Advertisement

  • Baby and kid

Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids

Courtney Schley

By Courtney Schley

If you’re looking for apps and games that not only keep young kids occupied but also encourage them to explore, learn, and express themselves, we have some great suggestions.

The apps we cover in this guide are good learning apps not because they’re designed to make kids smarter, to drill facts, or to replace in-school learning, but because they each offer something fun, unique, and interesting for kids and adults.

As with our guides to STEM and learning toys , we didn’t test scores of apps to try to find the “best” ones. Rather, most of our favorite apps have been chosen by teachers for their students in classrooms, used by Wirecutter parents and their kids, or recommended by the experts and educators we spoke with. (For more details, read about how we selected the apps in this guide.)

The research

Our favorite math apps, our favorite coding apps, our favorite science and exploration apps, our favorite social and emotional learning apps, our favorite ebook app, how we picked and tested.

These math games don’t simply drill facts or make kids memorize but rather use visuals, narratives, and storylines to help kids discover math concepts and build their skills. We like these apps because they offer games and exercises tailored to different ages and skill levels and because they encourage adults and kids to play together.

A family math app: Bedtime Math

A screenshot of the Bedtime Math app showing different options for nature themed word problems.

Bedtime Math (iOS and Android)

Bringing math home.

This free app makes math a part of daily family life, like a bedtime story. A peer-reviewed study showed that it not only helps improve kids’ math performance but also makes parents feel more comfortable with math.

Buying Options

Ages: 3 to 9

How it works: Bedtime Math ( iOS and Android ) seeks to do for math what the bedtime story does for literacy, by turning math into an enjoyable bonding routine between child and caregiver.

The free app offers a daily word problem for children to solve together with an adult during bedtime or anytime. Each exercise centers on a short narrative or interesting fact and poses questions at four difficulty levels, from pre-K through elementary school.

Why it’s great: Bedtime Math is one of the few children’s educational apps that have been evaluated in a peer-reviewed study . This particular study demonstrated that students who used the app significantly boosted their math scores; it also showed that Bedtime Math can help parents mitigate their own math anxiety , a phenomenon that can negatively affect their children’s attitudes toward math and their ability in the subject.  Jennifer Auten, an elementary school teacher at the time of our interview, told us she liked that the questions were written at a middle-school reading level, meaning an adult must facilitate the discussion but you have a choice of four levels of difficulty based on the child’s age and math level.

Apps for visual math: DragonBox Numbers and DragonBox Big Numbers

A screenshot from DragonBox Big Numbers, showing a food stand in the shape of a mushroom.

DragonBox Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual numeracy.

Cute characters called Nooms help kids visualize and conceptualize numbers and arithmetic operations.

best educational games for 5 year olds

DragonBox Big Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

More-complex arithmetic.

Kids go on adventures, solving long addition and subtraction equations in the process.

Ages: 4 to 8 and 6 to 9

How it works: DragonBox Numbers ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), aimed at kids ages 4 through 8, introduces number sense, addition, and subtraction through cute characters called Nooms. (The characters are designed to resemble Cuisenaire rods , math learning aids that introduce kids to arithmetic operations in a hands-on way.) Kids feed, slice, and sort the Nooms, developing familiarity with addition, subtraction, fractions, and ranges.

In DragonBox Big Numbers ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), for kids 6 through 9, players follow the Nooms on more complex adventures, solving long addition and subtraction equations in order to gather and trade resources.

Why it’s great: The Nooms function as digital versions of what classroom teachers call math manipulatives , physical learning aids that help young children understand theoretical math concepts in a concrete way. For older kids, the DragonBox series continues on with algebra and Euclidean geometry.

Many great apps teach coding to kids as young as preschool and progressing through upper elementary grades. We’ve highlighted four of these apps because they’re particularly easy to get started with and don’t require reading or, for the child or the parent, a coding background. Regardless of what app they use, parents should think of coding apps as a family activity, said Pat Yongpradit of Code.org . “You will rarely have such a rich media experience as you can when coding with your kid,” he said.

Coding puzzles for beginners: Lightbot and Lightbot Jr

A screenshot of Lighbot, with an avatar instructing players on how to use the light command to illuminate a tile.

Lightbot (iOS and Amazon)

Coding puzzles.

The app’s simple puzzle challenges are easy to jump into for kids and adults with no previous coding experience.

best educational games for 5 year olds

Lightbot Jr (iOS and Amazon)

Coding puzzles for younger kids.

A slower-paced, easier set of puzzles for kids as young as preschool.

Ages: 9 to 11 (Lightbot); 4 to 8 (Lightbot Jr)

How it works: In Lightbot ( iOS and Amazon ), kids solve a series of simple puzzles by lining up commands that make a robot advance over obstacles and light up squares. As they master basic concepts, they add more-complex commands, such as conditionals, loops, and nested statements.

Lightbot Jr ( iOS and Amazon ) follows a similar structure but at a slower pace and with simpler challenges that focus on reinforcing the basics. A minimal amount of reading is required, so pre-readers may need adult help at the beginning.

Why it’s great: Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nonprofit educational organization that promotes and develops STEM curricula and resources, told us, “The best apps for young students without previous experience are those that teach and help build logic and reasoning skills [and] critical thinking skills, and provide brain teasers.” PLTW’s curriculum writers like the Lightbot and Lightbot Jr apps as ways to get kids as young as 4 started with the basic concepts and logical structures of coding.

A creative coding app: ScratchJr

A screenshot of the ScratchJr app showing an animated cat and octopus walking down a city street controlled by the game's programming boxes.

ScratchJr (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual programming.

Using graphical coding blocks, ScratchJr lets kids animate characters and create storylines.

Ages: 5 to 7

How it works: In ScratchJr ( iOS , Android , Amazon ), kids select characters and backdrop scenes and drag graphical programming blocks, which snap together like puzzle pieces, to make animation sequences and storylines. Although the app has some written cues, the programming blocks largely use symbols (such as arrows and stop signs) to indicate what they do (such as move the character forward or make them stop). As kids become familiar with how to structure the code, they can create multi-scene stories.

Why it’s great: ScratchJr isn’t lesson-based (though you can consult a variety of curricula and tutorials for the app) but rather designed to give kids a sandbox in which to experiment, learn, and create through trial and error (the app offers sample animations as well). Pat Yongpradit of Code.org , which recommends ScratchJr among other coding apps and games, noted one particular benefit: “It’s very free-form; you’re not basically being directed down a particular path.” Younger kids will need an adult or older child to guide them as they get familiar with ScratchJr .

An app for hands-on coding: Osmo Coding Awbie

A child using physical game pieces from the Osmo Coding Starter kit to navigate a maze game on their tablet.

Osmo Coding Starter Kit for iPhone & iPad

Tangible coding.

The Osmo system uses physical game pieces in conjunction with the device’s screen, making scripting and coding tangible and accessible for pre-readers. This set includes a stand compatible with many iPhones and iPads.

best educational games for 5 year olds

Osmo Coding Starter Kit for Amazon Fire Tablet

This kit includes the same game pieces, with a stand compatible with Amazon Fire tablets.

best educational games for 5 year olds

Osmo Coding Awbie (iOS and Amazon)

Coding with character.

This app pairs with the Osmo system, directing players to use the pieces to move Awbie through a maze and challenges.

Ages: 5 to 12

How it works: The Osmo Coding Starter Kit ( iOS and Amazon ) comes with a base system—a stand and a mirror that attaches to the device’s camera—and pairs with the Osmo Coding Awbie app ( iOS and Amazon ). Kids use physical pieces marked with commands, arrows, numbers, and loops to interact with the screen-based game, creating scripts that direct a silly character, Awbie, to navigate mazes and challenges and pick up prizes such as strawberries. The Osmo base system can also work with other Osmo games . One drawback, however: We were not able to reach customer service when we ran into issues with the app.

Why it’s great: Jennifer Auten, who used Osmo games in her classroom, said the fact that it combined an app with physical pieces made kids more patient and thoughtful as they worked through the challenges: “When something is purely on the screen, kids will sometimes end up just tapping as fast as they can, randomly guessing. With the manipulatives, it slows their thinking down.” Auten also noted that the physical pieces made it easier to play the game with multiple people, fostering discussion, collaboration, and group problem-solving. Kids still get the thrill and digital feedback from the app as they successfully complete each challenge.

In this category we chose these apps—focused on anatomy and the natural world—because they offer kids unique, open-ended ways to explore science topics. Each app encourages kids to meander, linger, and dive deeper at their own pace.

An app to see what’s inside: The Human Body

A screenshot from The Human Body, one of our picks for best education app and learning games for kids, showing screens for both the digestive system and the heart

The Human Body (iOS and Android)

Seeing what’s inside.

The Human Body offers a visually and aurally interesting way to wander through the body’s organs, systems, and functions.

Ages: 4 and up

How it works: In The Human Body ( iOS and Android ), kids explore anatomy by jumping around to different organs and systems—for example, watching a mouth chew food and swallow drink, sliding into a stomach breaking down food, and following flashing nerve signals as they race up to the brain.

Why it’s great: The Human Body focuses less on teaching kids specific anatomical lessons and more on sparking wonder and fascination toward the body and what it can do. The app’s engaging visuals are neither cartoonish nor graphic, and the thoughtful sound effects are as compelling and instructive as the animations: Gurgles, wooshes, creaks, and spurts give kids a visceral sense of what’s happening inside them. You can toggle on or off the text labels that identify the systems and organs, but no reading is required to get deep into the app, making it equally accessible to pre-readers.

