Here on Naijaknowhow, I’ll be writing about some of the best preschool apps for smartphones. It’s a known fact that before kids start school, they often experience a time filled with joy and carefree moments. It’s a period in their lives when they’re brimming with curiosity and excitement about everything new.
During this carefree phase, children have a deep hunger for knowledge and a keen interest in discovering new hobbies. This stage presents an excellent opportunity for parents to prepare their children for school. Many apps have been designed to facilitate this preparation in a playful and engaging manner.
These apps encourage a child’s natural desire to learn and in fact, nurture their interest further. By exploring these preschool apps, parents can equip their children with fundamental knowledge like the alphabet, numbers, and even early reading skills. So when the time comes for school, their children will already have a solid foundation to build upon.
List of the Best Preschool Apps for Android and iOS
1. Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids is among the popular preschool apps where kids can learn many new and interesting things. It has different areas for learning like reading, math, writing, and social development, which prepare your child for school.
The app is easy to use, and parents can choose the direction for their child’s development. It understands each child’s unique needs and allows them to learn at their own pace. The app offers a wide library of books and learning tools. Children can read books by themselves or listen to audio recordings.
Learning happens through fun and playful activities with game characters, including interactive games that boost memory and logical thinking. It also nurtures creative skills, helping children learn to draw and create their own stories.
Pros:
- Diverse learning areas.
- Teacher approved and endorsed.
- Encourages independence and self-paced learning.
- Extensive library with various collections.
- Playful learning environment with fun game characters.
- Interactive games to develop memory, logic, and creativity.
Cons:
- Parental guidance may be necessary to navigate the app effectively.
2. Montessori Preschool
Montessori Preschool is one of the best preschool apps which offers a wide variety of educational content across different categories. Within the app, children can explore and learn about colors, poems, and even delve into coding. In the math section, young learners can acquire fundamental counting skills.
Before diving into reading, the app introduces them to new sounds and letters. It also assists children in recognizing and correctly pronouncing speech, facilitating early literacy development. One unique aspect of this app is its inclusion of games that nurture logical thinking and creativity, as well as music lessons that establish essential foundations.
Notably, it also incorporates valuable lessons in discipline. Beyond games, the app presents practical tasks such as cleaning around the house, caring for plants and animals, and more. These activities serve as tools for parents to instill valuable life skills and promote healthy habits in their children from an early age.
Pros:
- Teacher approved
- Diverse range of educational categories, including music.
- Develops speech recognition and pronunciation.
- Games foster logical thinking and creativity.
- Encourages healthy habits and parental involvement.
Cons:
- Subscription required for more access.
- Some games feature the Chinese language.
- Some activities may require adult supervision.
3. ABC Kids
ABC Kids is a simple and enjoyable app that will surely captivate every child. It features vibrant and engaging graphics, accompanied by pleasant sounds, along with interactive puzzles that adjust to the child’s level. The primary aim of the app is to teach children the alphabet and how to pronounce different words.
Here, kids can learn to recognize letters and piece them together. It emphasizes learning through play, ensuring that children can make rapid progress while having fun. The app’s interface is intentionally designed to be free from any distracting elements. Menus and other setup tools are hidden from the child’s view, accessible only to parents.
In addition, the app provides a special mode for parents to track their child’s progress and identify areas where more attention may be needed, particularly in various languages. Also, the app is entirely ad-free and does not prompt any in-app purchases, alleviating any concerns parents may have about unnecessary expenditures in a children’s program.
Pros:
- Engaging and fun learning experience for children
- Encourages recognition of letters and word formation
- Minimal distracting elements in the interface
- Parental controls and progress tracking available
- Teacher approved, and no ads or in-app purchases
Cons:
- App can be addictive
4. Moose Math
Moose Math has been developed in collaboration with experienced educators who have a wealth of experience in teaching children, ensuring that parents can have confidence in the quality of preschool education their child will receive, making it one of the best preschool apps. The app is designed to help prepare preschool-aged children for math.
It offers a fun and engaging way for kids to learn fundamental math concepts like addition and subtraction, as well as explore topics like geometry. The learning process is presented in the form of games, where children complete tasks and earn rewards that they can use to build a city within the app.
Children will learn to count through various interesting activities, such as making cocktails, connecting dots to draw animals, sorting shapes and colors, and more. All progress and results are stored in a dedicated section that parents can access, allowing them to track their child’s development and identify areas that may need extra attention.
Pros:
- Engaging game format for learning math concepts.
- Rewards system encourages continued engagement.
- Variety of tasks covering addition, subtraction, geometry, etc.
- Developed in collaboration with experienced educators.
- Progress tracking for parents to monitor their child’s development.
Cons:
- May not cater to all learning styles.
- Limited scope for advanced skill development.
- Effectiveness may vary based on individual child’s engagement.
