17 Best Educational Apps for Toddlers
Download these apps for times when you want to give your little one short, interactive screen time.
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In a perfect world, we would have no trouble keeping toddlers away from screens until they're a bit older. But if you're a parent, you know the struggle of needing to finish a chore (or, perhaps, take a plane ride) without a screaming 2-year-old. Fortunately, screen time doesn't have to be devoid of educational value. Many apps for kids ages 1 to 3 keep them entertained while challenging their brain.
When is it okay for toddlers to use screens?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages media use for babies under 18 months (other than video chatting with relatives). If you introduce a phone or tablet app to a toddler older than 18 months, it should be interactive and engaging and a parent should be on hand to comment on it and ensure it is not a solitary play experience. (There's more advice on using apps with toddlers at the end of our list.)
How much screen time should toddlers have?
The AAP recommends that children ages 2 to 5 have no more than one hour of screen time per day. For optimal health and happiness, preschool kids need sufficient sleep, physical activity and real-world interactions.
"Screen time went up during the pandemic, and we encouraged families to keep the extra time educational and positive, since high-quality programs like those from PBS Kids and Sesame Street are not linked with developmental delays or behavior problems," says Jenny Radesky, M.D., a pediatrician, mom and AAP expert on children and screen time. "Currently, if families ask me if more than one hour is okay, for example if they want to keep their child occupied while a parent finishes up remote work, I recommend making that extra time a high-quality show."
Can toddler apps be educational?
Yes, but don't knock yourself out thinking they have to be. A guide to toddler screen time from the Child Mind Institute reminds parents that toddlers are always going to learn best from humans, not screens, especially when it comes to language skills. So if you hand your 2-year-old an app that is simple interactive entertainment, accept it for what it is: temporary entertainment.
Ages: 2 to 8 | Cost: Free | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon, Windows | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
GH staff members are partial to this free app with more than 250 games themed around popular shows, which, once downloaded, can work without Wi-Fi. Play games with Elmo, Donkey Hodie and more. "There's a Daniel Tiger game that we spent a lot of time with," one parent told us.
The app is frequently updated with new games so kids won't run out of content to explore. But the games vary in level, with many being too hard for a 2-year-old to follow. In the "grownups" tab you can click on characters to find those that start at age 2.
Ages: 2 to 8 | Cost: Free trial week, then $16/month or $75/year | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
Our Lab experts and home testers are impressed by this play-based learning app designed for toddlers through second graders. The characters and the lessons — games, quizzes, puzzles, digital books, videos and songs — are engaging. “My daughter loves the characters as much as ones from a favorite TV show or movie,” said one mom.
There are more than a thousand activities around core subject like mathematics and reading, plus emotional learning touchpoints that introduce concepts such as empathy and mindfulness. Though there's a monthly or yearly cost, there are no advertisements.
Ages: 2 to 8 | Cost: Free trial month, then $15/month or $45/year | Availability: Android, iOS, web-based | Wi-Fi: Necessary
Our parent testers and Lab pros love this popular educational app and website which has evolved and updated over more than a decade. Find thousands of storyline-based videos, quizzes and activities, plus a Project Tracker outlining your child’s learning path.
You will need to be on Wi-Fi to use ABC Mouse. Though there is an app, many families use it on a PC. The brand markets itself for homeschooling families as well as for supplementary learning. It gets kids excited about reading, math, science, art and more. When your kid is older they'll appreciate the ticket rewards, which allow them to acquire items like a virtual pet or room decoration that lives in the app.
Homer Learn & Grow
Ages: 2 to 8 | Cost: Free trial month, then $13/month or $80/year | Availability: Android, iOS, web-based | Wi-Fi: Individual activities work offline once opened online
This app and web site has an exciting way of teaching a variety of important topics like math, reading and social-emotional awareness. Our parent testers like the personalization options that let families with more than one kid customize their learning for each little one, and appreciate the diverse offerings for those of different ages and education levels.
There are more than a thousand activities across the platform. Toddlers start off with basic letter and number recognition, then progress to reading short words and using math in a pretend bakery.
Ages: 2 to 5 | Cost: Free Availability: Android, iOS | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
Construction games, role-playing games with characters, easy arcade-style games — there's a lot of free fun in the Duplo World app, all of it aimed at toddlers and preschoolers. With no Wi-Fi needed, this is a perfect app to use in airplane mode when taking a flight with your toddler.
When we crowdsourced favorite apps from staff parents — not worrying so much about learning games, just looking for what their kids liked — this one got mentioned quite a bit. There are fun licensed-character versions of the app as well: a LEGO Duplo Marvel app, a LEGO Duplo Disney app and a LEGO Duplo Peppa Pig app, all free downloads that you can find on the same Lego.com Duplo app landing page — but those licensed apps offer in-app purchases.