An app for discovering nature: Toca Boca Jr (Toca Nature)

A screenshot from Toca Nature, showing one of the screens of a landscape that users can alter using the app's tools.

Toca Boca Jr (iOS and Android)

Toca Nature, one of the games available through Toca Boca Jr, is an open-ended building activity where kids can explore and shape the terrain, collect resources, and observe wildlife.

Ages: 2 to 6

How it works: In Toca Nature , kids start with a simple plot of land where they can raise or lower mountains, create lakes, clear or plant forests, and make deserts. They can zoom in to different areas of their terrain to collect and distribute resources (like mushrooms, fish, or berries). As they change and shape the environment, different kinds of animals, plants, and fish will appear, multiply, migrate, or disappear.

Toca Nature is one of the games from Toca Boca Jr ( iOS and Android ). The app is free but access to the games requires a subscription. The $12-per-month Piknik bundle ( iOS and Android ) covers unlimited access to Toca Boca Jr games such as Toca Nature , Toca Pet Doctor , and Toca Lab: Plants , as well as Sago Mini games such as Sago Mini World . A Toca Boca Jr plan with only Toca Boca games is also available for $8 per month.

Why it’s great: Similar to popular narrative-less building games like Minecraft , Toca Nature harnesses the enjoyment kids get from open-ended creating, wandering, and exploring games, with a unique focus on the natural world. Common Sense Media senior editor and learning center strategist Christine Elgersma said that an app like Toca Nature doesn’t have explicit learning goals—it’s not trying to teach kids the names of animals or types of terrain, for example—but rather is “an exploratory app with experiences that a kid really couldn’t have off screen.” By creating and manipulating the environment, and then observing how the plant and wildlife change as a result, kids can see how animals, resources, and the environment interact.

Social and emotional learning , which includes self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, and building relationships, among other capacities, has increasingly been recognized as a critical component of children’s education. These two apps let young kids explore different aspects of self-expression, emotions, and social play.

An app for self-expression: Me: A Kid’s Diary

A screenshot from the kids multimedia journalling app Me: A Kid's Diary.

Me: A Kid's Diary (iOS)

A digital diary.

This app lets kids explore self-expression through drawing, writing, photos, and audio and video.

Ages: 6 to 8

How it works: Kids create a digital diary of their lives by answering questions about themselves; making avatars for family members, friends, and other loved ones; and designing their own media. Kids navigate all these entries on their Me Map, a sort of multimedia landscape of their lives.

Why it’s great: Me: A Kid’s Diary (iOS only) helps kids creatively document their feelings, experiences, and loved ones through different media and modes of expression. In some ways, the app offers an experience akin to social media—uploading photos, making videos, writing reflections, and mapping personal connections—but in an entirely closed environment (there’s no actual communication or sharing within the app). This can create a space for kids to start to explore (and for parents to discuss) digital self-expression and sharing.

An app for emotions: Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings

A screenshot from Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings, showing an animated tiger holding a paintbrush and standing next to their painting.

Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Exploring emotions.

The beloved PBS character helps young kids identify, act out, and explore their feelings through games, songs and creative activities.

Ages: 0 to 5

How it works: Kids explore the familiar world of the PBS Kids series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood ( iOS , Android , Amazon ) through simple games, songs, and art activities that focus on identifying and exploring feelings and emotions. It offers different ways for kids to practice, talk about, and experience emotions, such as by drawing a picture, taking a photo of themselves feeling angry or happy, or practicing a calming exercise with Daniel Tiger.

Why it’s great: The app is simple and accessible for very young kids, with frequent verbal cues and reminders to help them through the easily navigable interface. “Even without the Daniel tie-in, it could actually still be a pretty successful app for teaching a lot of social, emotional, and self-care skills,” said Harry Sawyers, Wirecutter senior editor and father of three. “But having the familiar characters and songs really helps jump-start their interest if, for example, they ‘have to go potty—stop, and go right awaaaaay!’”

An app for reading: Epic ebook subscription

Two children looking at books in the Epic ebook subscription app.

Epic Ebook Subscription

Endless ebooks.

This app allows young readers to choose from up to 35,000 different books for a low monthly cost.

Ages: 4 to 12

How it works: For $14 a month ($7 per month if you pay annually), kids gain access to some 35,000 children’s books in an intuitively designed app. Epic’s library is updated regularly with new titles, including classics and the site’s original content. Many of the picture books have a “Read to me” function, in which a narrator reads the text aloud and the pages turn automatically. The app also suggests books by age and based on what a child has previously read, allowing kids to easily discover new titles at their reading level. Epic works on iOS and Android tablets and smartphones.

Why it’s great: While some subscription kids ebook apps tend to be populated with the kinds of uninteresting titles you’d find in a bookstore bargain bin, Epic offers an impressive library of children’s books, including many of the beloved classics and award-winning authors you’d find in a well-curated children’s library. ( The Wizard of Oz, with the original 1900 illustrations, was one memorable find that gave us many nights of rapt bedtime reading.) The app is simple enough to use that my daughters could independently browse books by the cover art and find what interested them—even when they were pre-readers. Fairy tales abound, but I’ve also found them paging through books about geology, Ramadan, and coding.

Since we began researching learning apps in 2016, we’ve spoken with a range of experts, including a classroom teacher, a child developmental psychologist, a pediatrician, an astronomer, education researchers, app developers, and others.

These experts have included Kathy Hirsh-Pasek , a professor of psychology at Temple University who has written about and conducted research studies on educational apps for young children; Jennifer Auten , an award-winning teacher in Cupertino, California, who at the time was using tablet and smartphone apps in her first- and second-grade classrooms; Christine Elgersma , senior editor, learning content, for Common Sense Media, an organization focused on children’s media; and Pat Yongpradit , chief academic officer at Code.org, a nonprofit that advocates for computer science education. Last, we’ve spoken with parents on our staff for recommendations of apps they and their kids love in categories such as science, music, and coding.

Three children gathered around an iPad, playing one of our picks for best educational apps and learning games for kids.

We read articles and reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and child developmental psychologists and educational researchers to learn about kids’ media use and about principles for designing learning apps. Finally, we read through reviews and ratings from well-regarded children’s media sites such as Common Sense Media .

The good news: research has found that educational apps can aid with student learning. The challenge is finding the good ones. Similar to what we found when researching learning toys , we discovered that developers and app stores often label apps as “educational” with little research or evidence, and few experts, to support those claims.

In 2016, the AAP released a broad report on children’s use of digital media, calling for more-rigorous evaluation of apps that claim to be educational: “Unfortunately, very few of the commercially available apps found in the educational section of app stores have evidence-based design input with demonstrated learning effectiveness.” Similarly, in a 2015 article , Hirsh-Pasek writes that educational apps “present a significant opportunity for out-of-school, informal learning when designed in educationally appropriate ways” but notes later on that “[o]nly a handful of apps are designed with an eye toward how children actually learn.”

In a 2019 analysis of 124 popular children’s educational apps in the Google Play Store, most scored low in offering meaningful learning or engagement, particularly those that were free. Among the top-rated apps were several Toca Boca apps and a related Daniel Tiger app, Daniel Tiger’s Stop and Go Potty ( iOS and Android ).

Experts are still studying what makes learning apps successful pedagogical tools, as well as fun and interesting activities for kids. But after speaking with experts, reading research, and trying out apps ourselves, we identified a few features that seem to be common among great learning apps.

  • Offer unique experiences: Several of the experts we spoke to noted that a good educational app should offer children something they couldn’t simply do, learn, or explore in a classroom or the real world. If the app is “basically a worksheet on screen, [or] an experience that could be replicated off screen, then that’s not a good use of the screen,” Elgersma said. “You want it to be an experience that kids could really only have in that screen world.”
  • Be open-ended, with limits: Most of the apps in this guide are open-ended in the sense that they encourage kids to independently explore, create, and navigate within the app. But researchers say it’s important to have built-in limits, as well. The AAP has pointed out that digital games have traditionally been designed with rewards and reinforcement designed to keep kids playing as long as possible. The organization recommends that learning apps instead have “automatic ‘stops’ as the default design to encourage children and caregivers to pause the game use and turn to the 3-dimensional world.”
  • Be engaging but not distracting: Apps have great potential to engage children through interactive features, but some research has shown that too many bells and whistles can distract children or reduce their comprehension. A good learning app uses interactive, animated, and responsive features to engage kids or enhance their comprehension, not simply to entertain. Hirsh-Pasek has written that parents should evaluate an app’s interactive features and ask: “Do the enhancements actually add value and increase engagement, or do they cause distraction?”
  • Encourage interaction: The AAP and other organizations say that learning apps that encourage real-life interaction among multiple people—adult and child, or child and peers—can be especially strong at facilitating learning. The apps in this guide are fun and interesting for kids and adults, and many foster conversation and play outside of the app itself.

As with our guide to learning toys , we focused primarily on apps aimed at kids 3 to 9 years old, though older kids can enjoy many of our recommendations, as well. We chose this age range because, as Hirsh-Pasek has written , “there are so many apps targeted toward [children in this range] that parents and educators do not know how to navigate the marketplace of possibilities.”

Sarah Gannett and Ellen Lee contributed to this guide.

