The Best Educational Apps for Kids During a Pandemic

So, it's that time of year again... it's time to go back to school. Well, due to COVID back to school is going to look very different this year. Most states are opting for full remote learning or going only a select few days a week and many parents are opting for homeschooling. Let's face it, back to school time during a pandemic is plain different. We decided to keep Brayden and Tony home and are doing virtual learning for at least the first semester and going from there. Sydney is set to start kindergarten next year so right now we are going to be doing some educational apps with her. There are so many apps out there and I wanted to let you all know about some of our favorites!

ABC Mouse: https://www.abcmouse.com/

This is by far my favorite kid's app around. All 3 of my kids have used it and loved it. It is Sydney's favorite app and I actually plan on it being her "school" while the boys do their remote learning. It has a very easy to use interface that she can use the app by herself at 4 years old. It is great for kids aged 2-8 and the activities change with each age bracket. Your child also earns tickets for completing lessons that they can use to get virtual prizes. ABC Mouse costs around $9.95/month or $79.99/year and they often run a free trial. It is definitely worth the investment.

Ages 2-8

Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com/

Duolingo is an amazing and free educational learning app for kids. It is also FREE with the option of going premium to remove ads with Duolingo Plus for $6.99/month. Your child can learn languages such as Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, English, Korean, Chinese, and many more. They also have personalized learning so the lessons will adapt to your child's learning style. Your child will earn virtual coins and unlock levels to keep them motivated. A study actually showed that 34 hours of Duolingo is equal to 1 university semester of language courses!

Age 4+

Khan Academy Kids: https://learn.khanacademy.org/khan-academy-kids/

Khan Academy is a great educational learning app and they even offer supplemental resources for remote learning (https://khankids.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040315632-How-to-use-Khan-Academy-Kids-for-remote-learning)! This app will engage your child in core subjects like reading, writing, language, and math. The characters are adorable and they keep my kids engaged through their learning. Khan Academy Kids was actually developed by learning experts at Stanford! It is also 100% free. Read that again. 100% free! You will never see ads and you will never need a subscription. I love how easy the controls are in this app and your child can go through a learning path or click what they want to play with.

Ages 2-7

PBS Kids: https://pbskids.org/apps/play-pbs-kids-games.html

PBS has been my go-to channel for educational shows for as long as I can remember. Did you know they also have a variety of free apps? They can have books read to them by Daniel Tiger, go on ABC adventures with the Super Why Crew, and more. They also have an app completely dedicated to educational games. Your child can play games with their favorite PBS Kids characters such as Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Super Why, Dinosaur Train, The Cat in the Hat, and many more. They add new free games all the time so your child will never get bored of going on adventures with their favorite characters. The games are designed to help your kids stay engaged with science, math, and creativity. PBS Kids also has a new weekday newsletter that offers activities and tips that can help your kids play and learn at home during COVID.

Ages: 2-8

These are just a handful of the best educational learning apps around in 2020. Leave a comment with your child's favorite educational learning app.