged three to six. With the rise of educational apps for kindergarten, research shows that few of these apps are designed with a solid understanding of child development. Quality educational apps can foster family engagement and help kids develop self-regulation skills. The right content and design can influence learning paths, providing more engaging educational experiences.
But with so many choices, how can you pick apps that genuinely benefit your child? Here, we are going to cover some of the top apps that can improve their foundational skills in math, reading, science, creativity, and more. This blog will guide you through choosing the best apps for kindergarten kids.
12 Best Apps for Kindergarten Kids to Boost Learning
Here’s a curated list of our top favorites of educational apps for kindergarten students, carefully reviewed and tested for your little learner’s educational journey.
1. SplashLearn
SplashLearn is an ad-free, interactive learning app designed specifically to build foundational skills in Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and early skills for kindergarteners through engaging games and activities. Tailored to early learners, SplashLearn combines a research-backed curriculum with dynamic content to make learning fun and effective.
What skills can my kindergartener learn on SplashLearn:
- Math Skills: Focuses on number sense, addition, subtraction, shapes, and more building a strong foundation in early numeracy. Explore more here.
- Reading Skills: Covers alphabets, letter sounds, letter sequence, sight words, and more to enhance early literacy. Check it out here.
- Early Skills: Introduces general knowledge, art & creativity, and critical thinking, fostering a well-rounded development. Check it out here.
What are the different content types available on SplashLearn:
- Games: Thoughtfully designed games strengthen understanding and encourage skill practice.
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- Worksheets: Over 11,000 worksheets across various topics reinforce classroom learning.
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- Live Classes: Expert-led classes offer advanced learning opportunities and creative problem-solving activities.
- Multiplayer Games: Social multiplayer games enable children to compete with peers, adding a collaborative dimension to their learning experience.
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- Digital Library:
SplashLearn’s Digital Library offers a rich selection of books in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Mandarin, and more) and formats like chapter books, comics, and early readers. Teachers and parents can filter by reading level (Lexile, GRL, DRA) or choose from fiction, non-fiction, and popular themes, while tracking each child’s reading progress. Features such as “Read to Me,” highlighted text, and editor recommendations make it easy to find engaging, level-appropriate content to inspire a love for reading.
Here is why it is recommended:
- Engaging and Interactive Learning: SplashLearn engages kids with vibrant colors, interactive content, and engaging gameplay. Rewards like coins and puzzles motivate students while enhancing critical thinking.
- Personalized Learning Journey: SplashLearn personalizes learning with an onboarding questionnaire and an adaptive algorithm that adjusts difficulty in real time, ensuring challenges match each child’s pace and skill level.
- Support Parents and Educators: Detailed progress reports offer valuable insights into children’s activities and achievements, helping parents and educators identify mastered skills and future learning goals.
- Curriculum Alignment and Research-Based Content: SplashLearn aligns with school curricula while enhancing it with research-based content. Developed by educational experts, the platform targets misconceptions, aligns with academic standards, and provides scaffolding to support learners for deep understanding.
- Cost-Effective Access: SplashLearn offers a free trial, significant discounts on yearly plans, and allows access to two free activities every day, making it an affordable choice for parents. Plus, it’s completely free for teachers.
SplashLearn ensures that learning is both fundamental and enjoyable, making it a trusted educational tool for kindergarten students everywhere.
Available On: iOS and Android
2. ABCmouse
ABCmouse is an all-in-one early learning app covering reading, math, science, and art, designed to support kindergarten readiness through structured, interactive activities. It builds essential skills: phonics and early reading comprehension, foundational math like counting and pattern recognition, and curiosity-driven science topics. Art activities foster creativity and fine motor skills, helping children express themselves while they learn.
- Skills Covered: Reading, Math, Science, Art
- Features: Customizable learning paths, progress tracking for parents, interactive games and puzzles and reward-based motivation system.
3. Starfall ABCs
Starfall ABCs is an educational app designed to introduce young children to the alphabet and foundational reading skills. Through interactive games, children learn to recognize letters, understand their sounds, and begin forming words, laying the groundwork for early literacy development.
- Skills Covered: Early Literacy and Phonics
- Features: Kid-friendly, ad-free interface, Offline access for learning on the go
4. Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids offers a wide-ranging early learning experience, covering subjects like reading, math, and writing. Through interactive lessons, stories, and activities, children build foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, explore creativity with drawing and storytelling, and practice social skills with guided exercises. The app adapts to each child’s learning level, offering a personalized and engaging experience.
