Best Educational Apps & Games for Kids | Top Picks

Editor: Arshita Tiwarion May 01,2025
kids playing and learning new educational concepts in educational apps in tablet

In the digital age, parents are turning to smartphones and tablets as educational tools. With hundreds of options available, choosing the best educational apps and games for kids can be overwhelming. Whether you're homeschooling, supplementing schoolwork, or just trying to make screen time more productive, the right educational app can make all the difference. From reading and math to science and coding, there are options for every subject and age group.

This guide highlights the best apps for online learning, including both free and paid options, to help your child learn while having fun. We've also included top educational games for kids that combine entertainment with academic value. Best of all, many of these are free educational apps for kids, making learning accessible for every family.

Why Educational Apps Matter

Today, children are native digital users. They absorb and nurture knowledge through the usage of interactive tools, and educational apps directly cater to this learning attitude. Research shows that cognitive development, memory retention, and even creativity flourish when children interact with educational games. Furthermore, many of the best apps for education can personalize their programs based on the child's learning level, catering to their very own evolving needs. 

Criteria for Choosing the Best Educational Apps

When deciding which education apps to include, we also had to observe the following criteria:

  • Age-appropriateness
  • Educational value
  • User-friendliness
  • Fun look and interface
  • Cost consideration
  • Parental control and safety

With this, the following are the top-rated apps and games for U.S. kids for 2025.

1. Khan Academy Kids

Best for: Ages 2-8
Price: Free
Platforms: iOS, Android

Khan Academy Kids is among the most excellent free educational apps designed for kids to offer excellent interactive lessons in math, reading, phonics, and social-emotional learning. The content has a playful format featuring Kodi the bear and many friends who guide kids through the lessons. Ad-free and completely safe for younger users; parents can easily track progress. 

Why it's great: 

  • Curriculum-aligned to Common Core. 
  • Developed by learning experts. 
  • Engaging, without in-app purchase or ads. 

2. ABCmouse.com

Best for: Ages 2–8
Price: Subscription-based (Free trial available)
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

ABCmouse is perhaps the most popular online learning application for younger kids, with over ten thousand activities for reading, math, science, and art. Every child follows a progressive learning path so that unlocked activities require mastery of previous lessons.

What makes it good:

  • It is a structured learning path.
  • So much interactive content
  • Progress reports for the parents

3. Prodigy Math Game

Best for: Grades 1–8
Price: Free (premium version available)
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

This is an adventure-filled educational game that ranks among the best for children. Prodigy contains math puzzles concealed in a role-playing game, motivating children to fight monsters through math. The adaptive technology tailors the issues according to every child's learning capacity. 

Why it’s great:

  • Game based learning format
  • Accorded with U.S. Curriculum
  • It can monitor the progress in real time.

4. Duolingo ABC

Best for: Ages 3–7
Price: Free
Platforms: iOS, Android

From the makers of Duolingo, Duolingo ABC is an application created for helping very early readers in learning phonics, sight words, and understanding reading. This app is the best for building a solid literacy foundation, and it is completely free without any advertisement.

Benefits include:

  • Short and fun lessons
  • Directed read practice
  • Educators and parents testify to it.

5. Toca Life World

Best for: Ages 4–10
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Platforms: iOS, Android

It may not follow a typical format, but it's Toca Life World that basically depicts creativity, storytelling, and role-play. It enables kids to build their own world, create characters, and write their own stories and, in so doing, develop critical thinking and emotional intelligence.

Here's what makes life magnificent:

  • Open-ended play.
  • Development of their soft skills.
  • No ads or external links.

6. PBS Kids Games

Best for: Ages 3–8
Price: Free
Platforms: iOS, Android

PBS Kids Games offers more than a hundred games for kids learning with wonderful characters like Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, and Arthur. Moreover, the app has subjects like mathematics, reading, and science and is an enjoyable safe environment to learn. 

Reasons why it's so good: 

  • Ad-free and safe content from a reputed PBS program with regular updates on new games.

7. ScratchJr

Best for: Ages 5–7
Price: Free
Platforms: iOS, Android

ScratchJr is one of the best free coding educational apps for children. Intended for very young children, it lays a foundation in programming through drag-and-drop for simple coding blocks. Children animate characters, weave stories, and explore solving problems by means of visual construction. 

Benefits: 

  • Developed by MIT
  • Enhances logical reasoning
  • Fostered creativity

8. Endless Alphabet

Best for: Ages 3–6
Price: Paid
Platforms: iOS, Android

This app helps build vocabulary and early reading skills through animated puzzles and interactive word games. The cute monsters and silly animations, working in concert, make learning letters and sounds a joyous occasion. 

What makes it special: 

  • Unlocking letters and sounds fun
  • Great animation and audio
  • Educational yet fun
  • No timers or high score pressure.

9. Epic! – Kids’ Books and Videos

kid learning new concepts from educational videos in laptop

Best for: Ages 5–12
Price: Subscription-based (Free for teachers)
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

Epic! is pretty much the digital library with more than 40,000 books, audiobooks, and even educational videos - which sounds like one awesome app to a child who really loves reading and wants to get online. As they read more books, the children can earn badges and rewards.

Features that wow:

  • Dry-numerous library content
  • Encourages independent reading.
  • Individualized recommendations.

10. BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week

Best for: Ages 5–9
Price: Free version available
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

The app gives away weekly educational animated videos on topics such as science, health, social studies, and arts. Each video is coupled with interactive quiz and activities designed to reinforce learning. 

Why it's great: 

  • Videos are easy to understand.
  • Videos cover a wide array of subject matter.
  • Content is short and easily digestible.

Honorable Mentions

Below are other apps that are slowly gaining traction in the U.S.:

  • Montessori Preschool: Offers holistic learning experiences based on the Montessori method.
  • HOMER Learn & Grow: Teaches not just reading but also emotional learning.
  • Starfall ABCs: The perfect app for preschoolers working on phonics and letters.
  • Osmo – Genius Starter Kit: Collagenating hands-on + digital learning for tactile learners.

Educational Games That Don’t Feel Like Schoolwork

Not all children like conventional learning apps, and this is when educational games come in for children. They blend the learning process into fun: 

  • Minecraft Education Edition – Focus on teaching STEM, architecture, and collaboration.
  • DragonBox Series – Fun math puzzles for all sorts of ages.
  • Lightbot – Mobile puzzle that teaches you programming logic.

Tips for Parents: Making the Most of Learning Apps

Here are some tips that would help your little one get only the best out of these excellent educational apps: 

  • Limit screen time to avoid overdoing it.
  • Make your child use the app along with other forms of learning rather than as their only educational tool.
  • Spend time with your child: Ask questions, and talk about what has been learned together.
  • Track progress with those apps that have dashboards or reports.

More to Discover: Visual Attention Crafts to Improve Kids Focus Skills

Conclusion

With the right mix of learning and play, educational apps can support your child’s development in a fun and interactive way. From literacy and math to creativity and coding, these apps cover it all. Whether you're seeking the best free educational apps for kids or premium platforms with structured curriculums, there’s something for every learner and every budget.

Remember, the best educational apps aren't just about teaching facts—they spark curiosity, encourage exploration, and make kids excited to learn.

This content was created by AI