20 Best Apps for Toddlers 2024

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If you're looking for some of the best apps for toddlers in 2024 then you'll love this collection of toddler educational and learning apps.

These apps have been tested by myself (qualified early years teacher and mother of two) and approved by my toddlers.

This list of recommended toddler apps, are apps that I would happily let my own toddlers play (in small, supervised sessions of course) and that I highly recommend.

Best Apps for Toddlers 2024

This post has been updated to include the best apps for toddlers 2024.

Are you looking for the best apps for toddlers? We have found some of the best toddler apps  - all tested on my very own toddlers! I'm also an early years teacher so these apps get the educational tick of approval as well.

I don't advocate letting your toddler spend a lot of time playing apps on tablets and phones, but as an educator and parent, I can definitely see the value in supervised play with some of the fantastic educational apps that are available.

I'm sure we all want to limit screen time, but let's face it - it can be challenging to keep your toddlers entertained and engaged, especially during those long car rides or while waiting in line at the grocery store.

The biggest problem is finding the best apps for toddlers among the thousands, if not millions of toddler apps out there. You want to find a balance where they are learning and having fun at the same time.

In this blog post, we'll be exploring some of the best apps for toddlers that are not only entertaining but also provide valuable educational benefits.

20 BEST TODDLER LEARNING AND EDUCATIONAL APPS - 2024

After being overwhelmed with the options available (a large percentage of which were low quality, filled with ads, or had very little educational value), I recently asked for YOUR favorite toddler apps in our Facebook group and have included many of those in this list.

There were several apps that were recommended many times, along with some great new suggestions. After having a closer look at your recommendations I have compiled a list of Apps your toddler will love!

You will notice that the list contains a mix of free and paid apps. While I could have focused on only the free apps, I feel that there are some excellent toddler apps that are worth paying a few dollars for (especially if it means no ads and excellent content).

If you are looking for only free apps I have put together a list of the best FREE ipad apps for toddlers.  Please be wary of the free toddler apps as I've found that the developers of many of them (not the ones I've listed) are very sneaky with their ad placement and it's really easy for your toddler to download all kinds of things. Sometimes it's worth the dollar or two to avoid that.

What tablet is best for a toddler?

If you're worried about your toddler dropping or breaking your own phone or tablet (I've had that happen to me!) then it can be worthwhile buying them their own one. While this seems a bit extravagant I've found that it's much better than letting them drop your $600 tablet. The tablets for the kids don't need to be anywhere near as powerful as your own one either as you're not running many programs on it.

My recommendation for a tablet for your toddler is the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet which you can get HERE.

Some of the main reasons that I recommend this tablet for toddlers is:

• It comes with a kid-proof case (and in a variety of colors)
• They give you a 2-year guarantee - if your kids break it, Amazon will replace it
• It comes with a free year of Amazon Kids + (kid friendly apps and ebooks). You can find out more about Amazon Free Time Unlimited and get a free trial HERE. 

You might also want to look into headphones as well. I really like the volume-limiting ones (for obvious reasons!).  I really like these ones. 

Teacher recommended apps for toddlers

Homer - 45 Day Free Trial  (limited time)

The proven and personalized early learning program helps kids ages 2-8 discover a lifelong love of learning. Designed by learning experts, HOMER takes each child’s interests and abilities and combines them to make learning fun!

Homer focuses on

• Reading
• Math
• Social and Emotional Learning
• Thinking Skills
• Creativity

Check it out with your 45 Day Homer Free Trial HERE. 

You can read a full review of HOMER Learning here.

Khan Academy for Kids

The Khan Academy for Kids app is a wonderful FREE educational tool for parents looking to supplement their toddlers' learning.

This app offers a range of engaging activities and games that cover a variety of subjects, from math and literacy to social-emotional learning and creative expression. Some benefits of the app include:

• A variety of interactive activities to engage young learners
• Covers multiple subjects including math, reading, and social-emotional learning
• Ad-free and safe environment for young children
• Customizable profiles for multiple children
• Progress tracking and personalized recommendations for parents.

Overall, the Khan Academy for Kids app is an excellent learning and educational app for older toddlers (2+) and an app that they can keep using as they get older.

