Incorporating Top Educational Apps Into Kids’ Routine

From the many skills that being a parent involves, planning hundreds of different activities for the children is one of the most demanding ones. Balancing everything can sometimes be even exhausting. So why not try to make our lives a little easier?  In this article, we will present 3 educational apps that can be an amazing match for your child’s routine.

What Makes an App Educational?

Educational apps offer families a simple way to guarantee fun and learning at the same time. However, for an app to be considered educational it must follow certain criteria, such as having a team of experts behind it. 

As a parent, it is great to know that someone specialized in child development, languages, or other important areas is taking care of what your children will get in touch with, right?

But it doesn’t end there. Learning apps also need to offer high-quality activities for kids. Their content should be beneficial for children and help them develop. Some apps are more focused on developing kids' cognitive skills, such as concentration and math, while others are made to help children to engage in reading or creative activities. No matter what their area is, an educational app has to focus on what is best for children.

Here is what you can analyze on an app to check if it is educational:

• Check if the app has safety features made to protect children.
• Search for quality seals that verify the app’s authority.
• Understand if it has a team of experts taking care of the experience delivered.
• Analyze their recommendations to see if they consider the children’s age.
• Check if it has parenting control tools to help you manage screen time.

Why Are Learning Apps Great for Kids?

Learning apps are great for kids because they can learn without even realizing it. These apps are designed to give children a natural and fun experience. They do this by speaking the language of children: play and interactivity.

Of course, even with these amazing digital tools, it is still important to know what your child is consuming. But the good thing is that you don’t have to worry about the safety or quality of the content  all the time. It can give parents the peace of mind needed in a busy daily routine. There is no need to feel guilty, especially if you follow the standard screen time recommendations for your child’s age.

3 Top Learning Apps for Kids

1. PlayKids+

PlayKids+ is an educational app that combines music, shows, and games for kids in one place. It is a great option for children up to the age of 6, but some 7 and 8 year olds may also enjoy the content.

Pros:

• Hundreds of content options, including many of kids' favorites characters and shows. 
• Ad-free environment and parental control tools available.
• All content selected by educational experts, including the original content developed by them.

Cons:

• It doesn’t show content recommendations, so this will depend on the children's preferences.

2. Lingokids

Lingokids is an app based on the concept of playlearning. It is suitable for children between the ages of 2 to 8 and contains many games and content for children to learn colors, numbers, routine habits, among others.

Pros:

• Nice catalogue with lots of different themes to explore.
• Focuses on helping children with what they call modern life skills.
• ‘No ads ever’ philosophy. 

Cons:

• Even though it is targeted at children up to 8 years old, most of the content may be more interesting for younger children. 

3. ABC mouse

This is an educational app for children aged 2 to 8. The content is varied and covers a wide range of activities, from geography to reading and art. 

Pros:

• The catalogue is extensive and covers many different topics and skills.
• It allows 3 children  in the app in 1 parent account.
• Very user-friendly.

Disadvantage:

• Since it covers so many areas, some content may be perceived as easy for some kids who are at a more advanced level for that topic.

How To Fit Learning Apps Into a Child’s Routine

Routine is something very important for children. It gives them a sense of safety and helps them to have clear expectations on how the day will go, avoiding anxiety or conflict. That is why it is essential to understand what is the best time of the day to incorporate the use of learning apps.

First of all, make sure to not include screen time too close to bed time, since it can disturb their sleeping. With this in mind, you can analyse other times of the day to include learning app usage.

Think about how your children work. Every child is unique and works differently. For some children, using a fun and educational app right after the homework may feel like a reward, while others can feel anxious and get distracted by what comes next. Talk to your child and make agreements about the best time to use the educational apps you’ve chosen.

Establish a screen time schedule for the week and make some ground rules, such as no digital devices in the bedroom or at the dinner table.

Finally, make it a part of your routine to talk to your child about what they are learning with the app you have chosen for them. This will show your child that you are interested in what they are doing and will help you understand if the digital content is working well for your child.

Now that you know some great options for educational apps for kids and how to incorporate them in your child’s routine, let us know: which one are you going to try first?

Give it a go and share your experience with us!