Christine Elgersma, senior editor, parent education, Common Sense Media , phone interview, March 12, 2019, email interview, April 15, 2024

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, professor of psychology, Temple University , phone interview , January 8, 2019

Pat Yongpradit, chief academic officer, Code.org , phone interview , April 18, 2019

Jana Grcevich, PhD, astronomer, science educator, author , phone interview , December 1, 2016

Jennifer Auten, first- and second-grade teacher, Cupertino, California , phone interview , November 8, 2016

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, et al., Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning , Psychological Science in the Public Interest , April 20, 2015

Yolanda (Linda) Reid Chassiakos, et al., Children and Adolescents and Digital Media , Pediatrics , October 1, 2016

Meet your guide

best educational games for 5 year olds

Courtney Schley

Courtney Schley, a senior editor covering sleep and appliances, has been at Wirecutter since 2014. She has held several roles at Wirecutter, including research editor, as well as supervising editor of baby and kid coverage.

Further reading

Two young children running indoors

Kids Exercise Videos to Help Keep Your Family Moving (and Sane)

by Ingrid Skjong

Free online exercise videos can help everyone from toddlers to teenagers stay active and calm during a coronavirus self-quarantine. These are our favorites.

A pair of shoes shown overhead on a sidewalk with chalk

8 Time-Tested Sidewalk Games We Love

by Dan Koeppel

Old-school games from the sidewalks of New York are still surprisingly fun—and require not much more than chalk.

A Nintendo Switch displaying video game selection on the screen.

5 of the Best Couch Co-op Games for Nintendo Switch

by Haley Perry

We’ve assembled our favorite games for families and friends to play together on the Nintendo Switch (and more).

A display of the four kids craft subscription boxes we recommend.

The Best Kids Craft Subscription Boxes

by Ambreia Meadows-Fernandez

Craft subscription boxes are a fun, educational way to keep kids entertained. We tested 15 options with a total of 23 kids to find the best.

Prodigy Math

Prodigy english.

  • Is a Premium Membership Worth It?
  • Promote a Growth Mindset
  • Help Your Child Who's Struggling with Math
  • Parent's Guide to Prodigy
  • Back to School
  • Assessments
  • Math Curriculum Coverage
  • English Curriculum Coverage
  • Teacher Resource Center
  • Administrators
  • Game Portal
  • Case Studies

27 Best Educational Games for Kids to Play Sorted by Subject

Written by Jordan Nisbet

  • Parent Resources

Girl playing an educational game on her laptop.

  • Mathematics
  • Language arts
  • Health and physical education
  • Social studies

Educational games make a great alternative for children who don't learn best through pencil and paper instruction.

According to educational nonprofit EDUCAUSE , a growing body of research shows game-based learning platforms “can create an engaging dynamic that inspires students to develop competencies and skills as they focus on the activities of the game.”

Regardless of the subject, educational games for kids can help you instill a love of learning in your own child. This applies whether they're learning through homeschooling, online learning or traditional classroom setting.

Below, we’ve organized some of the best educational games for kids by subject! Interested in games for a certain subject? Click one below and jump right to it:

Mathematics games

Available : Apple App Store , Google Play , Amazon Appstore , Web

Age : 6 to 14

Cost : In-game educational content is free, Memberships  available

Prodigy Math is the engaging, fantasy-based math game used by over 100 million students, teachers and parents around the world. 

It’s curriculum-aligned and helps kids master math skills in every major topic from 1st grade to 8th grade, including fractions, geometry and more.

After creating their own personalized math wizard, your child will compete in math battles against in-game characters , just like how role-playing games like Pokémon work. To win, they must answer sets of math questions.

The game also adapts in difficulty to suit your child’s learning style and grade level, helping them build key math skills. In one school district, research showed that students who used Prodigy Math mastered 68% more math skills on average when they used Prodigy Math!

Create your free parent account  to follow your child's progress as they have fun learning math. You can also get a Membership to level up your Prodigy experience — packed with plenty of extra benefits for you and your child!

Are you an educator? 👩‍🏫

Get full access to Prodigy's teaching tools at no cost to you or your school!

Characters from Buzzmath, a math game for middle school kids.

Available : Web

Age : 8 to 14

Cost : $20 per month, $40 per quarter, $60 per year

This is a middle school math game aligned with the common core and TEKS curricula. Your child will be tasked with helping Alfred, an inventor, save Mathlantis —  a chaotic and disordered world — by restoring the population’s math knowledge.

On this adventure, they’ll time-travel and meet famous mathematicians, help them regain their lost knowledge, and transform Mathlantis back to its original state.

Twelve a Dozen

Twelve a dozen screenshot, an educational, math game for kids.

Available : Apple App Store

Cost : Free, in-app purchases

Developed by Touch Press Games, this educational math game helps children understand the beginning thought process of algebra and explore longer, more complex algebraic equations.

In Twelve a Dozen, your child will join the numeric hero, Twelve, on a journey through a universe of numbers. She’s on a mission to rescue her family and the crumbling world of Dozenopolis from the destructive Ultimate Prime. And they’ll use their skills and understanding of core math concepts to solve puzzles.

Looking for more amazing math games for kids? Check our list of the  13 best math apps for kids in elementary school!

Start with Art!

Available : Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore

Embark on a journey into the world of art, creativity, and visual learning with your personal Art Guides: Tickles, Furnace, and Ruby!

Start with Art! will walk your child through four foundational art lessons:

  • Art as language
  • Message in art

It also has engaging “Creativity Builders” art projects designed to foster creativity, encourage problem solving, and enhance critical thinking skills.

Each lesson is aligned to Creativity Express, a multi-award winning visual arts curriculum that professional educators and former Disney animators created!

Tate Kids' promo saying play and have fun with art.

Cost : Free

Tate is a family of four art galleries in London, Liverpool, and Cornwall. Its children-focused project, Tate Kids, lets children play free art-related games and quizzes, get help on art homework, and share their creations!

In addition to completing fun quizzes, kids can help robots save famous art in “Art Parts,” create their own landscapes in “My Imaginary City,” and more! 

No matter what area of art your child is into, they’ll find something engaging, educational, and creative!

Colorfy: Coloring Art Game

Colorfy Art Game gameplay showing creation of mandalas.

Available : Apple App Store, Google Play

No crayons? Run out of sketchbook pages? No worries! 

Colorfy is a digital coloring book for kids of all ages, filled with high-quality images. With over 1000 pictures to paint, your child will have the choice of florals, animals, patterns, gardens, mandalas, famous paintings, and other creative images.

This coloring game also includes a new AR virtual gallery that lets your child see what their art would look like in the real world!

Language arts games

Available: Web

Cost: Free to play, with optional Memberships for extra rewards

Prodigy English is a free educational game for kids that uses creative, sandbox gameplay to engage kids in English language skills. The game takes place on the player's very own village, where they'll collect resources and use them to build objects that can play in their own world.

Just like Prodigy Math, Prodigy English uses an adaptive algorithm that adjusts the questions students get based on their grade and ability. This can help them grow their reading and vocabulary skills – all while having fun!

Prodigy English covers Common Core reading and language skills from 1st grade to 6th grade, with more skills and game content coming!

Available : Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Web

Age : 4 to 18

Cost : 30-day free trial, then $9.99 per month

As outlined on HOMER’s website, their “mission is to provide the best educational start possible by offering personalized, fun, and proven learning products for children.” 

This early learning program has two products: Reading and Stories .

HOMER Reading combines a child’s current reading level and their passions, in order to create a personalized learn-to-read plan. Using that child’s same interests, HOMER Stories curates stories they’ll love — from classic to contemporary.

Vocabulary Spelling City

Vocabulary Spelling City, a spelling game for kids.

Available : Apple App Store, Google Play, Web

Cost : Free, $34.95 per year (family annual membership up to five students)

This program is a K-12 supplemental literacy tool designed to help children at every learning level learn spelling and hone grammar skills.

Plus, it helps them build vocabulary retention and reading comprehension.

You can try out 40+ free online spelling games which come with pre-populated word lists. They also offer a premium membership that gives your child access to all of Vocabulary Spelling City’s games with customized lists, homework practice, and more.

Wallykazam! Letter and Word Magic

In-game screenshot of Wallykazam's reading game for kids.

Available : Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore

Cost : $1.99

Based on the children’s animated television series on Nickelodeon, Wallykazam! helps preschoolers learn early reading skills.

Kids will join Wally Trollman, his pet dragon Norville, the mischievous Bobgoblin, Gina Giant, and Libby Light Sprite in magical and hilarious adventures! They’ll play games and learn letter recognition, letter tracing, and phonics.

Room Recess

Room Recess provides a wide variety of educational games for kids to play during recess. This includes ELA topics, like nouns, sight words and phonics. Each topic has a mini-game made for it, with easy gameplay designed to encourage engagement in the subject. The platform also includes games for skills like math and typing, from pre-k to 6th grade.

If you're a teacher, you may find Room Recess extra helpful for its worksheets, ideal if you're looking to reinforce some of the content seen in the platform's mini-games.

Health and physical education games

GoNoodle promotional poster showing cartoon character running.

Age : 5 to 12

Cost : Free, premium version available

The purpose of GoNoodle is to help parents and teachers get kids moving, with the help of engaging video content. As their app description states: “make screen time active with 300+ videos that feature kids songs, dance, yoga, mindfulness, stretching, and more!”

Whether you want to throw your children a dance party to get them moving or make cleaning up around the house fun, GoNoodle has the perfect video.

Learning Games for Kids: Health

Screenshot of website from Learning Games for Kids.