Ages: 2 to 5 | Cost: $5 | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
Elmo and Abby present games, videos and more on numbers 1 through 20 including number tracing, counting, coloring plus basic addition and subtraction. This is a favorite of ours because teaching math concepts to toddlers can be tricky. But all of the Sesame Workshop apps are great, putting the characters to good use helping kids do everything from learning letters to using the potty. "The Elmo Loves ABCs app is also adorable — age appropriate, colorful and interactive," a parent told us.
We're also fans of Elmo Calls, which allows toddlers to receive video or audio calls, or voicemail, from Elmo. In the preschool years, ages 3 to 5 years, check out the Cookie Monster's Challenge app, for tablets only, full of school-readiness games and challenges.
Ages: 2 to 8 | | Cost: Free Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon | Wi-Fi: A section called "Kodi's Stuicase," accessible in the library, has games that work offline; the rest requires Wi-Fi
Toddlers get mini lessons in reading, writing, math, social-emotional skills and more when they hop on the Khan Academy Kids app. "We love the Khan Academy Kids puzzles, books, math and more," a parent told us. "Once kids get good at a skill, the lessons get harder."
This allows you to create a personalized learning path for your child. There's no subscription fee or ads since this app — and all the educational content that's constantly being updated — is free. When your tot turns 4 they can graduate to the regular Khan Academy app for lessons stretching through high school and college.
Ages: 18 months to 5 | Cost: $5 | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon, Windows | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
"My 4-year-old is obsessed," one mom told us. "He's built his own train world. I've also helped him with setting up the tracks and I have so much fun watching his reactions when he sits in the POV mode as the train conductor."
There are dinosaurs newly added to this app, too, that tie into the brand's BRIO Dinosaur Adventure Set, one of the winners of our most recent Best Toy Awards.
PBS Kids Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings
Ages: 2 to 5 | Cost: $3 | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon, Windows | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
You can never have too much Daniel Tiger, and kids and parents adore this app that helps them explore and understand emotions. It features games, sing-alongs, art exercises and a "feelings photo-booth" that lets kids take pictures of themselves to better understand expressions.
This also helps kids practice calming down just as Daniel does, with a squeeze and a deep breath or counting to four, introducing ways to regulate feelings. There are games with the trolley, too, and drawing fun.
Ages: 18 months to 5 | Cost: Free | Availability: Amazon only | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
If your toddler plays on a Kindle Fire or other Amazon device, this simple set of baby games is adorable, interactive entertainment. Created by a dad, the free games involve balloon-popping, playing virtual instruments, a jack-in-the box and whack-a-mole, and a game of animal sounds. Also popular: The vehicle noises section, including car, plane and train sounds.
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Ages: 2 to 5 | Cost: Free | Availability: iOS only | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
It's a little bit like the game Guess Who, where kids have to identify animals who are dancing, wagging their tails or crying. There's also a social/emotional learning component to it, since sometimes they have to identify animals by what they're feeling and pick out who is surprised, crying, happy, sad and more.
This soundtrack for this app is jazz-inspired versions of kid songs that make it more pleasant for parents to listen to than a lot of other kiddie fare. It's for iPhones and iPads only.
Ages: 2 to 5 | Cost: $5 | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
This beautifully animated app gets a rare five-star review from Common Sense Media. It lets kids put characters in any of 12 scenes, from everyday locations like the grocery store to exotic locales like the jungle. They can tap on items to find out what things are called and learn new words.
The drag-and-drop function is easy for toddlers and their clumsy fingers, and the games, like matching, are perfect for beginners.
Ages: 2 to 12 | Cost: Free trial week, then $14/month or $85/year | Availability: Android, iOS, web-based | Wi-Fi: Enable Offline Mode to browse the library and play some games even without an internet connection; the rest requires Wi-Fi
Epic! will inspire and encourage early readers to fall in love with books. With more than 40,000 books, audiobooks and videos on the platform, it's easier than a trip to the local library, and you can search through titles by age or interest.
This also has books and quizzes in foreign languages if your child is learning Spanish, French or Chinese at a young age. You get a free trial before being charged a fee. If you have an older school kid, check with your school because some set up free subscriptions for their students.
Hungry Caterpillar Play School
Ages: 2 to 6 | Cost: Free, but there's an in-app subscription for $8 to $10/month or $50/year | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
We all love the Very Hungry Caterpillar book from Eric Carle. Its app version helps introduce preschoolers to educational themes. Kids follow Carle's beautiful animals, animated in the app, as they play Montessori-inspired games that tackle basic math, problem-solving and science.
Though you need to upgrade to the subscription for much of the content, there are no ads.
Ages: 18 months to 5 | Cost: Free | Availability: Amazon only | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
There are seemingly a zillion apps that claim to help kids learn the ABCs, but this one is backed by a nonprofit education company. Kids interact with letters and learn to use phonics to make sounds and words.
While you can chose to pay for the upgraded version to get a few more bells and whistles, like math lessons, we found the free version to have an impressive amount of content all on its own. But don't just believe us; many Amazon reviewers rave.
