50 Free Educational Apps for Kids

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Believe it or not, there are TONS of free educational apps for kids. Yup – FREE!

And all of these apps for kids are guilt-free because kids will be learning!

And, like I mentioned, they’re free. (We love that.)

Here ya go  . . .

free educational apps

Free Educational iPad Apps

Sushi Scramble
Sushi Scramble 
OUR FAVORITE GAME!!! Develops language skills through a multiplayer word-building game where 2 to 4 players collaborate or compete to “serve” up the most words or longest word. (on Google Play)
Lumio Farm Factor
Lumio Farm Factor
I like how this shows the multiplication — that it’s basically groups of numbers added together but faster. It’s for very beginning multiplication learners.

Mathmateer
Mathmateer
This is a fun game-based way to practice math operations such as: numbers, addition, subtraction, telling time, money, and more.


Sushi Monster
 
Lots of levels of math practice in this one — 7 addition levels, and 5 multiplication levels. The goal is to get faster and faster. A sushi monster in the middle of two circles – outer circle have numbers on sushi pieces.  The monster has a number on him which is the target number. Players pick the numbers on the outer circles that either combine up to that number. In addition, if you get it write the monster eats the number, if you get it wrong, you can keep trying. We think this is lots of fun.

duolingo
Duolingo
An award-winning free language learning app that uses photographs and repetition to teach you words and phrases. It’s a good app for beginning language learners, especially, but you have to be a reader to do it. Languages: Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian.
Alien Assignment
Alien Assignment
We think this is such a fun app – you’re sent on a riddle-like scavenger hunt to help the aliens repair their space ship. When you find the items, take a photo using your device’s camera.

WWF Together
WWF (World Wildlife Federation) Together
Wow is this a beautiful ebook! Lovely background music accompanies gorgeous photography with well-written, digestible facts about animals.


BrainPOP Featured Movie – BrainPOP®
I’m very impressed with the quality and learning videos – kids love these!

DIY Sun Science
DIY Sun Science 
Activities are divided up into any day, sunny day activities like make your own sun cookie with step by step photos of directions with information about the topic plus related videos and how to make a UV detector. Fantastic. Very well-made and explained, makes science seem fun.

Build a body
Build a Body 
Another great body app – drag organs to their correct places in the body. If you have the right spot, it snaps into place. Each time you touch an organ, it tells you information about it. Switch between digestive, respiratory, skeletal, nervous, excretory and circulatory systems. A+++ for this fantastic learning app!

cyberchase

CyberChase Shape Quest 
Pick between Patch the Path, Feed the Critters, or Hide and Seek. Print the game board from the PBS Kids website here if you want to play that. Hide and Seek is fun – you must find the squares, or triangles, or shapes with six sides. Feed the Critters  is like Angry Birds where you have to angle the dog bone to launch to the animal. Some of the functionality isn’t great – it’s hard to get back to the home screen.


Leo’s Pad
Leo’s Pad is a favorite with my 8 year old although it’s marketed to “preschoolers”. The app is free and then you can purchase more episodes which are early-learning skills and curriculum in the form of interactive, animated stories.

Learn with Homer
Learn with Homer 

A free and fun learn to read app for kids ages 3 – 6 with games and stories.

Play 123
Play 123
A top-rated preschool app for learning colors, shapes, and numbers.

Toonia TwinMatch
Toonia TwinMatch 
This is very much like Majong for little kids. Match the titles of fruit – but only the ones on the outside edges can be matched and removed. Totally absorbing & addicting. We really like it – it’s a great 1 person puzzle game.


Puzzle Planet 

The free version has three puzzle categories: Great Cities of Earth, Scratching the Surface (landscapes), and Sticks and Stones (architecture). When you pick a picture, you’ll have 3 levels of difficulty. Drag the puzzle pieces into the rectangle to complete the puzzle. Entertaining and great for spacial skills.

Addition and Multiplication Number Bubbles
Addition & Multiplication Number Bubbles
Find the numbers that make the product at the top of the screen. Fun.

multiplication for kids
Multiplication for Kids
I’m not crazy about this app – it’s decent for what you pay (nothing). I think the cartoonish illustrations would be more appropriate for younger kids .

