10 Best Applications For Your Kids

10

10 Best Apps for Kids and Students of 2022

Download these fun, educational picks for your toddler or grade-schooler now — keep them busy for hours!

on.

It can be challenging to keep kids appropriately occupied sometimes, especially when school is out. Today's kids are spending a good chunk of their days on tablets, phones, and other electronic devices, and finding apps that provide kid-friendly, developmental content in bite-size pieces can be difficult. Using screen time to help supplement their education can be beneficial and fun, especially since many educational apps include games to make learning more exciting.

Our experts work together with our consumer panel to test the best children's apps out there based on ease of use, engagement, price point, and tech pitfalls. We've reviewed dozens of apps to bring you our favorites. These are the best of the best for engaging, entertaining, and educational content to help support and aid gaps while keeping your kids entertained, whether they're in pre-school or high school. Grab your charger (or portable battery) and download the best apps for kids in 2022:

Our top picks

• Best Overall Educational App for Kids: ABCmouse.com
• Best Educational App for All Ages: Khan Academy
• Best Educational App for Reading: Epic!
• Best Educational App for Kids in Preschool: Nick Jr.
• Best Educational App for Kids in Elementary School: Quick Math Jr.
• Best Educational App for Kids in High School: Duolingo
• Best Educational App for Kids Learning the Alphabet: Starfall ABCs
• Best Educational App for Multiple Kids: Homer Learn & Grow
• Best Educational Video App for Kids: Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week
• Best Educational App for Coding Kids: Swift Playgrounds

• S.N	10 Best Applications For Your Kids
  1	ABCmouse.com
  2	Khan Academy
  3	Epic!
  4	Nick Jr.
  5	Quick Math Jr.
  6	Duolingo
  7	Starfall ABCs
  8	Homer Learn & Grow
  9	Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week
  10	Swift Playgrounds

Best Overall App for Kids: ABCmouse.com

ABC MOUSE

This pick is an overwhelming favorite among all of our testers. ABCmouse.com is available both as an app and a website. It uses fun storyline-based videos, quizzes, and activities — there's even a virtual map outlining your child’s learning path to keep kids and toddlers engaged. Our parent testers said they loved ABCmouse.com even before we started testing the best apps for kids!

• Ages: 2-8
• Cost: One-month free trial, then $10/month subscription
• Get it for iOS, Android, or on the Amazon App Store

RELATED: The Best Toddler Apps That Teach Letters, Colors, Shapes, and Numbers

Best for All Ages: Khan Academy

KHAN ACADEMY

Teachers, parents, and kids are all a fan of the Khan Academy app that features thousands of free resources on everything from early math to art history. From preschool to high school, children of all ages can enjoy and learn on this non-profit's platform. All of its programmings is entirely free, so you don't have to worry about subscription fees. Parents of our testers say that the videos helped each kid learn at their own pace. For those with kids under 4, check out their child-friendly counterpart, Khan Academy Kids on iOS or Android, which features a lot of the great elements of the older app at an age-appropriate level.

• Ages: 4+
• Cost: Free
• Get it for iOS or Android

Best Reading App for Kids: Epic!

EPIC!

Epic! is an app for kids with an e-book library that contains over 35,000 children's books (and it includes a read-to-me feature for little ones who are still learning to read). One of our parent testers says it's “a great app to have when the kids want screen time, but you don't!” This app is a perfect way to take reading wherever your device goes, and it's great for families with kids of various ages.

• Ages: 2-12
• Cost: one-month free trial, then $8/month
• Get it for iOS or Android

Best App for Kids in Preschool: Nick Jr.

NICK JR.

Nick Jr.’s app offers parents the chance to let their kids enjoy their favorite shows on the go — no TV required! The app has videos from all of Nick Jr.’s shows and a collection of games (both educational and not-so-educational) based on Nick Jr. shows that feature your kids’ favorite characters.

To unlock some parts of the app, you'll need to enter your cable provider's information. Even without it, your kid will still be able to use the features they’ll be most excited about: full episodes and lots of games!

• Ages: 2-7
• Cost: free, some content requires cable provider information
• Get it for iOS, Android, or on the Amazon App Store

Best App for Kids in Elementary School: Quick Math Jr.

QUICK MATH

Kids know that math can be boring, but this app transforms numbers into something more creative and interactive. Quick Math Jr. is an app for kids with 12 different math games that feature fundamental math skills and concepts. It has unique graphics and buildable characters to keep kids engaged, and all answers are handwritten or drawn on the screen so kids can also practice handwriting.

• Ages: 4-8
• Cost: Free
• Get it for iOS

Best App for Kids in High School: Duolingo

DUOLINGO

The Duolingo Owl (the app's mascot and icon) has been popping up as a meme all over social media in recent months, so chances are your high schooler knows what Duolingo is. Encourage them to take it one step further and download the app so they can learn a different language.

They can practice through audio, word identification, and oral exercises for over 30 languages — it's a great way for your child to keep their language-learning skills sharp over the summer. P.S.: Parents can use this app, too!