Download Khan Academy from Google Play HERE

ABCmouse

Get your 30 day free trial HERE.

ABCMouse is part of an online learning package that is extremely popular with early years teachers and you will find it used in lots of preschools and kindergartens.

The program caters to children from 2 years of age and can be played on a desktop computer and via the app. Whilst this is a paid program they do offer a 30 day free trial which I highly recommend.

I am a member of many parenting and teaching groups and this program is one that is consistently recommended for early learning. You can start your free trial HERE.

ReadingIQ

ReadingIQ is a fantastic app for parents looking to promote early literacy skills in their toddlers. This app offers a vast library of over 7,000 books, including popular titles from well-known publishers such as HarperCollins and National Geographic.

With its user-friendly interface and customizable reading levels, ReadingIQ makes it easy for parents to track their child's progress and select books that are appropriate for their reading level. Some benefits of the app include:

• Access to a large library of books, including interactive and audiobooks
• Customizable reading levels to suit your child's needs
• Progress tracking and recommendations for books based on your child's reading level
• Available offline for on-the-go reading
• Safe and ad-free environment for young children.

While I am a HUGE fan of visiting your local library, I still find that ReadingIQ is a great app for parents who want to encourage their toddlers' love for reading and improve their literacy skills.

You can test out ReadingIQ with a 30 day free trial HERE.

PBS KIDS GAMES (free)

The PBS Kids Games app is a great FREE app that can be a lifesaver when you need to entertain a toddler.

The app includes a range of games and activities that are not only fun but also educational. The app includes:

• A variety of games and activities covering multiple subjects including math, science, and literacy
• Customizable profiles for multiple children
• Progress tracking and personalized recommendations for parents
• Safe and ad-free environment for young children
• Access to popular PBS Kids shows and characters.

The PBS Kids Game app is available via the Apple App Store or Google Play

Sesame Street Alphabet Kitchen ($2.99)

As you would imagine from a Sesame Street app, this app is an excellent literacy early learning app.

The app focuses on:

-Letter identification
-Letter sounds
-Word blending
-Vocabulary building
-Sharing

This is a highly recommended toddler educational app.

Available via the Apple App Store , Google Play or Amazon App Store.

Monkey Preschool Lunchbox (paid)

This toddler app is one of my favorites! Both of my children loved playing this game when they were toddlers and it was a great learning app for them. The app uses a variety of short, easy-to-understand games to focus on:

• Matching and sorting
• Counting and number recognition
• Basic problem solving
• Hand-eye coordination

This is a paid app but is well worth the money.

You can read my full Monkey Preschool Lunchbox review HERE.

The Monkey Preschool app is available via the Apple App store, Google Play or Amazon App Store.

Peekaboo Barn Lite (free)

Peekaboo Barn is a great free (the limited version) app for younger toddlers and the paid version is worth the upgrade if you find they are enjoying it.

This toddler app was also a very popular one, and there are many different versions of this great app available. It's a simple but fun app that is great for younger toddlers who want to learn about farm animals.

The app focuses on the animal names and the sounds that the animals make. You can download the Lite Version for free to get a feel for the app, however, the full version is definitely worth spending a few dollars for.

Peekaboo Barn Light is available for free from the Apple App Store.

Nighty Night App

This is a great toddler app to add to your evening routine. We don't use it every night, but it's always a favorite when we do.

Nighty Night is a bedtime story app designed to help toddlers wind down and prepare for sleep. The app features a cozy farm setting, with various animals to interact with. Some of the key features of this app include:

• Vocabulary building
• Animal recognition and identification
• Cause-and-effect relationships
• Soothing sounds and music to help calm children down before bed

The app is easy to navigate and features beautiful illustrations and animations that will capture your child's attention. It's a great way to help your child relax and learn at the same time.

I really love this toddler app, and you can read my full review of the Nighty Night app HERE.

The Nighty Night toddler app is available via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App Store.

CBeebies Playtime Island App (free)

As you would expect from a toddler & preschool app from the BBC this is a quality educational app that is ad free.