- Skills Covered: Reading, Math, Writing
- Features: Adaptive learning path tailored to each child, Progress tracking for parents, Safe, ad-free environment
5. Endless Alphabet
Endless Alphabet stands out as the best kindergarten apps for vocabulary-building. It introduces children to vocabulary and early phonics through fun, interactive word puzzles. Each word is brought to life with animated characters that illustrate its meaning, helping kids understand definitions and practice letter sounds. The engaging animations and sound effects make learning new words and phonics enjoyable and memorable.
- Skills Covered: Vocabulary and Phonics
- Features: Playful Animations, Expansive Word Library, No Ads or In-App Purchases, Kid-friendly, ad-free design
Related Reading: Best Alphabet Learning Apps for Kids
6. Epic! – Kids’ Books and Videos
Epic! is a digital library for kids that provides access to thousands of books, audiobooks, and videos across various genres and reading levels. Through interactive reading experiences, children can build vocabulary, improve reading comprehension, and develop a love for reading. Epic! also offers personalized recommendations based on reading preferences, making it an excellent resource for early literacy development.
- Skills Covered: Literacy
- Features: Personalized reading recommendations, Interactive read-to-me features, Progress tracking for parents and educators, Kid-safe, ad-free environment.
Related Reading: Best Reading Apps for Kids
7. Duolingo Kids
Duolingo Kids is an interactive language learning app that introduces young learners to new languages through fun, interactive exercises in reading, listening, and speaking. The app uses engaging visuals, playful characters, and repetitive practice to build vocabulary, pronunciation, and basic conversational skills, making language learning accessible and enjoyable for children.
- Skills Covered: Language Learning
- Features: Vocabulary and pronunciation practice, Progress tracking for parents, Kid-friendly, ad-free interface
8. Todo Math
Todo Math provides comprehensive math practice through engaging, interactive activities tailored for young learners. The app covers foundational math skills, including counting, addition, subtraction, and early problem-solving. Through daily challenges and guided lessons, children develop number sense, build fluency in basic operations, and explore early math concepts in a structured, supportive way.
- Skills Covered: Math
- Features: Progress tracking for parents, Customizable difficulty levels, Kid-safe, ad-free design
Related Reading: Best Math Apps for Kids
9. PBS Kids
PBS Kids offers a variety of educational games featuring beloved PBS characters, covering essential early learning subjects like math, literacy, science, and social-emotional skills. Each game is designed to reinforce specific skills, such as counting, reading comprehension, and basic scientific exploration, making learning accessible and fun. The familiar characters help engage kids, while the structured activities support skill-building in a meaningful context.
- Skills Covered: Math, Literacy, Science, Social-Emotional Learning
- Features: Progress tracking for parents, Offline play availability, Safe, ad-free environment
Related Reading: Fun Free Games for Kids to Play Online
10. Monster to Read
Teach Your Monster to Read is a phonics and reading app that supports early literacy skills by guiding children through interactive games. Kids help their monster character journey through activities focused on letter sounds, blending, and word recognition, building foundational skills for reading. Each level reinforces phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and sentence structure in a way that is engaging and rewarding.
- Skills Covered: Early Literacy and Phonics
- Features: Interactive monster character customization, Rewards and achievements for motivation, Ad-free and safe for children
11. Boddle
Boddle is an educational game focused on math skills for young learners, providing adaptive practice through interactive, gamified activities. Kids engage with math concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and problem-solving in a playful environment where they can customize and level up their Boddle characters, motivating them to keep practicing and improving their skills.
- Skills Covered: Math
- Features: Adaptive math practice, Customizable character avatars, Progress tracking for parents and teachers, Kid-safe, ad-free environment
12. Moose Math
Moose Math by Duck Duck Moose is an educational app that introduces essential math skills through engaging mini-games with playful characters. Kids develop number sense by counting and recognizing numbers, explore early addition and subtraction, and build pattern recognition with sorting and matching activities. The app also introduces basic geometry and spatial awareness, while a town-building reward system motivates continued learning and progress. Perfect for building foundational math skills in a fun, interactive way!