Age : 4 to 13

When it comes to health, it’s important that children learn about their bodies early to stay healthy. Although this website is outdated, there are 36 health-related games across four categories that will help children love to care about their health.From allergies and body parts to dental hygiene and staying fit, playing these games can introduce them to new concepts and help reinforce what they learn in school.

Disaster Master

Disaster Master is an educational game for kids designed to teach them about staying safe from environmental disasters. Players progress through different 8 levels, each centered on a particular disaster challenge, like hurricanes and wildfires.

Use this game to teach both younger and older kids about the importance of staying safe and what they can do to protect themselves in an environmental disaster.

Science games

Available : Apple App Store, Google Play, Microsoft

Cost : $2.99 per app, discounted bundles available

Tinybop can be summed up in three words: play, create, and learn. 

Using educational apps and digital games created for curious and creative minds, children can explore the awesome and invisible wonders of the world!

Children will develop foundational science literacy while engaging with educational games about the human body, plants, homes, weather, space, animals, states of matter, and other exciting topics.

Period table of elements on Toca Lab, a science game for kids.

Cost : Free with in-game purchases

Flowing from a belief that the power of play jumpstarts imagination, its games are open-ended, so children are encouraged to experiment and make new connections. The educational game developer Toca Boca creates digital toys from the kid perspective. 

Among Toca Boca’s products, science-related ones include Toca Lab: Elements and Toca Lab: Plants.

In Elements, children will explore the exciting world of science and meet all 118 elements from the periodic table, as they experiment with lab equipment!

And in Plants, they’ll have the opportunity to see how plants evolve, while collecting up to 35 different plant characters!

Camp Wonderopolis

Science for kids is a website packed with fun games for kids to channel their inner scientist. From learning about food chains to mastering melting points, each topic includes mini-games to help engage kids in biology, chemistry and physics.

The website also includes other educational activities for parents and teachers to try with kids, like experiment ideas, quizzes and more.

Technology games

Tynker is a coding game for kids.

Cost : Individual and Family Plans available, starting at $9 per month

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook, said: “In fifteen years, we’ll be teaching programming just like reading and writing… and wondering why we didn’t do it sooner.” 

Recognizing its importance, Tynker has created award-winning coding courses that are fun and offer self-paced learning for all experience levels.

With over 3,700 fun modules, Tynker designed its lessons to motivate children to further advance their skills, while earning cool new badges! They’ll also have help along the way thanks to interactive explanations, how-to videos, mini-game previews, and more.

CodeSpark Academy

Cost : $9.99 USD/month, with discounts available for longer subscriptions.

This coding game for kids covers many different skills needed for programming, including creativity, logical thinking and problem-solving. It includes characters called the Foos, who guide players through puzzle games where they'll encounter and learn coding topics like sequencing.

Like many of the educational games listed in this article, you can access it via web or through a device running iOS or Android.

Gamestar Mechanic

Gamestar Mechanic teaches game design to kids.

Available : Web (App access required)

In partnership with E-Line Media and the Institute of Play, Gamestar Mechanic is an online game and community with the sole aim of helping children learn the guiding principles of game design in a highly engaging environment.

There are three components to Gamestar Mechanic: Play, Design , and Share .

Here’s a quick overview of how it works:

  • Your child will start by going on an exciting single-player quest to learn about the principles of game design, while earning “sprites.”
  • After exhibiting a certain level of mastery, they can use their sprites to design their own original games!
  • Then, if your child wishes, they may publish their game in Game Alley as well as review and collaborate on other players’ games.

no image

Have you thought about a STEM program?

If your child loves technology games, they might benefit from a STEM program. STEM programs help kids build key STEM skills – all while they have fun!

Social studies games

Pbs kids games.

PBS Kids logo with faces of popular PBS characters.

Available : Web, Apple App Store, Google Play

Age : 2 to 11

Starring some of children’s favorite television characters, the social studies games on PBS Kids explore culture, different environments, identity, governance, science, and more.

Not sure there’s something for your child? PBS Kids offers a variety of styles of games — from Jet’s Planet Pinball to learn about our solar system to Fidgits to the Rescue! where they build structures to help victims of environmental disasters. There’s something for every type of learner.

iCivics is an educational game about citizenship for kids.

In 2009, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics to reimagine civic education. Since its inception, her vision has been “to cultivate a new generation of students for thoughtful and active citizenship. Civic knowledge is a prerequisite for civic participation. Yet for decades, civic education had largely disappeared from school curricula and the repercussions are undeniable.”

Taking a game-based approach, iCivics transforms abstract concepts into problems that every child will face in real life. 

If it’s used in your child’s class, they’ll have a class code to sign in. If it isn’t, they can still make their own account to play engaging and educational games that will help make them better citizens!

One Globe Kids - Friends

One Globe Kids lets kids make friends around the world.

Available : Apple App Store, Web

This social studies game allows children to “meet” other kids around the world through photo- and audio-based stories called “A Day in My Life.” Choose from places like Haiti, New York City, the Netherlands, or Indonesia to hear each storyteller’s language as well as learn geographic, cultural, and political facts about each country.

Depending how your child would like to explore each friend’s story, they can choose from three different approaches: Adventure, Start to Finish , and Conversations .

History games

Civilisations ar.

In-game screenshot of Egyptian mummy in the kids history game, Civilisations AR.

Age : All ages (However, children under 16 are advised to have an adult present.)

With this engaging app, Civilisations AR puts puts history in your hand with the BBC’s first ever Augmented Reality app. You and your child will discover things like ancient Egyptian secrets and reveal hidden layers beneath Renaissance masterpieces.

Whether at home or on a walk in the park, you can use Civilisations AR to bring realistic, to-scale artifacts to life. Become the explorer as you move, scale, and rotate the collection. And, if interested, use features like the “Spotlight” to reveal audio guides and special features, or the “X-Ray” to discover some of history’s greatest secrets.

History for Kids: All Civilizations Learning Games

History for Kids: Discover how was our world many years ago.

Cost : Free, in-app purchases ($2.79 to $13.99)

Children will have fun discovering the ancient world and exploring through games and adventures. With vibrant colors and high-quality images, they’ll find themselves engaged with the history of 14 different civilizations.

Kids also get to create their own avatar! And when they do, playing the game will allow them to level it up so they can unlock some awesome prizes.

Geography games

National geographic kids.

National Geographic Kids.

Parents may remember the National Geographic Kids magazine. Now, children can engage with the same fun aspects of the magazine online.

To learn more about geography, head over to their website for some fact-filled, fast-paced fun! There are many educational quizzes, funny fill-ins, and action-adventure games to play.

Carmen Sandiego

In-game screenshot of Carmen Sandiego.

Where on Google Earth is Carmen Sandiego?

Your child will just have to hop on the internet to find out. In collaboration with education publishing company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Google Earth created a series of Carmen Sandiego games: The Crown Jewels Caper, Tutankhamun's Mask Caper, and The Keys to the Kremlin Caper.

Your child will help Carmen Sandiego track down burglars working for a global criminal organization called VILE. Flying from continent to continent, players interview characters to gain clues that help track down the burglars while testing their geography knowledge. 

Ready to see the impact educational video games for kids can have?

Gamification in education need not be limited to the classroom. Encouraging your child to spend their screen time playing educational video games for kids not only strengthens their skills in various subjects but can also help transform them into lifelong learners!

Share this article

Table of Contents

Educators & Parents

Help kids discover their passion for math with our engaging, online math game!

best educational games for 5 year olds

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

  • Movie Reviews
  • Best Movie Lists
  • Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

best educational games for 5 year olds

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

best educational games for 5 year olds

  • Best TV Lists
  • Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
  • Common Sense Selections for TV
  • Video Reviews of TV Shows

best educational games for 5 year olds

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

best educational games for 5 year olds

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

  • Book Reviews
  • Best Book Lists
  • Common Sense Selections for Books

best educational games for 5 year olds

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

best educational games for 5 year olds

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

  • Game Reviews
  • Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

  • Video Reviews of Games

best educational games for 5 year olds

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

best educational games for 5 year olds

  • Podcast Reviews
  • Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

best educational games for 5 year olds

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

best educational games for 5 year olds

  • App Reviews
  • Best App Lists

best educational games for 5 year olds

Social Networking for Teens

best educational games for 5 year olds

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

best educational games for 5 year olds

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

  • YouTube Channel Reviews
  • YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

best educational games for 5 year olds

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

best educational games for 5 year olds

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

  • Preschoolers (2-4)
  • Little Kids (5-7)
  • Big Kids (8-9)
  • Pre-Teens (10-12)
  • Teens (13+)
  • Screen Time
  • Social Media
  • Online Safety
  • Identity and Community

best educational games for 5 year olds

Parents' Ultimate Guide to AI Companions and Relationships

  • Family Tech Planners
  • Digital Skills
  • All Articles
  • Latino Culture
  • Black Voices
  • Asian Stories
  • Native Narratives
  • LGBTQ+ Pride
  • Jewish Experiences
  • Best of Diverse Representation List

best educational games for 5 year olds

Multicultural Books

best educational games for 5 year olds

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

best educational games for 5 year olds

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

"best of" lists.

