When it comes to acquiring knowledge, it’s never too early to start creating a learning journey for your little ones. This journey must involve interactions with people, animals, objects, and the surrounding environment, as they play a key role in kids’ cognitive development.
In addition to these real-life experiences, learning apps for kids can also enhance their educational development, as digital interactions are becoming a bigger part of children’s everyday lives. However, specialists advise that screen time isn’t appropriate for children under age two.
Still, toddlers can enjoy learning new things through educational apps, as they’re beneficial for 2-year-olds and above if used with caution and moderation. These apps are valuable in helping kids develop early digital literacy, as they keep them interested in learning and, most importantly, make screen time meaningful.
However, it’s crucial to carefully choose the appropriate app that truly caters to your child’s needs and learning goals.
ABCmouse is the go-to option for toddlers as it focuses on basic concepts that prepare 2 and 3-year-olds for preschool. The app offers over 10,000 age-appropriate activities covering phonics, early reading, math, art, social studies, and science fundamentals.
Another way that ABCmouse caters to toddlers is through animations, songs, and touch screen interactions, which are essential for captivating the little ones and keeping them engaged. The cherry on top is that the platform offers several interactive games and puzzles, perfect for toddlers to learn through play and exploration.
Available on desktop and mobile devices, ABCmouse allows up to three profiles under the same subscription. Going for the annual plan results in a massive discount, and there’s a 30-day free trial for users to test the app before subscribing.
Children nowadays have access to electronic devices such as computers, tablets, and smartphones from a very young age. Parents often use them to get a much-needed break, but what if all that screen time could be used for educational purposes instead? That’s precisely what the creators of HOMER had in mind when they developed a software that can start your child’s learning journey. Launched in 2013, the company brings professional expertise to fun and joyful child learning apps suitable for kids aged zero to eight. HOMER uses a scientifically proven method that builds children’s confidence through a personalized program based on age and interests. Even better, kids won’t even know they’re using an educational app, considering how fun it is compared to other games. Moreover, its 60-day free trial is more than enough to find out if your child will get a lot out of the app before committing to a subscription.
Well-known for its high-quality educational and free content, Khan Academy’s version for kids is the best learning app for preschool-aged children. The platform engages children in core subjects like early literacy, reading, writing, language, and math while encouraging creativity and helping them build social skills.
Khan Academy Kids uses storytelling to create lessons and activities guided by whimsical characters, which goes a long way in captivating preschoolers’ attention. Plus, games, animations, and videos appeal to kids with different learning styles, helping all types of learners absorb information more effectively.
Moreover, an individualized experience is created for everyone, as each child’s learning path is personalized according to their own pace. To top it all off, Khan Academy Kids is entirely free, with no ads or external links that can distract or lead children to inappropriate content.
This app was inspired by the popular book – usually a favorite among the little ones – ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. One of the reasons why Hungry Caterpillar Play School is a fantastic option for toddlers is that many kids are familiar with the story’s characters, which contributes to captivating and engaging them in the learning journey.
With Hungry Caterpillar Play School, kids aged 2 to 6 study math, spelling, reading, writing concepts, science, and nature. The app is designed for children to learn through exploration and creativity, providing several e-books, videos, and highly interactive activities.
Plus, a 3D playground for kids to explore shapes and colors helps them develop recognition, logic, and other cognitive skills. The cherry on top is that the app’s resources are particularly catered to neurodiverse children.
Android and iOS users can download the app for free but should be wary of the various in-app purchases there are on offer.
TeachMe: Preschool, formerly TeachMe: Toddler, is designed for toddlers and preschoolers. The app’s lessons and activities explore several age-appropriate subjects, including letters, ABC phonics, numbers, shapes, and colors.
Progress tracking allows parents to check their children’s performance across the activities, which is crucial for assessing their strengths and difficulties. Besides an easy-to-navigate interface, the app features a positive reinforcement system that rewards kids with coins for correct answers.
Kids can use the coins to purchase over 150 stickers and place them in six different sticker reward scenes. This system is excellent for keeping toddlers engaged in the learning process.
Moreover, the app is available for iOS and Android users and doesn’t require additional subscription plans.
Numerous apps for toddlers are available in all shapes and sizes. However, choosing the one that meets kids’ best interests requires attention to the following details:
Educational apps prepare toddlers for preschool and stimulate cognitive development through an engaging and captivating learning environment. Other benefits these apps bring for 2-year-olds and above include:
Although educational apps are excellent for toddlers’ cognitive and social skills development, they should be used as complementary educational materials. Real-life activities and human interactions should take up most of a toddler’s time, as they’re essential for developing a comprehensive understanding of the world and the surrounding environment.
Screen usage should be limited and supplemental, as excessive exposure to screens has several detrimental effects on social and emotional growth and increases the likelihood of obesity, sleep disorders, and mental health conditions.
So, limiting toddlers’ time using learning apps is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship between kids and screens. The recommendation is that kids ages 2 to 12 only use screens for one hour daily. Parental control apps can help set screen time limits and device blocks. They’re also useful for ensuring that kids aren’t exposed to inappropriate content.
All in all, when used responsibly, the advantages of educational apps for toddlers unquestionably outweigh the potential drawbacks. As long as they’re used in moderation and under parental guidance, these apps are powerful tools that enhance early education, improve cognitive development, increase problem-solving skills, and foster a love of learning.
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