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.
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.
When deciding which education apps to include, we also had to observe the following criteria:
With this, the following are the top-rated apps and games for U.S. kids for 2025.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
Below are other apps that are slowly gaining traction in the U.S.:
Not all children like conventional learning apps, and this is when educational games come in for children. They blend the learning process into fun:
Here are some tips that would help your little one get only the best out of these excellent educational apps:
More to Discover: Visual Attention Crafts to Improve Kids Focus Skills
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