Get age-appropriate ideas and inspiration for every interest:

  • Best Movies for Kids
  • Best TV for Kids
  • Best Streaming Picks for Kids
  • Best Games for Kids
  • Best Apps for Kids
  • Best Books for Kids
  • Best Podcasts for Kids
  • Best Websites for Kids
  • Best for Character Development for Kids
  • Best for Diversity for Kids
  • Best for Learning for Kids

Games for Kids 5-8 Years Old

Even young kids love video games, but sometimes the most popular games aren't appropriate for their age group. These games are not only fun but also age-appropriate for 5-year-olds up to 8-year-olds. The educational and entertaining titles here will test their teamwork and problem-solving skills. Whether kids want to score points on the field, save the world in adventure games, or even learn the basics of math, there's something for everyone to enjoy. For more fun games for this age group, check out the Best Nintendo Switch Games for Kids .

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure Poster Image

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

Charming, relaxing adventure game with positive message.

DreamBox Learning Math Poster Image

DreamBox Learning Math

Online math games adjust in difficulty as you play.

Gigantosaurus Poster Image

Gigantosaurus

Charming, smile-worthy adventure for young players.

A Monster's Expedition Poster Image

A Monster's Expedition

Utterly charming (and sometimes frustrating) puzzle game.

Astro's Playroom Poster Image

Astro's Playroom

Cute, free game showcases the PlayStation 5's features.

BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! Poster Image

BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!

Think outside the box with this charming, fun puzzler.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Poster Image

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Cute puzzle-filled adventure for kids and kids at heart.

Chariot Poster Image

Charming fantasy platformer is more fun with a friend.

Crossy Road Castle Poster Image

Crossy Road Castle

Grab coins, dodge hazards with friends in fun action game.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Poster Image

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The island life is idyllic in this latest adventure sim.

Danger Mouse: The Danger Games Poster Image

Danger Mouse: The Danger Games

Simple, fun endless runner has console/mobile competition.

Mario Sports Superstars Poster Image

Mario Sports Superstars

Fun, cartoony collection of portable sport games entertains.

Super Mario Maker 2 Poster Image

Super Mario Maker 2

Fun, accessible editing tools expose kids to game design.

Chuchel Poster Image

Madcap puzzle game delights as much as it challenges.

Detective Pikachu Poster Image

Detective Pikachu

Fresh Pokémon perspective perfect for younger fans.

Flinthook Poster Image

Intuitive, madcap action stays fun despite repetition.

Flywrench Poster Image

Simple, twitchy action game demands precision, attention.

Gnog Poster Image

Kooky, charming puzzler is a pleasant head-scratcher.

Human: Fall Flat Poster Image

Human: Fall Flat

Bumbling puzzler excels at inspiring laughs, frustration.

Other great lists from our editors

  • Best Apps for Kids Age 5–8
  • Best Games for Preschoolers
  • Best Apps for Kids Ages 9-12
  • Video Games You Can Say Yes to After School
  • 5 Funny Apps Your Kid Will Love You for Downloading
  • Grades 6-12
  • School Leaders

Have You Heard About This Music Honor Society? 🎶

40+ Best Online Educational Games for Every Grade in 2023

Make screen time meaningful and fun!

Laptop with phonics games on screen as an example of the best online educational games for kids.

Kids are always asking for more screen time, and parents and teachers are always looking for ways to make that screen time more worthwhile. Fortunately, there are endless free online games for kids that teach language arts, math, science, art, and STEM. If you’re not quite sure where to get started, try this list of our favorite teacher-approved online educational games. You’ll find educational games for students in every subject and every grade.

Preschool and Elementary Online Educational Games

Middle and high school online educational games.

Offering a full curriculum for children ages 2 to 8, this site includes fun and interactive games, songs, and puzzles for reading, math, science, and art. (Free for teachers and classrooms; subscription available for home use)

Adventure Academy

From the same company as ABCMouse, Adventure Academy takes kids ages 8 to 13 on a knowledge quest through language arts, math, science, and social studies. (First month free, then monthly subscription fee)

Looking to improve outcomes in a way that kids will enjoy? This educational game takes K-12 students on a time-traveling adventure to meet some of the most influential mathematicians in history. (Monthly or annual subscription plans for families; schools request price quote)

Duck Duck Moose Reading

Based on Common Core State Standards, this app teaches phonics including the letter sounds for all consonants, short vowels, and long vowels. Kids will also practice spelling consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. If you like this one, check out Duck Duck Moose’s whole collection of school games online. (Apps are free to download and play.)

Screenshot from Free Rice with question about astronomy

Test your knowledge while earning rice for those in need! Each time you play, you’re helping the United Nations World Food Programme provide food to those around the world who need it. The game offers a variety of subjects and difficulty levels. (Free)

Dive into a coral reef or be a star climber on this great site that features a wide assortment of free online games for kids. These educational games focus mainly on reading and math, but you’ll find lots of fun activities here with options for pre-K through grade 8. (Free)

Gamestar Mechanic

Do you have gamers in your class? This site helps kids ages 7 through 14 learn how to design their very own video games through game-based quests and courses. (Free)

Whether they’re jetpacking through the stars in Zapp Von Doubler’s Space Race or clearing weeds in the garden in Om Petalhead’s Flower Power, kids will enjoy this collection of fun educational games that get them up and moving! (Free)

KUBO Play – Coding for Kids

KUBO Play is an interactive online platform that teaches coding and computational thinking to early learners. Its three activity modes (Free Play, Practice, and Story) include more than 100 coding tasks combined. You can even customize your students’ learning pathways. (Contact for pricing) ADVERTISEMENT

Learning Games for Kids: Health Games

Kids in grades K-5 can learn about a range of health topics, from body parts to staying fit, with these interactive online games. They’re perfect for science learning enrichment. (Free)

Little Alchemy 2

This deceptively simple game is actually a lot of fun. Kids (and teachers!) can experiment with combining different elements, such as fire or dirt, to create something entirely new. It encourages creative thinking as well as knowledge of the world around us. (Free)

Minecraft: Education Edition

Screenshot from Minecraft for Education with character selecting a tile from a wall of shapes

Kids love the regular Minecraft video game, but this education-focused version takes learning to the next level. With lessons, STEM curriculum, and project-based challenges, this immersive digital environment promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. (Priced per user, per year)

Moose Math engages kids in a mathematical adventure and teaches counting, addition, subtraction, sorting, geometry, and more. While playing five multi-level activities in the Moose Juice Store, Puck’s Pet Shop, and Lost & Found, kids can earn rewards to help build their own city and decorate buildings. (Free)

Multiplication.com

Need to master your multiplication facts? This is the site to try! Fun games and memory-building strategies will help students tackle this key skill. (Free, with Premium membership available for extra features)

National Geographic Kids

Head out on the trail with Captain John Smith, explore Ancient Greece with Zeus the Mighty, or just take a quiz about sharks on this robust site filled with great educational games for students. (Free)

PBS Kids Games

You’ll find everything from social studies to teamwork and feelings in this incredible collection of games that vary in degree of difficulty. The website is truly filled with some of the very best educational games centering on science, social studies, history, and art. (Free)

Prodigy Math

Looking for personalized math lessons for your students? Kids in grades 1-8 take a Prodigy placement test that generates games tailored to their strengths and weaknesses. They’ll build confidence by solving math challenges to progress in the game. (Free)

RoomRecess.com

Access over 140 online educational games for kids in grades K-6 on this site, which was developed by an elementary school teacher with a focus on reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. (Free)

Roy: Tale of a Singing Zebra

Screenshot from an educational game set underwater to help kids learn CVC words

Kids pre-K to grade 2 will enjoy the punctuation, reading, and spelling games on this cute, simple site. You’ll also find online guided-reading stories and lesson plans for teachers. (Free)

Starfall activities are research-based and align with individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. There are engaging and interactive games for students in grades K-3. (Some free content with subscriptions available)

Teachers love this great site that offers personalized math and spelling practice for kids ages 5 through 13 through adaptive learning and multi-player games. This is definitely one of the best online educational game sites out there! (Monthly subscription fee)

How good are your airbrush skills? Which famous artist should design your bedroom? Are you a master of street art? Kids can explore these questions and more with the cool quizzes and games on this art-focused site from the Tate Gallery. (Free)

Toy Theater

How would your students like to learn multiplication while shooting hoops? They can do that and more at Toy Theater, which teaches early math concepts through game-based learning. (Free)

Turtle Diary

Introduce kids to new, exciting ways of learning with the help of fun online games, videos, experiments, puzzles, coloring sheets, and more! Turtle Diary activities pair with the appropriate grade level to enhance retention of material and increase success in the classroom. (Free)

Tynker coding game for kids

The games and challenges on Tynker give kids ages 5 and up a fun and easy way to build coding skills. This is one of the top online educational games for young coders— see more of our favorites here . (Subscription required)

Vocabulary A-Z

Dive into engaging learning activities and games for kids in first through sixth grades, designed to promote vocabulary, spelling, phonics, and language arts. (Free basic access; Premium membership unlocks complete library)

Algebraic Reasoning Sweet Shop

Who doesn’t like candy? Buy and sell sweet treats in this game that helps students grasp concepts related to price and purchasing. (Free)

Boat Coordinates

Use this fun boating game to learn and practice concepts related to grids and quadrants. Race along the X and Y axes to get to the finish line as fast as you can! (Free)

Cells Alive

This information website provides all sorts of interactive ways to learn about cells! Interactive models, puzzles, and more all help tell the story of this building block of life. (Free)

This guessing game uses maps and photos from around the world to educate kids on world locations as well as historical landmarks and famous cities. User-made quizzes add to the guessing fun! (Free)

Get the Math

Screenshot from an online math game asking you to count the number of beats in a music sample

