There are times when handing your child a tablet or a phone is necessary, even if it’s just for a moment of quiet or to check out our 10 best learning apps for toddlers.
Ideally, we would have endless patience and would never need to know what the best learning apps for toddlers are.
But the world is less than ideal and loading your phone or tablet with top-rated educational apps for toddlers can make you feel a little bit less guilty when you hand them a screen.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
1. ABC Mouse
ABC Mouse (Google Play / Apple) is a great casual out for toddlers that cover so many things from colors shapes numbers and can help your child get ready for preschool.
Children can choose between playing on their learning path which is a continuous set of lessons that slowly get progressively more difficult, or they can choose to play with their pets, decorating their room, or trying on virtual outfits.
Plus the songs on there are really catchy.
Because of the variety that’s offered on this app, it is my number one choice.
2. Bugs and Buttons
I never thought I’d find myself describing bugs as cute but Bugs and Buttons (Google Play / Apple) is an adorable learning app for toddlers and preschoolers.
The app teaches things like sorting, colors, counting, and even spatial reasoning with mazes.
It was the first and one of the only apps that I’ve ever paid for my kids. And I have never regretted it.
This app grows with kids through preschool and kindergarten.
3. Duck Duck Moose apps by Khan Academy
This is not just one out but several apps, they are all free and they are associated with one of the premier learning sites out there.
I want to share with you my top three.
Fairy Princess Tale Maker
Kids can practice their storytelling and making their own Fairy Princess Tales.
They can choose backgrounds, characters and even record their voice and tell their own stories.
There are characters from many different classic fairy tales including Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Little Mermaid.
Peek-A-Zoo
In this game not only do kids learn the names of animals but they also work on identifying emotions, actions, position words, and activities.
I love this game because of how it works on emotional awareness by asking children to link actions like crying to emotions like sadness.
I think it is a great tool to help children with empathy.
Puzzle Pop
This great app has 27 levels of puzzles that have fun animals that kids will recognize from the Peek-A-Zoo game.
Different levels of puzzles have different puzzle configurations so the challenge is constantly changing.
This puzzle game grows with your child and will continue to challenge them and excite them.
4. PBS Kids Games App
Your kids can play with their favorite PBS characters through games that help their early education.
The PBS Kids Game app (Google Play / Apple) is a collection of games from your favorite PBS characters like Daniel Tiger, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Curious George.
There are plenty of learning games for toddlers with games made for children between the ages of 2 and 8 years old.
5. Goodness Shapes by Little 10 Robot
This app is another homerun for Little 10 Robot (Apple). Little 10 Robot has a multitude of learning games for kids from toddlers through early elementary.
In this game, shapes with adorable faces take your child through 12 games that help them learn sorting, matching, colors, and shapes.
I love this preschool app for early math and pre-reading skills.
6. GoNoodle Game
GoNoodle (Google Play / Apple) it’s a free app that gets your kids moving, making it a win-win.
Using your tablet or phone’s camera children look like they are inside the game.
This game works better on a bigger screen like a tablet.
It allows your child to interact with a game using their body with games like Bubble Pop, Soccer, Flower Power, Space Race, and Rock and Roll.
7. Baby Games App
Baby Games (Google Play) is a free app where the youngest toddlers can play easy games like playing with virtual instruments and fireworks and even popping balloons.
And even though it’s free, it contains no ads ever.
Games include First Words, Music Room, Pop n Play, Fireworks, and Baby Phone.
Children learn things like animal sounds, nursery rhymes, and musical notes.
It’s a low frustration game for even the youngest toddlers.
8. LEGO Duplo World App
In this app (Google Play / Apple), your kids’ favorite toy Legos can be taken anywhere.
This award-winning educational app for toddlers kids gets to build 3-D structures and explore the Lego world.
With plenty of open-ended play experiences, your child will never be bored with this game.
This game includes activities like the Number Train (numbers and counting), Airplane Adventures (sort luggage and travel to new places), Fun Food (puzzle solving), Construction Site (cause and effect), Play House (social-emotional learning), Under the Sea (nature) and several more.
9. Toca Boca Apps
This extremely popular set of apps from Toca Boca have several learning apps to play. Toddlers can do things like hair styling, taking care of sick pets, grow plants, and experiment with science.
For toddlers, you may choose a role-playing app game from Toca Hair Salon 4 or Toca Doctor HD. But the options in the Toca Boca apps are nearly endless.
The Toca Boca brand grows along with your child with an ever-expanding selection of educational apps for toddlers, preschoolers, and children.
10. Busy Shapes 2
If you need a game your toddler can play without Wi-Fi, for instance, if you’re going on a flight or a long trip where dead zones a rampant, the Busy Shapes 2 (Apple) is the game for you.
In an online version of the classic game of putting shapes in the corresponding hole, your toddler learns shapes and spatial reasoning skills.
The shapes are made of fruit. The levels become more challenging as you play with having to navigate platforms to get your fruit in its correct shape hole.
Most doctors and researchers recommend toddlers under 18 months get no screen time but children over 18 months old can benefit from using quality educational apps designed for toddlers for up to an hour a day.
Allowing your child to play these learning apps designed for toddlers for more than an hour a day can help parents have some time to handle things like cooking dinner or starting a load of laundry.
Choosing an educational app for toddlers can help alleviate your parenting guilt when you need to give them some screen time.
All of these options are great quality educational apps that teach your toddler skills they will need moving into preschool and kindergarten.
Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter too.
As you can see, technology is a great part of STEM! If you want even more STEM activities check these out from the site.
Fun STEM Activities
If you're looking to create something fun with your kids then these STEM activities are for you! We hope you enjoy them.
Simple science experiment for kids with vinegar and baking soda #31DaysOfLearning
One of our best STEM posts is this simple science experiment for kids with vinegar and baking soda from our #31DaysOfLearning event.
Build your own robot free STEM printable
Build your own robot with our free printable. It's fun and it's a STEM activity to help your kids learn. Win-win!
Free solar system game for kids to help with STEM learning
Our free solar system game for kids can take your kids to another planet! Download and play today.
Simple weather activity: Shaving foam rain clouds #31DaysOfLearning
This is a lovely simple activity that helps to teach kids about clouds. It is so easy to set up too, made from items you should have in the house anyway.
Free weather chart
We have a completely free weather chart for you to use with the kids too - keep track of the weather in a fun and interactive way, every day.
There’s also many more activities from other sites around the web, too. Take a look!
More STEM ideas from the web
Combine learning and fun with these STEM ideas from around the web.
28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids
This post has 28 days of STEM activities for your kids to try out and enjoy.
13+ Math Toys to Inspire STEM
Who said toys can't be educational? Check out these top math toys for STEM.
40 STEM Activities for Kids
Can't get enough STEM ideas? Here are 40 more!
Fizzing Colors Science Activity
This looks like so much fun - ideal for little hands to explore with. So colourful, and fabulous for them!
Thanks for stopping by,
Helen
Helen Neale
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, website editor and a qualified counsellor with experience of working with both children and adults.She is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists, with her own private practise. She also freelances with her local Mind organisation.Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, use those grey cells at the same time, and supplement her counselling income.KiddyCharts has reach of over 680k across socials and the site. The site works with big family brands to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. She is a specialist counsellor for neurodivergent individuals and brings this expertise to her resources and the site. She is also an ADHDer herself.KiddyCharts gives 51%+ profits to charities, focused on supporting mental health and a community in TanzaniaHelen has also worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!