The CBeebies Playtime island app includes favorite toddler character like Hey Duggee, JoJo & Gran Gran, Shaun the Sheep, Love Monster, Go Jetters, Swashbuckle, Peter Rabbit, Bing, Octonauts, Teletubbies, Mr Tumble and more!

There are over 40 different free games for your toddler to play.

The app is available via Apple App Store, or Google Play

TRUCKS APP (FREE)

Trucks is one of the great apps from Duck Duck Moose. Their range of toddler apps is fantastic and they have recently made most of their apps free.

This toddler app has 5 engaging activities: carwash, tow truck, garbage and recycling, bulldozer and dump truck and a car and truck parade.

Trucks teaches sequencing, sorting and problem solving.

While I highly recommend this app for the toddler age group, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of their apps. Between my toddler and my 5 year old we have played almost all of them and they are all great.

You can get the Trucks app via Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App Store.

ELMO'S POTTY TIME APP

Any app that makes potty training a toddler easier get my tick of approval!

There were lots of recommendations for this toddler app and who could blame them. If it helps the potty training battle then it's worth a few dollars in my opinion. 

Featuring Elmo (obviously) there are songs, activities and an interactive potty chart. If you're at the potty training stage with your toddler then this app is definitely worth a look.

You can get the Elmo's Potty Time App via Apple App Store, or Amazon App Store.

LITTLE BUILDERS APP

If you have a toddler who loves everything about building & construction then this is the app for them.

On the construction site your child can drive a digger, mix cement, roof a building, operate a crane, drive a street sweeper or paint a house. There’s so much to do. the Little Builders dig, plaster, fill, paint and mix... And they need your children´s help.

With multiple scenarios this app will keep them busy for a long time.

You can find the Little Builders app via Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App Store.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR PLAY & EXPLORE APP

If you love The Very Hungry Caterpillar books then you'll love the app too!

.With the beautiful images that you would expect from Eric Carle, this app is a fantastic first app for toddlers.

Using the familiar images from Eric Carle's books, early learning skills are taught in a simple and fun manner.

You can download a demo for free, but there is a fee for the full version of the app (highly recommended).

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Play & Explore toddler app is available via the Apple App Store, Google Play & Amazon App Store.

OWLS AND PALS

This is a great app for older toddlers and is perfect for getting them ready to start preschool.

This was one of my daughter's favorite apps when she was 2 and a half. Parental help is needed with this one, however, I credit this app with helping my daughter with her letter and number recognition.

There are 11 different games included in this toddler app.

This app is a paid app, but definitely one that you will use over and over again.

Owls and Pals is available via Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App Store.

LOOK AND FIND ELMO ON SESAME STREET

The Look and Find Elmo app is another quality toddler app from Sesame Street.

Another app from Sesame Productions is the Look and find Elmo app. Great for encouraging memory and observation, and it stars Elmo! What more could you want in a toddler app!

This app is a fun one - have your toddler find different items while exploring different Sesame Street scenes.

You can get the Elmo Look and Find toddler app via Apple App Store or Amazon App Store.

NIGHTY NIGHT CIRCUS APP

This is the sequel to the Nighty Night app mentioned earlier.

If you've played the Nighty Night app you'll be rushing to download the circus version. It's just as good, but with new animals! Love it!

Your toddler will love saying good night to all the circus animals and switching off their lights before they go to bed - it's very cute! The graphics are amazing too.

You can get the Nighty Night Circus app via Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App Store.

MONKEY PRESCHOOL FIX IT APP

This is another toddler app that my children loved playing with.

This app is by the makers of the Monkey Preschool app reviewed earlier. In this app there are lots of things to fix and problems to solve and it's perfect for ages 2 and up. Lots of rewards and praise in the app too!

The app features 6 unique games focusing on colors, numbers, letters, shapes, patterns and puzzles!

You can access the Monkey Preschool Fix It app via Apple App store, Google Play or Amazon App Store.

We will be sharing more great toddler apps soon. We are always reviewing new apps. If you have a toddler app that you love please let us know in our Facebook Group.

If you are looking for free iPad apps for toddlers you can find some great ones HERE. 

More toddler blog posts you might enjoy...

Best Books for Toddlers 

50 Easy Toddler Activity Ideas

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