Explore all the ways you really do use algebra in the real world. Students see how professionals use math in music, fashion, video games, restaurants, basketball, and special effects. Then take on interactive challenges related to those careers. (Free)

Created by a high school student, this interactive review game is something kids can play on their own devices, earning in-game money for correct answers that they can use to buy upgrades and power-ups! (Free, with Pro subscriptions available)

High-Stakes Heist

Kids use their knowledge of the order of operations to crack the safes and help hero Kit Foxtail return the townspeoples’ money that was stolen by the evil Duke von Wolfington. They’ll have to think fast as they try to solve equations in the correct order before time runs out! (Free)

Help kids learn the foundations of civics and government with this collection of highly interactive games including Court Quest, Newsfeed Defenders, and Do I Have the Right? (Free)

Kids Environment Kids Health

Through a wide assortment of puzzles, riddles, brainteasers, and more, kids can learn about their own health and the health of the environment on this website from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (Free)

NASA STEM Engagement

With a variety of games, activities, and educational options to choose from, the NASA Stem Engagement site offers options for all grades. Learn, discover, and play online educational games related to space technology and exploration. (Free)

Physicsgames.net

This website offers dozens of different simple games to choose from that help educate kids on the mechanics of physics. Whether they are shooting pigs, knocking down walls, or trying to balance a building, they’ll learn and have fun at the same time. (Free)

Science Vocabulary Hangman

Online educational hangman game to teach kids science vocabulary words

Use the clues to guess the scientific term before the cellular hangman disappears. Choose from literally hundreds of subject sets that include grade-specific vocab, state-level standardized tests, and more. (Free)

smokeSCREEN

As part of their #BeTheFirst Initiative, smokeSCREEN was developed by the play2PREVENT Lab, 1stPlayable, and Schell Games and funded by the NIH/FDA and the CVS Health Foundation. The game addresses the range of challenges that young teens face, with a dedicated focus on youth decision-making around smoking and vaping and strategies for both smoking prevention and cessation. Educators can request free access to the web-based game here . (Free)

Sortify: Angles

Learning about angles can be tricky, but this game uses cue cards and sorting bins to help students learn to properly classify angles into different categories. Make sure they’re all correct and then submit the responses to earn the most points. (Free)

Though Quizlet is known for its huge array of digital flash cards, this educational site offers much more for students. AI tutors help kids learn more about tricky subjects, plus transform their own notes into interactive learning activities. (Free; Quizlet Plus has more features available for a subscription fee)

Trigonometry Minigolf

Trigonometry has never been more fun than in this game that uses correct answers to power your golf swing as you aim for a hole in one! Miss an answer? The game will let you know what you did wrong and give you another shot. (Free)

Wrecks Factor

S.O.S.! Ships are sailing into your harbor and you need to help keep them from sinking! Solve the quadratic equations to keep the boats afloat and clear the board … if you take too long, boats start to sink and you lose a life. (Free)

Did we miss one of your favorite online educational games? Share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, 28 online interactive math games kids will love ..

Trying to make learning fun for kids of all ages? We've compiled the best online educational games for students!

You Might Also Like

best educational games for 5 year olds

34 Best Coding Games for Kids in 2023 (Digital and Board Games!)

Play now to build skills for the future. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Games for 5-Year-Olds

  • Printable worksheets
  • Educational videos
  • Learning games

394 results

394 filtered results

  • Kindergarten
  • ABC Letters
  • Measurement
  • Building Vocabulary
  • Physical Science
  • Plants and Animals
  • Our Planet and Environment
  • English Language Arts
  • World Around Us

Discover a World of Fun: Games for 5-Year-Olds!

Dive into our delightful collection of games designed especially for 5-Year-Olds, where interactive adventures and colorful journeys await! Our carefully curated selection ensures age-appropriate fun that stimulates creativity, enhances problem-solving skills, and nurtures a love for learning. From puzzles that challenge young minds to vibrant story-based games that spark imagination, there is something for every little explorer. Both online and soon-to-be-released web versions offer endless opportunities for fun, making it easy for kids to play and learn anytime, anywhere. Join us in a world where play and educational growth go hand in hand!

Sorting Puzzles for Kids image

In an era where digital interaction is ubiquitous, discerning the right kind of screen time for children, especially for 5-year-olds, has become paramount for parents and educators alike. Amidst a sea of digital content, our games emerge as a beacon of developmental aid, learning, and fun for young learners. Designed specifically with the cognitive and emotional growth of 5-year-olds in mind, these games blend entertainment with educational value, making them a unique asset in a child's developmental journey.

The interactive nature of our games serves as the cornerstone of their effectiveness. For 5-year-olds, the world is a sprawling canvas of questions and curiosities. Our interactive games are crafted to tap into this innate curiosity, transforming every click, swipe, or command into a learning opportunity. This interactivity is not merely about receiving immediate responses from the game but is deeply integrated with educational objectives that cater to developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and basic literacy and numeracy.

Moreover, the adaptability of these games to individual learning paces is a game-changer. Each child is unique, with their strengths, weaknesses, and speed of learning. Our games for 5-year-olds are designed to recognize and adapt to this variability, offering a personalized learning experience. This ensures that every child feels both challenged and supported, promoting a healthy learning curve without the pressure of competition.

Social-emotional development is another critical area our games address. Through storylines that involve cooperation, empathy, and understanding diverse perspectives, children learn invaluable life skills. These interactive stories and scenarios encourage children to think about how their actions affect others, fostering empathy and emotional intelligence from a young age.

The imminent launch of our games on the web broadens their accessibility, ensuring that the developmental benefits they offer are not limited by device availability. This move towards web-based gaming is especially significant in today’s world, where equitable access to educational resources is a pressing need. By making these games available online, we are taking a step towards democratizing educational resources, making them accessible to a wider audience of 5-year-olds across different backgrounds.

Furthermore, the safety of digital spaces is a top priority. Our web-based games for 5-year-olds are designed with stringent safety measures to ensure a secure online environment. Parents and educators can have peace of mind knowing that children are not only learning in a fun and interactive way but are also protected from the potential pitfalls of the internet.

In conclusion, our games stand out as a valuable tool in the developmental arsenal for 5-year-olds. By seamlessly integrating education with entertainment, they offer a balanced approach to screen time, promoting cognitive development, emotional growth, and social skills. With the expansion into web-based gaming, we are excited to reach more young learners, providing them with a foundation of skills and knowledge through the medium they love most – games.

School

Related Worksheet

Easy Preschool Twinkle Little Star Worksheets image

You'll be able to manage the favorite spreadsheets list.

You’ll be able to hide/mark the accomplished tasks.

  • School / District Account
  • Family Account
  • 2 PDF worksheets per day
  • Interactive worksheets
  • Targeted ads
  • KidsAcademy ads

$ 1.99 / month

  • Printable and interactive worksheets
  • Learning videos
  • Ad-free browsing

info

  • Engage students and save time with ready-to-use premium educational activities.
  • Unlimited Learning Library access

$9.99 / month

Cancel anytime

turtle diary

Login as parent/teacher to assign this.

Turtle Diary Turtle sitting on some books

Educational Games for Kids

Welcome to TurtleDiary! Our award winning educational website offers 1000+ learning activities that are both interactive and educational. The games support necessary skills while promoting fun. TurtleDiary activities are compatible with grade levels K-5 and provide opportunities to enhance material retention and increase success in the classroom.

I am looking for:

Grade K4

You have pending/incomplete assignments.

Play. learn. practice. repeat .

Introduce kids to new, exciting ways of learning with the help of fun online games, videos, experiments, puzzles, coloring sheets, and more! TurtleDiary activities pair with the appropriate grade level to enhance retention of material and increase success in the classroom.

Multiplayer Games

  • Pronoun Games
  • Assessments Tests
  • Subtraction Games
  • Addition Games

Typing Games

  • Adverb Games
  • Adjectives Games

Top Rated Games For Kids

Car Race Multiplayer - Addition - First Grade

Explore Quizzes

Turtle Diary offers a unique blend of education and entertainment to create the ideal interactive learning platform for your little ones. The kids' quizzes offered on our site enable children from first to fifth grade to become confident in applying learned concepts, and grant instant evaluations.

Addition

Free Educational Games

TurtleDiary offers 1000+ games that are interactive, educational, and that kids love to play. TurtleDiary includes multiple learning-based games for kids that support necessary skills while promoting fun.

From basic topics like Number Recognition, Simple Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division, to more complex topics like Geometry, kids can master Math basics and more.

Language and Art Games

Kids learn Sight Words, Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, and other Parts of Speech, developing grammar skills right in the app.

Nowadays, the skill of typing is undoubtedly essential. More activities are technology based and knowing how to type efficiently and successfully is key. TurtleDiary provides fun keyboarding games for kids that develop the necessary skills for typing success.

For kids who thrive on competition and challenge, we offer many fun multiplayer games. Kids can engage with their classmates, a friend (with an invite) and others in the world, in a safe environment.

Science Games

Our science games will develop your child's sense of curiosity. They build upon basic science concepts, reinforcing comprehension in an engaging, approachable, stimulating manner. Our program offers a collection of science games covering topics like the human body, weather, life cycles, animals, and much more.

Geography Games

In our map games, kids learn about US and World Geography. Students have access to maps of the world divided into different regions, so learning is simpler, and tasks feel less overwhelming.

