10 Fun and Educational Apps to Keep Kids Learning at Home May 8, 2020 By Michelle Yannaco Photo By George Rudy/shutterstock As parents face school closures due to the coronavirus, many are anxious about how their kids will continue learning. The “COVID-slump” could become a reality as our kids figure out how to learn at home. Luckily, with technology quite literally at our fingertips, we can keep their juices flowing. Check out Common Sense Media’s recommended list of math and reading apps that won’t feel like school to kids but can help decrease that academic slump. Educational Apps for Elementary School Students PBS KIDS for Parents Play & Learn Engineering Recommended ages: 3-4 This parent-child engagement tool was created in collaboration with early childhood experts and allows users to design and test roller coasters, use simple tools to problem solve their way through an obstacle course, build clever contraptions to deliver food to hungry animals, and construct boxy towers to rescue a kitten from a tree. Epic! – Kids’ Books and Videos Recommended ages: 4 and older A digital reading club for kids ages 2-12, which includes quizzes and learning videos, plus materials for parents. DIY.org Recommended ages: 5 and older These inspired multimedia projects are not overtly academic, but reading and math skills are required for each challenge. Libby, by Overdrive Recommended ages: 5 and older Get free and easy access to your local library’s entire selection of digital kids (and adult) books. And for reluctant readers, there are audio versions available. DragonBox Big Numbers Recommended ages: 6 and older Quirky games that require early elementary arithmetic so kids can practice math as they explore a virtual world. Jump Numbers Recommended ages: 6 and older Kids jump between different math equations and techniques in an attempt to rescue an imaginary animal family.BrainPop Featured Movie Recommended ages: 8 and older Daily videos about a wide variety of topics, from Mars to Frida Kahlo, will get kids thinking—and hopefully lead to further exploration. Slice Fractions Recommended ages: 9 and older In this interactive game, kids slice though lava and ice to learn about fractions. Read Next | Kids’ Books, Podcasts, and Other Resources About Diversity, Race, and Inclusion Educational Apps for Middle and High School Students DragonBox Algebra 12+ Recommended ages: 12 and older Designed by a math teacher, this game makes advanced algebra skills seem simple. (Other versions and levels are also available.) Jour-Guided Journaling Recommended ages: 13 and older A prompted journal-writing opportunity that encourages kids to reflect and write on their own. Teen & Adult Phonics Library Recommended ages: 15 and older For teens who struggle with reading or dyslexia, this app provides age-appropriate reading selections using decodable words. Author: Melissa Wickes, a graduate of Binghamton University and the NYU Summer Publishing Institute, is the production editor for NYMetroParents. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing the guitar or eating pasta. Read Next | This Is Everything You Need to Find an Amazing Summer Camp Program in Staten Island
Jump Numbers Recommended ages: 6 and older Kids jump between different math equations and techniques in an attempt to rescue an imaginary animal family.BrainPop Featured Movie Recommended ages: 8 and older Daily videos about a wide variety of topics, from Mars to Frida Kahlo, will get kids thinking—and hopefully lead to further exploration. Slice Fractions Recommended ages: 9 and older In this interactive game, kids slice though lava and ice to learn about fractions. Read Next | Kids’ Books, Podcasts, and Other Resources About Diversity, Race, and Inclusion Educational Apps for Middle and High School Students DragonBox Algebra 12+ Recommended ages: 12 and older Designed by a math teacher, this game makes advanced algebra skills seem simple. (Other versions and levels are also available.) Jour-Guided Journaling Recommended ages: 13 and older A prompted journal-writing opportunity that encourages kids to reflect and write on their own. Teen & Adult Phonics Library Recommended ages: 15 and older For teens who struggle with reading or dyslexia, this app provides age-appropriate reading selections using decodable words.