- Skills Covered: Math
- Features: Personalized learning path, Reward-based town-building system, Parent reporting, Kid-safe design
Choosing the Best Apps for Kindergarten
When selecting educational apps for kindergarteners, here are a few key factors to consider:
- Age Appropriateness: Look for apps designed specifically for young children, with simple navigation and content that matches kindergarten learning levels.
- Skills Covered: Choose apps that focus on essential skills like early math, reading, creativity, and critical thinking to provide a well-rounded learning experience.
- Engagement: Opt for apps with interactive elements, like games, quizzes, or animations, that keep kids interested while reinforcing concepts.
- Safety and Privacy: Prioritize apps with strong privacy policies and avoid apps with ads or in-app purchases to ensure a safe, distraction-free environment.
- Progress Tracking: Apps that offer progress reports can be valuable for tracking your child’s development and identifying areas for improvement.
- Cost and Access: Some apps offer free trials or limited free activities daily. Look for affordable options or those that are completely free for teachers if using in a classroom setting.
Comprehensive Comparison of Top Educational Apps for Kindergarten
Choosing the right app for your child’s learning journey can be challenging. Our detailed comparison table below highlights key features, age suitability, and availability for the most popular educational apps, making it easier for parents and teachers to decide what best fits their child’s needs.
App Name | Skills Covered | Age Range | Key Features | Availability |
---|---|---|---|---|
SplashLearn | Math, English, Early skills | 2-11 | Over 15000 games and worksheets, 7000+ books, personalized learning paths, progress tracking | iOS and Android |
Starfall ABCs | Early literacy and Phonics | 2-8 | Interactive activities, phonics-based learning, songs, and stories | iOS and Android |
ABCmouse | Reading, Math, Science, Art | 2-8 | 10,000+ learning activities, step-by-step learning path, progress tracking | iOS and Android |
Khan Academy Kids | Math, Reading, Writing | 2-7 | 9,000+ activities, personalized learning, engaging characters | iOS and Android |
Endless Alphabet | Vocabulary and Phonics | 3-6 | Interactive word puzzles, animations, no high scores or failures SplashLearn | iOS and Android |
Epic! | Literacy | 40,000+ books, audiobooks, learning videos, personalized recommendations | iOS and Android | |
Duolingo ABC | Language learning | 3-7 | Phonics-based lessons, interactive stories, offline access | iOS and Android |
Todo Math | Math | 3-8 | 700+ math activities, daily math challenges, progress reports | iOS and Android |
PBS Kids Games | Math, Literacy, Science, Social-emotional learning | 2-8 | 100+ educational games featuring PBS characters, offline play | iOS and Android |
Teach Your Monster to Read | Early literacy and Phonics | 3-6 | Game-based learning, covers first two years of learning to read | iOS and Android |
Boddle | Math | 6-11 | Adaptive learning, game-based platform, real-time reports | iOS and Android |
Moose Math | Math | 3-7 | Five engaging math activities, rewards system, parent reporting | iOS and Android |
Conclusion
We’ve come to the end of our list of best apps for kindergarten kids. These apps are like friendly helpers that make learning super fun. You can explore letters, numbers, and even go on adventures while learning new things. While this list covers some of the best apps available, many parents enjoy discussing their experiences with various educational apps in forums and online groups. Checking these sources can provide additional perspectives to help guide your choices.
Related Reading: Best Educational Apps for Preschoolers
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are these apps safe for my child to use?
Yes, these apps for kindergarten are designed with kids’ safety in mind. They offer age-appropriate content and often have parental controls to ensure a secure learning environment.
What are the best ways to supervise your child’s app usage?
Track your child’s app usage by setting time limits, enabling parental controls, and reviewing app content regularly. Use app-specific features or third-party monitoring tools to ensure appropriate and balanced screen time.
How can educational apps be blended into kindergarten learning?
Incorporate educational apps into daily lessons to enhance interactive learning. Use apps for specific activities like storytelling, math practice, or art creation, aligning them with educational goals and themes.
What are the best apps for kindergarten to use on Android?
Yes, there are many great options for Android apps for kindergarten users as well. Apps like SplashLearn, Duolingo Kids and PBS Kids Games are available on Android devices and offer valuable learning experiences for kindergarten students.
What are the best kindergarten apps for ipad?
Some of the best learning apps for kindergarten on iPad include SplashLearn, Toca Boca and Duolingo.