Ages: 18 months to 5 | Cost: $3 | Availability: iOS only | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
Friendly-looking shapes help kids learn colors and recognize patterns in this toddler-appropriate app. We find its gentle play works as a de-stressing tool, too. For instance, when tots touch the sun it makes a gentle "ooo" sound.
You pay a couple dollars up front for access, but then there aren't any additional paywalls or ads to wade through while playing. There's also a Goodness Shapes Shuffle, which is on iOS and Android.
Ages: 3 to 8 | Cost: Free trial week, then $5/month or $40/year | Availability: Android, iOS, Amazon, web-based | Wi-Fi: Not needed after download
Crayola partnered with The Smithsonian for this STEAM-based app with lots of virtual art projects, a pet park and museum rooms to explore. Some of the activities might be too advanced for toddlers, but it is a fun app that your kid can grow into, recommended by several parents on our staff.
The most toddler-friendly activities are mixing colors and coloring pages. Some reviewers whose kids use an Amazon Fire report that they have to put this app under their parent account, since the subscription counts as an in-app purchase.
How we test apps for toddlers
With millions of apps on the market, it can be hard to determine which are worth a download, let alone a subscription. To find the best apps for toddlers, our parenting pros have tested nearly 50 popular kids' apps over the last five years, including trying some with our consumer panel. We've also crowdsourced favorites from our staff parents and combed through online reviews and recommendation sites such as Common Sense Media.
We evaluate each app on a variety of factors, like how easy it is for a toddler to understand, whether or not parents perceive it to be worth its price, how long and effectively it can hold a kid's attention, and if it has tech pitfalls.
What to look for in apps for toddlers
✔️ Safety: To avoid getting scammed, there are a few things to watch for when signing up for a new app. Consider how much information the app is requesting from you and whether or not it feels necessary. Parents can check out the number of times the app has been downloaded, plus the rating and reviews on the Apple or Google Play store. Don't forget to look over the permissions list and app description before downloading.
✔️ Features: Some apps offer personalized learning plans or include features that let more than one kid track their progress at the same time. Others simply offer fun games to keep your kids entertained for a few minutes.
✔️ Ease of use: Toddlers are too young to navigate apps on their own, so get them started and check in with them frequently. Over time they will develop independence and strengthen their problem-solving skills.
✔️ Age: Pay close attention to age recommendations. This avoids unnecessary frustration for you and for them. To get the most benefit out of each app experience, make sure that they're not logged in 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. It may be worth a few bucks if it's an app your kid is particularly engaged with.
✔️ Engagement: Keeping your child focused 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, then it's not worth keeping it on your device.
How to use apps with toddlers and young children
Jenny Radesky, M.D., Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician and a lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2016 policy statement on digital media use in early childhood, gave us these tips. Radesky is also a mom, so she knows the reality of how a little screen can benefit kids and parents.
✔️ Interactive apps are best. "An interactive app is responsive to the child’s tapping or swiping on the screen. Tapping can be simple like turning a page or touching words on an e-book, repetitive like with a bubble-popping app, and satisfying. I’ve seen my patients play apps where they tap or swipe to remove barriers that allow water or slime to move down an obstacle course, for instance," Dr. Radesky says. "There are also more open-ended apps where the child can compose music or solve multi-step puzzles."
Dr. Radesky calls this interactivity "minds-on" play. By contrast, watching a TV show can be "mind-off." However, some TV shows ask the child watching to think and respond, which makes them more interactive. In other words, the lines can get blurred. "Tapping interactively does not always equate to being an active learner, and watching a video is not always passive — it all depends on the quality of the media," Dr. Radesky says.
✔️ Parents should stay involved in the play. "It helps to be in the same room as the child and occasionally check in on what they are seeing," Dr. Radesky says. "This allows the parent to get their own chores done but also monitor what the child is playing. For example, if they see their child is frequently x-ing out of ads, that's a sign of a low-quality app, and the parent can redirect the child to another app, and uninstall that ad-packed app."
When you get a toddler started on an app it helps to co-view it, as you would a book. Ask questions. "The best sorts of questions are those that connect the dots between what the child is seeing on the screen and their real-life experiences, like, 'Oh there are flowers in that garden, like the flowers we saw in the park yesterday.'”
✔️ Dr. Radesky prefers specific apps over YouTube. Using YouTube is tempting because it is free and easy, with a vast amount of content. But it's not interactive, and is designed to keep kids moving from video to video in a way that makes it difficult to stop. She suggests that apps, particularly those designed for educational purposes, offer more balanced and positive experiences.
"YouTube has an algorithm that recommends content that is trendy and attention-grabbing, like toy unboxing. Parents can’t turn the algorithm off even if they are frustrated with how it introduces content they didn’t want their child to see," Dr. Radesky says. "Parents tell me that when their child watches YouTube, they need to stay nearby to monitor for unexpected content."
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.
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