Early learning
Apps for 2- to 5-year-olds that are built around play
Updated
Among apps for toddlers and preschoolers, Pok Pok is a set of open-ended digital toys with no scores, Khan Academy Kids follows a learning path with books, letters and numbers, and Sago Mini School groups counting, tracing and puzzles around topics like farms and space. LEGO DUPLO World lets a parent build in the same scene as the child.
Apps for very young children often share a rhythm: a child taps, something happens, and they decide what to try next. The six below follow that pattern in different ways, and each leans toward a different kind of play.
Pok Pok
Open-ended play. Pok Pok is laid out as a digital playroom of toys to build, draw, tinker and make music with, including a marble machine of tubes, switches and gears and pretend houses and shops. There are no levels to finish and no scores. The publisher says it runs offline once set up. A child who likes to fiddle with how things work could take to it; one who wants a clear goal might drift.
See Pok Pok on bored.kidsKhan Academy Kids
A guided path. Books, early reading, writing and math sit inside one learning path. Children can follow the suggested next activity or wander the library of books, videos and lessons on their own.
See Khan Academy Kids on bored.kidsSago Mini School
Topics to explore. Activities are grouped around themes such as farms, space and kitchens: count forwards and backwards, trace numbers, draw, solve mazes and join in interactive reading. It is also described as playing offline.
See Sago Mini School on bored.kidsLEGO DUPLO World
Building side by side. Children build with digital DUPLO bricks in scenes full of animals, vehicles and familiar places. Multi-touch lets a parent build in the same scene at the same time, so it can turn into a shared story rather than a solo game.
See LEGO DUPLO World on bored.kidsBimi Boo Toddler Learning Games
One thing at a time. Short, focused tasks: sort by color, size and quantity, match shapes to outlines, feed the animals and rebuild a picture from memory. Each game centers on noticing a single thing, a pattern that seems pitched at the younger end of the age range.
See Bimi Boo Toddler Learning Games on bored.kidsMontessori Preschool
A set routine. Letter sounds, tracing, counting with digital Montessori materials, music and practical-life tasks like watering plants. Settings let parents choose which classrooms are open, which may appeal to families who like a steady structure over open-ended wandering.
See Montessori Preschool on bored.kidsPrefer the browser?
The Sesame Street website has character games, short videos and printable coloring pages, including activities about naming feelings. PBS KIDS Games gathers games from PBS shows in one place.
Questions parents ask
Which of these are aimed at two-year-olds?
Bimi Boo and Pok Pok both list age 2 at the bottom of their range, and their activities revolve around cause and effect, sorting and building. LEGO DUPLO World is listed from age 3, and some families play it together from around then.
Which preschool apps cover letters and numbers?
Khan Academy Kids, Sago Mini School and Montessori Preschool all include early letters and numbers. For reading in more depth, see learning to read at home. For counting, see math games by skill.