5. Hopster
Hopster is a great way for your child to have fun and learn on the phone. It has lots of things that can help them think and be creative. Using this app will make them appreciate learning. It covers subjects like math, phonics, and creativity. It also has video shows for preschool kids to take a break from learning, and it makes sure they don’t watch too much.
After watching some episodes, the app will suggest some learning activities. The app doesn’t have any ads, so parents don’t have to worry. You can use the basic features of this app for free, but if you want more, you can buy a subscription.
Pros:
- Teacher approved and abundance of learning materials
- Supports thinking and creative skills development
- Family preschool shows
- Content consumption control
- No ads
Cons:
- Basic features in the free version
- Subscription required for extra options
- Some users report subscription issues and app dysfunction
6. Busy Shapes & Colors
Busy Shapes & Colors is a fun app for kids that helps them learn while playing. It teaches young children about colors, objects, and shapes in a playful way. It has a bright and colorful design with enjoyable sound effects that kids will like. The game starts easy but gets more challenging to keep kids interested.
In the game, children drag shapes to match them with the right holes to move to the next level. There are various tasks like finding hidden objects, moving obstacles, and matching shapes by color and size as the levels get harder. Kids can also catch moving objects and use tools to push shapes out of different objects.
The app allows parents and teachers to create up to 40 player profiles with a free account. It lets you keep an eye on your child’s progress in real-time from any device. This way, you can see how well your child is doing in the game. It’s a great app for both learning and fun for curious preschoolers.
Pros:
- Playful and educational for preschoolers.
- Encourages color, shape, and size recognition.
- Variety of tasks keeps children engaged.
- Compelling gameplay with progressively challenging levels.
- Allows parents and teachers to monitor progress with multiple player profiles.
Cons:
- In-app purchases required for full access to all features.
- Limited scope of learning beyond basic shapes and colors.
7. RelationShapes
RelationShapes is designed to help kids learn math while also encouraging their creativity. In the app, players combine different shapes based on their characteristics, and they can personalize these shapes with accessories and backgrounds. The app has eight levels, each offering more complex tasks to challenge and engage children as they progress.
Multiple people can use the app on one phone simultaneously by using the split-screen feature. This allows parents to monitor their child’s progress and see what new skills they are developing. Drawings created by the child are saved in a special gallery, giving parents the opportunity to admire their child’s creations and even print them out.
The app adjusts its difficulty automatically, making it suitable for users with varying abilities. Overall, the RelationShapes app provides an interactive way for children to learn math concepts while fostering their creativity.
Pros:
- Interactive math learning
- Encourages creativity
- Personalization options
- Alignment with academic approval
- Split-screen feature and drawing gallery for saving creations
Cons:
- Potential for distraction with split-screen feature
- Limited scope beyond math and creativity
8. Keiki
Keiki is a collection of fun educational games designed for preschoolers, starting from the age of two. In these games, kids can learn the alphabet, numbers, and even explore topics like life underwater. Developed by experts in preschool education, the games aim to engage children while helping parents free up time for other tasks.
The app offers more than just basic knowledge; it also introduces children to interesting facts and concepts. By keeping kids motivated and engaged, Keiki helps lay the foundation for future success. Each child’s unique learning style is considered, making the learning process smooth and enjoyable.
With its captivating graphics, interactive features, and engaging animations, Keiki provides a stimulating learning environment for children. Additionally, the app includes entertaining cartoons about animal life. Best of all, Keiki is completely free, ad-free, and safe for every user, making it a trusted resource for children eager to explore and learn.
Pros:
- Fun and educational games for preschoolers
- Captivating graphics and interactive features
- Developed by experts in preschool education
- Engages children and frees up time for parents
- Covers alphabet, numbers, and various topics like animal and underwater life
Cons:
- Contains ads
- Subscription issues and crashes reported by some users
- May require adult supervision for younger children
- Content may become repetitive over time
- Limited scope compared to broader educational platforms
9. HooplaKidz
The HooplaKidz app is made for little kids to watch special videos and learn new things. The videos don’t have any ads, so kids can focus on learning without interruptions. There are lots of fun shows that teach colors, letters, and other important stuff.
Plus, kids can do safe science experiments to learn even more. Parents can see what videos their child has watched and what they’ve learned. The app has a free version with basic features. But if parents want more, they can subscribe to get extra stuff.
HooplaKidz is a good choice for parents who want an app that helps their child think and learn. So, if you want your child to have fun while learning important things, try out HooplaKidz!
Pros:
- Ad-free content for uninterrupted learning.
- Free version available with basic features.
- Variety of fun shows teaching colors, letters, and more.
- Safe science experiments for hands-on learning.
- Parental monitoring of content and learning progress.
Cons:
- Limited content in the free version.
- Subscription option for access to extra content.
- Potential for children to lose interest over time.
Conclusion
These preschool apps can help enhance a child’s vocabulary by introducing them to a new word each day. These apps contribute to a child’s language development and overall learning journey. So, parents have a range of tools at their disposal to foster their child’s intellectual growth and curiosity during this crucial pre-school period.