• Ages: 10+
• Cost: Free, optional ad-free Duolingo Plus is $6.99/month
• Get it for iOS or Android

Best App for Kids Learning the Alphabet: Starfall ABCs

STARFALL ABC

This app gives kids a fun, animated introduction to learning letters, vowels, and words. It also includes the sign language alphabet. If you upgrade to the paid version of Starfall ABCs, you'll get some extra perks like lessons on math and social skills — but the free version is still pretty impressive!

• Ages: 2-5
• Cost: Free, option to upgrade for $35/year
• Get it for iOS or Android

Best App for Multiple Kids: Homer Learn & Grow

HOMER

Homer Learn & Grow is great for families with lots of littles since you can add up to four kid profiles on your account and not have to worry about messing up your customization. Testers love how personalized the learning experience is — while onboarding, you'll fill out a series of questions about your child's task performance skills. They also enjoy the cool features like the "record your voice" option in phonics. Kids get to learn thoughtfully about numbers, letters, and social skills. Note, the free trial can be difficult to cancel if you're not interested in paying for the subscription.

• Ages: 2-8
• Cost: $7.99/month
• Get it for iOS or Android

Best Video App for Kids: Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week

BRAIN POP JR.

For 20 years, Brainpop has been providing kids all over the world with in-depth, yet easy-to-understand educational videos on everything ranging from Mozart to food allergies. Brainpop Jr. Movie of the Week is an app that gives younger kids access to these videos, plus short quizzes on them.

You’ll need a subscription to access the full library of videos, but the free version still gets you the movie of the week, plus more free videos on internet safety, bullying, and other subjects. Brainpop also has a version for older kids too!

• Ages: 6-9
• Cost: Free, optional subscription is $6.99/month
• Get it for iOS, Android, or on the Amazon App Store

Best Kids' App for Coding: Swift Playgrounds

Swift Playgrounds is an app for older kids (and adults!) that was created by Apple to introduce people to the coding language that app developers across the globe use. In the app, you can learn the basics of the coding language through puzzles, targeted lessons, and dynamic visuals. The app is gorgeous to look at and fun to play, but it works best on iPads.

• Ages: 9+
• Cost: Free
• Get it for iOS

 

How we test educational apps

The technology and parenting experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute know very well just how dizzying it can be to figure out which kids' apps are worth 

We consulted our consumer panel made up of real parents and their children to whittle down the field to the apps that are age-appropriate, easy to use, informative, and fun. Our experts evaluate each app to see how easy it is for children to use independently, how engaging the content is, whether or not it's worth its price, how long and effectively it can keep children interested, any tech pitfalls, and whether it aids children's development in the ways it indicates.

What to look for in the best educational apps for your kids

✔️ Safety: It's important to protect your personal information and avoid getting scammed. Consider how much information the app requests from you and if the app requests additional verification when you log in. Aside from personal safety, is the app even safe to download? Check out the number of times the app has been downloaded, the rating, and reviews, and look over the permissions list as well as the app description before hitting download. We evaluated each of the apps we've recommended for safety to help alleviate concerns for you, your family, and your devices.

✔️ Features: Consider what you are hoping to get out of this app: Are you just looking for something that will play fun videos or do you want your little one to be able to engage in educational learning games? Some apps offer personalized learning plans that let you check your progress as you move forward, while others are just for one-off entertainment. Depending on what subject you're hoping for your child to master and how your child learns best, keep an eye out for the extra features of each app to ensure that they're the right fit for your family.

✔️ Ease of use: One of the best parts about learning apps is the ability for your child to navigate them on their own. Not only will this help them develop their independence and strengthen their problem-solving skills, but will give them a much-needed break while they're entertained. Make sure the app is intuitive enough for them to handle on their own.

✔️ Age: Make sure your picks are age appropriate for your little one. They are sure to be frustrated and upset if you accidentally put them in 7th-grade math while they're only 8! To get the most benefit out of each app experience, make sure that they're not learning at too low or too high of a level.

✔️ Price: Many of our favorite picks are free, but a few of the more specialized apps feature paid upgrades or monthly subscriptions with access to all of their unlimited games and videos. Consider how much you're willing to shell out on apps on a regular basis — if your kids are learning and entertained, it may be worth the splurge!

✔️ Engagement: Keeping your child entertained and engaged is one of the most important aspects of a good app. If your kid isn't excited to hop on and spend time learning new things, watching videos, or playing the app's games, then it doesn't matter how helpful the app is if they can't even be bothered to log in.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

The Good Housekeeping Institute provides expert reviews and advice on everything a parent and their kids need, including educational apps. The testing for this article was overseen by Rachel Rothman, the GH Institute's Chief Technologist & Director of Engineering. For more than 15 years, Rachel has put her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics to work by researching, testing, and writing about parenting products. Plus, as a mom to three kids under 5, she has plenty of first-hand experience.

In her role as Parenting & Pets Reviews Analyst, Jamie Spain brings years of experience to the Institute, having reviewed products for Good Housekeeping, as well as BuzzFeed; she has also covered parenting at People.