Explore Worksheets & Quizzes

We have over 500+ Online quizzes enabling children from first to fifth grade to become more confident in applying learned concepts. They can also receive instant evaluations. Our fun quizzes give kids the opportunity to receive positive feedback as they master new skills and build their knowledge base.

Typing Lessons

The app offers 3 skill levels for typing - basic, intermediate, and advanced, that include multiple lessons in each. The basic level covers touch typing skills and introduction to the QWERTY keyboard. At the intermediate level, students learn to type basic words and simple sentences. The final advanced level progresses kids to more complex sentences and short paragraphs, all the while building solid typing skills. The program is comprehensive enough to ensure typing mastery and user friendly so your child can develop at an individualized pace.

Worksheets are a great learning tool for kids just learning to write or those who want additional practice at home. At TurtleDiary, we recognize the importance of practicing educational content online and offline. We offer 1000+ printable worksheets in subjects such as language arts, math, and science. Worksheets give students an opportunity to display their work in a written format and to receive feedback. Be sure to check out our fun and colorful worksheets for kids, available for download.

Geography Quizzes

Learn US states and Countries with their capital and their location.

Learn about World Currencies

Learn about Culture, Food and religion of the US and the World

Learn about Natural Wonders and Resources of the US and the World

Learn about important cities of US and the World

Math Quizzes

Foundational topics like Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division subdivided into smaller related subtopics, progressing from easy to hard, in a step-by-step manner.

Language and Art Quizzes

These quizzes will help kids learn Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, Compound Words, Conjunctions. They are the building blocks of all reading and writing.

Educational Tools for Parents & Teachers

TurtleDiary offers assessment tools and detailed reports for teachers to track students’ activities and to report their progress. For example, we offer:

Worksheet Generator

Teachers can create their own worksheets, with customizable and unique content.

Printable Lessons

Teachers have the option to print from our 100+ lessons or review lessons online for inspiration and ideas.

Assessment Tests

We offer plenty of assessment tests, accessible anytime, to analyze student performance and identify areas of concern to address.

Assignments

In the app, teachers can create their own assignments, and send them right to students, with ease.

Teachers can view reports, including quiz scores and activity performance to closely track how students are progressing.

Google Drive Integration

Our app offers a seamless integration with Google drive. Teachers can access current or past google drive documents without leaving the program.

Google Classroom Integration

Teachers can login to TurtleDiary using their existing Google Account. They can use a simple process to import their existing google classrooms into TurtleDiary, saving time and teaching resources.

Student Management Tools

Our app offers several management features that simplify and streamline processes for administrators and educators in a top-down approach.

Account Creation

District Administrators: The app design allows District Administrators to invite multiple schools to join the program. Once School Administrators become established, teachers can receive individual invitations to create accounts.

School Administrators: School Administrators can invite multiple teachers to join the program. A teacher can then create classes and add students to the class.

Educator Account: A teacher can create classes and add students to the classes.

Account Login

There are a few ways to access TurtleDiary:

Using TurtleDiary Login Credentials: Teachers and students each receive their own accounts so sharing passwords is not necessary.

Using Your Existing Google Account: Teachers can login to TurtleDiary using their existing google account.

Our dashboard provides an easy-to-use interface to access the TurtleDiary program and all its offerings. From the dashboard, teachers can manage classes and update student details, easily adding students or creating classes, as needed.

Educational Games & Activities to Guide Kids in Elementary School

Turtle Diary offers a huge compendium of online educational games from K4 through 5th grade. These support the content kids are already learning in the classroom. Often students need just a little bit of extra help to master those concepts that are introduced in the classroom. With Turtle Diary they can have that...and so much more.

The games contain amazing graphics with age-appropriate content for each grade level in each subject. Students will enjoy playing the games while you know that behind the scenes, they’re practicing and reinforcing new skills.

With Turtle Diary, kids can try multiple games that all reinforce the same concept. This gives them a scaffolded and repetitive approach to mastery of a variety of subjects. Gone are the days of rote memorization and boring flash cards.

With our site, kids will be begging to come back and play some more games. Students can play by themselves, with classmates online, or with other kids logging on. It adds an element of positive peer experience, knowing that other kids are also practicing. And they can have a bit of competition if they want!

Instead of constant battles about working on learning skills, introduce your kids to Turtle Diary. Then, take a step back to watch the magic of learning happen!

Award-Winning Learning Games Created by Top Educators

Put away your flashcards and workbooks and log on to see the new way to master educational skills! Top educators worked exclusively with Turtle Diary to create game after game with superior content and maximum fun for every child.

The concepts reviewed parallel those taught in the everyday classroom for grades K4 through 5th grade. Students focus on mastering the concept on their own with consistent and repetitive review. They won’t even realize they’re reviewing thanks to incredibly fun graphics, sounds, and interactive games.

These games will keep your kids coming back for more day after day. You can rest easy knowing they’re working towards their future.

With skills backed by top educators, parents know that Turtle Diary is giving their kids the best they have to offer. The games help to solidify the necessary skills needed for their specific grade levels.

Turtle Diary’s games are not only educational, but incredibly fun. They can even be a bit competitive at times when you choose a multiplayer option.

Students can also link up with kids in their classes and play games specifically recommended by their teacher. This helps them master the exact concepts they are working on in their classroom. The possibilities are endless, and the fun is never-ending.

Gamification of Education to Make Learning Fun & Exciting

Gamification isn’t just a new buzzword around education. The concept swirls in every educational endeavor that involves helping kids to master concepts by including games, rewards, and fun.

With Turtle Diary, concepts can be practiced in a variety of ways. But the kids will tell you they prefer the gamification features. They can see how well they’re doing in the games with the interactive scoring component.

Often, there is a countdown that occurs with each game. This encourages the students to beat their own best time on whatever concept they happen to be studying.

Who doesn’t love a good story or to be the hero in your own story? With Turtle Diary, students can play games where they must slay a dragon, or shoot hoops, or race a car. They answer questions that help them to practice and master important grade-level concepts.

Students will come back again and again for more competition as well. Turtle Diary’s multiplayer options allow students to pit themselves against kids from their own class. They can also play someone in the Turtle Diary platform. A bit of friendly competition often encourages students towards mastery in a way that nothing else quite can.

Worried about Grades in School? Try Our Learning Games for Kids to Find Success!

Sometimes grades in school don’t reflect a student’s true aptitude, and sometimes they do. Either way, students can benefit from time spent on Turtle Diary instead of in front of mindless video games.

Our platform takes the fun of video games and puts it into an educational context. This helps students learn more and enjoy the process while they’re playing. Students who don’t quite seem to be able to get a leg up in the classroom will love the opportunity to work on their skills by playing games. Those who excel can come and practice their processing and recall speeds, or work on something more challenging.

With a wide variety of great games in every subject, students will always find a place for them at Turtle Diary. Students will be empowered by the option to choose their own games. They can work towards the same goals established in their classroom in a fun and engaging way.

They often don’t realize that the games are actually helping them find success in a variety of subjects. They’re just having fun choosing their characters and working to get the next high score. Spend 15-20 minutes on Turtle Diary each day in problem areas and watch how quickly your child will improve!

Flexible Learning On-the-Go Boosts Kids Learning Potential on iPads & Tablets

Kids learning games that can travel with you wherever you may be are one of Turtle Diary’s most exciting features. As long as you have a stable WiFi connection, your student will always have access to Turtle Diary’s entire platform. Kids learning games are everywhere these days, so you want to have the right one at their fingertips at all times.

Turtle Diary promises to be an adventure in education that can travel with you wherever you may be. There’s nothing like learning on the go! Kids have this opportunity with the wide variety of games and materials available for parents.

No matter where you are or when you’re there, Turtle Diary will always be there. Kids can master both problem areas and areas needed to challenge kids. Wouldn’t you rather have the kids be mesmerized by the games than pull teeth as they actively protest their schoolwork?

Simply download the app on your tablet, iPad, or iPad. Your kids will be able to join in on the ultimate fun of Turtle Diary. No matter what your busy situation is, kids can always have Turtle Diary with them. They can master their current subjects with a high quotient of fun and gamification.

Build On, Gear Up, and Test for Mastery of Common Core Subjects

With Turtle Diary, we’ve done the hard work for you. Common Core Standards used in their classrooms will be reinforced with our games, lessons, and quizzes.

All of the fun we offer on our site is aligned with the newer vision of mathematics and other subjects. By sticking with Turtle Diary, you can let us handle the hard work of explaining Common Core. Sometimes this method may seem foreign to you if you’ve learned with “old math.” In fact, you might just learn along with your student!

Students have the necessary skills to be able to compete in a competitive world with an increased focus on STEM. Cognitive demand reigns higher than rote learning, and students are able to quickly visualize and manipulate numbers. They can “see” the inner workings of the problems, especially in math, and learn to mentally work the numbers.

Turtle Diary helps students to learn and practice these concepts, especially if they aren’t quite grasping it in the classroom. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your student picks up the new concepts. Just remember that they’ve never learned it the “old” way. The Common Core way is THE way for their learning journey.

Get Access to Unlimited Fun and Learning for Free

24/7 access to great games while still building a foundation for learning? Welcome to Turtle Diary, where you can have it all! Edutainment at its finest is alive and well here.

Students can access our platform from wherever they go on whatever device they have. All you need is an internet connection.

Once you enter Turtle Diary, the world is yours to explore. From learning videos to quizzes to entertaining games and multiplayer challenges, students will never be bored. Turtle Diary offers students amazing graphics, sounds, and intense gaming. This allows students a chance to breathe while learning in a stress-free environment.

