Found! Guilt-free Screen Time for Kids

There’s not a lot we know for sure at the moment but we do know this: children, whether toddlers and pre-schoolers or kids at primary and high school, will be home a lot more for the next few months and parents need to be prepared. The great news is screen time doesn’t have to be a dirty concept – if you know where to find the best learning apps and sites for children. The ones that expand their world, make them think and feel, do and play, and, of course, don’t make parents feel guilty about screen time. Get ready to explore NASA, the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington DC, the basics of coding, Toca Boca for serious fun and all the best apps and sites that will enhance digital learning for kids.

The Very Best Apps for Children

Memrise – Fast and Fun Language Lab

Age: 8+
With languages from all around the world to play with, kids will be able to tell you “that’s not fair” quick as a flash in Spanish, French, Japanese or whatever exotic dialect they choose.

Vegetable Maths Masters – Numbers With a Side of Veggies

Age: 3+
Not only does this app support maths learning with simple counting, addition and subtraction tasks, it promotes healthy eating with colourful veggies and cute characters that talk to their mini-number cruncher masters.

Lightbot: Code Hour – Beginner Coding Disguised as a Game

Age: 4+
Kids are asked to solve puzzles with a robot avatar, all the while learning coding concepts such as instruction sequencing, conditionals and loops. As the player gets better, the puzzles become more challenging.

Epic! – A Kids’ Library in the Clouds

Age: 4+
Little bookworms will love it and those who need a push toward the page will be intrigued and excited by the extensive range – over 35,000 ebooks, audiobooks, learning videos and puzzles.

Toca Hair Salon – Some Fun for Breaktime

Age: 3+
Every hard day at the office requires some downtime. Instead of kids cutting their own hair behind the couch and then telling you they didn’t, all while sporting a very awkwardly-angled new fringe, let them make any hairstyle they want on six different virtual characters.

The Very Best Websites for (Sneaky) Digital Learning

Smithsonian Science Education Centre – Fascinating Science

Age: Primary school age
From panda live streams in Washington DC to making your own stereoscope and virtual expeditions with giant deadly hornets, there are plenty of educational – and fun – activities at this digi-address to choose from.
si.edu/kids

What Was There – Time Travel Through Photographs

Age: Primary school age
Forget stuffy history lessons, kids here can type in a city, state or country on a map and learn about the history of the place through an archive of historical photographs.
whatwasthere.com

Human Biodigital – The Human Body Can Do That?

Age: Upper primary school age
The human body is endlessly fascinating to big brains and small. Packed with detailed imagery, this site allows kids to look at what’s beneath the skin and discover how the different systems of the human body work.
human.biodigital.com

Climate Kids NASA – The Big Questions About Climate Answered

Age: Primary school age
A geography lesson brought to you by NASA is a geography lesson with a difference. Learn about the weather, atmosphere, energy, plants, animals – and never hear the words “I’m bored”.
climatekids.nasa.govm

Artsology – Art History for Every Kid on the Block

Age: Primary school age
Let kids explore their creative side and delve deep into the magical world of art history and culture through fun online games and investigations.
artsology.com

What Kids Need to Bring The World to Them

While these apps and sites deliver maths, history, English, languages, anatomy, geography, the basics of coding and all the other wonders in the world online, kids will need some old school gear to make it all come together.