3rd grade Splash Math
Splash Math 3rd Grade 
The Splash Math apps always provide great games for each math concept. I really like that if you get something wrong, they tell you the correct answer. That way you’re not practicing incorrectly over and over again.

Todo Math
Todo Math 
Start at the beginning levels of number tracing and follow along their prescribed curriculum.
angle asteroids
Angle Asteroids 
Blast incoming asteroids and develop an intuition for angles. Who doesn’t love blasting asteroids? (on Google Play)

pizza party
Pizza Party 
Split up the treats at a pizza party – and get to know your fractions. From easy (1/2) to harder (reducing 4/8) this is a great learning game. (on Google Play)

Equator
Equator 
Collaborate to bring balance to the equator. Test your math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and order of operations) and play through four seasons.(on Google Play)

Madagascar ABC
Madagascar ABC 

Trace letters in the savannah in the most unique ways (follow the flowers or steaks) and you’ll hear the letter, the letter sound, and words that start with that letter. Trace the letter again and you’ll hear an alliterative sentence using that letter. The third time you trace, the trail will be gone so you try to do it on your own. But, if you mess up, it gives you help. Now you’ll hear a song with lots of words that start with the letter. Another option is to decorate letters with stickers with things that start with that letter. Like the other game, you’ll hear the letter and it’s sound. I love how much reinforcement the app provides for learning the letter. The last game is a Sticker Safari with binoculars. A super app for kids ages 3-5.
sammisigns
Cute plush Sammi shows you how to sign words  like part, play, friend, slide, all done, swing, stop, down, hot, tree, rain, and more.  Sami’s long skinny arms and fingers make it easy to see the sign for each word. Very cool.



Word Mover
A fun poetry app using the word bank they show you.


Kids Vocab 

Pick the meaning that matches the vocabulary word. If you don’t answer in time, you’ll be shown the correct answer which I like this feature because then kids will also learn as they play. FUN!


Opposites 

This app  makes vocabulary building delightful. A teenager girl and her mom combat each other, spitting out word bubbles. Find the opposite pairs and win points. Fantastic, evokative graphics. 10 levels of difficulty.


My Note Game

I’ve been searching and searching for decent apps to help my kids practice note reading. This app has made the cut with practice in rhythm and ear training.


Word Games for Kids 
Fun word games.


Fingerprint Play Maker
Write your own play.

Animal Pants
Animal Pants
A cute preschool app that lets kids learn about animals and follow directions to find the right color pants for the animals. For extra fun, switch to another language — Spanish, French, or German!


Sock Puppets
Make videos with sock puppets.


Kids Crosswords
Learn new words and practice spelling.


Spellosaur
Customize to your spelling word list.


Chickitionary
Learn new words.

Highlights Hidden Pictures
Highlights Hidden Pictures
Find the hidden pictures.

Battleship
Battleship
Just like the board game Battleship but with cooler graphics!

Math Puppy
Math Puppy

Great math practice with two game options.   


Goofy Mad Libs
This app gives you word suggestions so you’re also building vocabulary while learning parts of speech and writing.

 


Stack the States Lite
Learn state capitals, shapes, geographic locations and more, you can actually touch, move and drop the animated states anywhere on the screen. Carefully build a stack of states that reaches the checkered line to win each level.* Very fun and better than Stack the Countries.


Tinker Box 
fun engineering game


This Day in History World Book
An interactive calendar with significant historical events that took place on the current day or any selected day.


Doodle Find
hidden pictures


Mermaid Waters
preschool age number game


Khan Academy
review on Fast Company 


Science360 
from NSF w/ science & engineering news & info


Google Earth
Explore the same global satellite and aerial imagery available in the desktop version of Google Earth, including high-resolution imagery.


Oregon Trail
Assume the role of a wagon leader in a side-view journey where your strategic decisions must ensure the safety of your party along the treacherous Oregon Trail.
* The huge bummer about this app is that to really experience the full game, you’re required to pay more money. We haven’t. So far, AJ still doesn’t mind losing and enjoys playing it.

Sparky
Sparky – The Case of the Missing Smoke Alarms Story
Help Sparky and his friends solve a mystery and learn about fire safety and smoke alarms.

Starfall
Starfall 
Addition and subtraction. Unlock more with a Starfall membership.

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