With new games being added all the time, your student will never get bored with Turtle Diary. And since our games align with Common Core, the more they play, the more they’ll learn. The more they learn, the better their classroom experience will be because the information will click with repeated exposure.

Even though there may seem to be an overwhelming amount of games, the idea is to give students the choice. All of the games in a grade level reinforce the same necessary concepts, but just in a different way. Students will be practicing the same ideas over and over again as they choose from one fun game to another. We dare them to be bored!

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

  • The Big Story
  • Newsletters
  • Steven Levy's Plaintext Column
  • WIRED Classics from the Archive
  • WIRED Insider
  • WIRED Consulting

11 Great Games to Educate and Entertain Your Kids at Home

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more . Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

If you're stuck inside and your kids are climbing the walls, but you aren't yet ready to let them watch Netflix from dawn to dusk, well, I don't blame you. Here are some games that are sometimes called "edutaining." Think of them as fun games that also teach something, but in a way your kids probably won't notice.

I do suggest setting some screen time limits before handing your children a device, but with these options you can at least rest assured that your kids are learning something.

If you buy something using the links in our stories, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Here’s how this works . You can also support our reporting and reviewing by purchasing a 1-year print + digital WIRED subscription for $5 (Discounted) .

Ages 6-12 ( Computer , iOS , Android )

Image may contain Graphics and Art

Animal Jam is an online virtual world originally created in collaboration with the National Geographic Society. It teaches kids about zoology and ecology with games, adventures, and parties and online social elements. With 160 million registered users, this is one of the largest virtual worlds for kids. If the online play gives you pause, know that the parental controls are pretty good, allowing you to lock down the game if you desire.

Ages 5 and up on Nintendo Switch ( GameStop , Amazon )

11 Great Educational Games for Kids to Play at Home

This is a great game that encourages spacial thinking and unique puzzle solving. Kids can pilot Toad through courses based on the Super Mario Odyssey game while hunting down treasures and solving puzzles.

11 Great Educational Games for Kids to Play at Home

This math-based role-playing game is free to play. Kids proceed through the game by answering skill-building math questions to earn rewards. There's an interactive element, too; they can go on quests with friends. The difficulty levels increase as your kids make progress in the game.

Ages 3-8 ( iOS , Android )

Image may contain Pac Man Electronics Computer and Tablet Computer

This physics puzzle game features rolling aliens that teach your kids about acceleration, buoyancy, gravity, and more. Like games of yesteryear, there are no ads, no in-app purchases, and it doesn't need an internet connection.

Ages 4 and Up ( Computer , iOS , Android )

Image may contain Wheel Machine Transportation Vehicle Bike and Bicycle

Tinybop has dozens of learning-oriented apps and we've been fans for years . You can purchase them in bundles for iPhone or iPad (Android users there is one Tinybop bundle in the Play Store which has six games.) My kids love the Curiosity Kit ($16) , which includes apps about the human body, animal anatomy, and space. Tinybop is currently offering its Tinybop Schools subscription , which features ten science apps and classroom support, for free through the summer to help out parents and kids while schools are closed (no credit card required).

Ages 4 and Up ( iOS , Android )

Image may contain Text Advertisement Poster and Paper

Dragonbox games are primarily math-related, though they also partnered with chess champ Magnus Carlsen to create Magnus' Kingdom , a chess-learning game that's been very popular in my house. It uses an adventure-style approach to teach kids about different chess pieces and how to play. I strongly suggest picking up a real-world chess board (I like this no-stress chess board for beginners $18 ) as well. Your kids will ask for it. Trust me.

Ages 3 and Up ( Computer , iOS , Android )

Image may contain Text

It's time you let delightful animated monsters teach your kids everything from basic ABCs to complex sentences. It has puzzle games with talking letters and well-illustrated definitions to help your child learn to read. Originator, the publisher of Endless Alphabet , has many other games as well , including Endless Reader , which helps kids learn sight words, and Endless Spanish which helped my kids significantly improve their Spanish vocabulary.

Ages 4-6 ( Computer )

Image may contain Text

This language, arts, and music learning site has dozens of games and activities to help your kids learn to read, add, subtract, and identify shapes.

Ages 4-8 ( iOS , Android )

Image may contain Text Human and Person

PBS Kids has dozens of apps, many of them related to the shows on PBS Kids. If your kids like a particular show, they'll probably really engage with its related game, as well.

Ages 4 and Up ( iOS )

computer with a game still on it

Stop-motion animation is a fun form of art that teaches patience. This animation app will help your kids start creating their own little animated masterpieces. The interface is reasonably simple, but it might require the help of an adult the first time through.

All ages ( Apple Podcasts for iOS , Google Podcasts for Android )

Image may contain Nature Outdoors Building Countryside Housing Rural Shelter and Hut

Check out our guide to kids' podcasts for some ideas on great podcasts that will keep your kids entertained. If you're a podcast fan yourself, you should try using Pocket Casts (great app). I suggest getting a separate podcast app for your kids, so there's no way they'll accidentally end up listening to any adult content you don't want them to hear.

March 25, 9 am: This story was updated to add links to the Tinybop Android app bundle.

WIRED is providing free access to stories about public health and how to protect yourself during the coronavirus pandemic . Sign up for our Coronavirus Update newsletter for the latest updates, and subscribe to support our journalism .

  • Gear and tips to help you get through a pandemic
  • The doctor who helped defeat smallpox explains what's coming
  • Everything you need to know about coronavirus testing
  • Don’t go down a coronavirus anxiety spiral
  • How is the virus spread? (And other Covid-19 FAQs, answered)
  • Read all of our coronavirus coverage here

best educational games for 5 year olds

WIRED COUPONS

https://www.wired.com/coupons/static/shop/32697/logo/FINAL_TurboTax_logo.png

Turbo Tax Live Assisted - 10% off

https://www.wired.com/coupons/static/shop/37832/logo/H_R_Block_Coupon_Code.png

H&R Block Deluxe Filing Only $55

https://www.wired.com/coupons/static/shop/37974/logo/Instacart_logo_-_22__1_.png

Incredible Deals At Instacart: Up To $20 In Savings

https://www.wired.com/coupons/static/shop/34427/logo/doordash-promo-codes-logo.png

Up to $10 DoorDash Coupon

https://www.wired.com/coupons/static/shop/30161/logo/_0044_Finish-Line-coupons.png

Hoodies: $15 Off $150 Finish Line Coupon

https://www.wired.com/coupons/static/shop/30163/logo/Groupon_Logo_in_Gradient_Green_-_WIRED.png

20% Off Groupon Promo Code With Email Signup

Joyful learning starts here!

Inspire a lifetime of learning and discovery with our free, fun educational program for children ages two to eight.

100% FREE! No ads, no subscriptions.

Kids will love to learn.

Focused on the whole child

Our program engages kids in core subjects like early literacy, reading, writing, language, and math, while encouraging creativity and building social-emotional skills.

Five whimsical, charming characters—including narrator Kodi Bear—guide kids through activities and stories.

Original interactive activities, books, animated videos, games, and creative lessons captivate children’s attention. 

Developed by experts 

Khan Academy Kids was developed in collaboration with learning experts at Stanford and aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards.

You’ll never see ads. You’ll never need a subscription. 

Adaptive Learning Path

Our personalized learning path dynamically adapts, ensuring each child is presented with activities, books, educational videos, and creative lessons that allow them to learn at their own pace, creating an individualized experience for every learner.

Independent Learning

Kids can also learn independently in the Khan Academy Kids Library—a curated collection of activities, books, videos, and coloring pages. Our book reader allows kids to follow along with recorded audio narration or read on their own across our fiction, non-fiction, and fiction leveled books.

Parents love us.

“Every day I am amazed @khanacademykids is free, and I am so grateful for how much it has contributed to my kid’s development.”

J. Hernandez, via Twitter

“Parents: If you are looking for an educational app for your 2-5 yr old, download @khanacademykids - seriously most research-based, engaging, non-annoying app.  AND IT’S FREE.”

T. Peltier, via Twitter

“ My 4-year old is working on @khanacademy’s app @khanacademykids this morning and loving it. The combo of school facts along with social/emotional content is outstanding. ”

M. Nemerow, via Twitter

Award-winning program.

Download the app!

Our Partners

© 2022  Khan Academy Kids  |   Terms of use   |   Privacy policy  

100% FREE! No ads. No subscriptions.

Joyful 

You’ll never see ads. You’ll never need a subscription.

Unique for every learner.

Kids can also learn independently in the Khan Academy Kids Library—a curated collection of activities, books, videos, and coloring pages. Our book reader allows kids to follow along with recorded audio narration or read on their own across our fiction, non-fiction and fiction leveled books.

“ My 4-year old is working on @khanacademykids this morning and loving it. The combo of school facts along with social/emotional content is outstanding. ”

Get free Halloween coloring pages for kids.  Click here to learn more

Get free Halloween coloring pages for kids.  Learn more .

What's new.

Back to School

 New lessons help kids handle BIG emotions! Learn more

Teacher Tools

Schools and Districts

Powerful new tools for teachers. Learn more  

Get support for your PreK-2nd grade classrooms. Learn more

Studies show Khan Academy Kids boosts pre-literacy skills. Learn more  

Fun, educational off-screen family activities. Learn more

New lessons help kids handle BIG emotions! Learn more

Circle Time

YouTube videos with interactive stories and lessons. Learn more