Looking for the best apps for toddlers? We’ve got you covered.
It can be hard to know what apps are appropriate for kids and what age ranges they cover. That’s why we’ve searched high and low to find the best apps that you can feel at ease about letting your toddler play. Moms love that they are educational, and toddlers love that they are fun!
Kidjo
Age: 5 and under
Category: Education
Parental Control: Yes
Ads: No
Subscription: $4.99/month premium package
Price: Free to download
Kids can watch over 1500 commercial free videos including Garfield, Monster Math Squad, Lucas The Monster Truck, DipDap, Stop Motion, and more. It includes age appropriate nursery rhymes, cartoons and T.V. shows. Kidjo has also been tested and is KidSafe Certified. That means you can be sure it meets certain safety certifications for children.
Our Favorite Feature: You have the ability to download videos to watch offline. This is great for times when there won’t be any WiFi around!
Watch a video about Kidjo.
Get Kidjo for iOS and Android.
Bubl Draw
Age: 4+
Category: Music and Art
Parental Control:
Ads:
Subscription: No
Price: $2.99
Bubl Draw will bring out the creativity in your toddler. Once they choose a color palette they can free hand draw any shapes or objects or get inspiration from the gallery. The coolest part is that as they draw, music plays! They’ll get to groove to either jazz, disco, rumba or classical, building a fun connection in their brains between sound and color.
Our Favorite Feature: The music! We love that kids will be exposed to different genres of music. It may just help to bring out their creative side more vibrantly.
Watch a fun video demonstration of Bubl Draw.
Get Bubl Draw for iOS.
Shiny Party – Shapes and Colors
Age: 2-5
Category: Education
Parental Control: Yes
Ads: No
Subscription: No
Price: $1.99
Looks like we hit the jackpot with this app for toddlers! It’s loaded with features and educational content that toddlers won’t be able to resist. On top of all the fun they’ll be having, you can also count on your toddler to be learning math, shapes, colors, puzzle play, early literacy, and more!
Our Favorite Feature: We get a kick out of the interactive storybook. Not only can your toddler follow along as the story is read to them, but they can also interact with the pictures in the story for more fun!
Watch a video about Shiny Party – Shapes and Colors.
Get Shiny Party – Shapes and Colors for iOS.
Thomas and Friends: Read & Play
Age: 5 and under
Category: Entertainment
Parental Control: Yes
Ads: No
Price: Free to download
Subscription: $4.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly
This app will be love at first sight for your toddler. Who doesn’t love Thomas and Friends! A familiar character is always a big hit and the way the game incorporates reading and learning into play is genius. Get access to interactive read-a-longs, games and activities, and videos.
The read-a-longs are fun to listen to while helping your child develop early literacy. There are fun videos with the Thomas characters and voices that they already know and love, and creative drawing and stickers (iPad only) to unleash their creativity.
Our Favorite Feature: We love that kids can get inspiration from the stories that are read to them through the read-a-longs, and then draw their own version in the drawing and sticker section.
Get Thomas & Friends: Read & Play on iOS and Android.
Shape the Village – Interactive Introduction on Circle, Triangle and Square for Kids
Age: 3-5
Category: Education
Parental Control: Yes
Ads: No
Price: $2.99
Subscription: No
Shape the Village is an interactive app that teaches children all about shapes and spatial awareness in a fun, whimsical way. Children have the ability to create villages and characters out of shapes. The app focuses on circles, triangles and squares and has 16 different activities to help children develop skills associated with spatial geometry. Because this app is geared towards young children, there is no need for text directions, as they have made it intuitively easy-to-learn.
Our Favorite Feature: Shape the Village comes with a workbook feature where parents can print out activities for kids to have even more fun learning off screen, and parents can join in the fun with them.
Watch a video about Shape the Village -Interactive Introduction on Circle, Triangle and Square for Kids.
Get Shape the Village on iOS.
BONUS: Sesame Street Family Play
Age: 5 and under
Category: Family Games and Education
Parental Control: Yes
Ads: Yes, ads that encourage parents to make their game complete by purchasing the full collection for $1.99
Price: $.99
We couldn’t resist including this app. It was created to give parents ideas of fun games to play with their kids. If you find yourself waiting in line at the grocery store, in the dentist’s office, or a long airplane ride, just let the app know where you are and how many people are playing and it gives you a game to play!
Our Favorite Feature: Sesame Street Family Play includes over 150 games and encourages physical activity with the whole family.
Note: This app is not meant for kids to have screen time. It is meant for parents to have the ability to look up games that the family can play together anytime.
Get Sesame Street Family Play for iOS.
