apps for kids

No matter how many times I run to Goodwill or Kon Mari my house, in just a few weeks I feel like we have more toys and video games and stuffed animals than my kids could ever play with. But, of course, they still ask for new things every…

Before my family headed out of the country on vacation, I spent weeks learning Italian using the free and very popular Duolingo app . And now Duolingo lets you practice not only your foreign language skills, but your knowledge in any are…

Beyond cropping out background noise or scrolling through a few Instagram filters, I don't usually spend a ton of time messing around with my photos. But after downloading the new and free Prisma app for iOS this week, I've discovered ho…

The kids have been out of school for a bit and chances are you've heard the "bored" word at least once. Or maybe you have a toddler who is ready for a new activity approximately every three-and-a-half minutes. Either way, check out the f…

Being a total Prime junkie who likes getting the most out of my membership (hello, free shipping + Transparent !) I was excited to learn that now Prime members will get exclusive access to free streaming PBS Kids series . Then I realized…

Mis Amigos! One of our favorite early-reading apps, Endless Reader , has gone espagñol with the Endless Spanish app , an adorably playful and educational preschool app for both iOS and Android users. Similar to the awesome Endless Reader…

Summer nights are perfect for staying up late, lying on the lawn (or roof deck if you're a city dweller) and looking up at the stars. But, often, streetlights and other ambient light can make it hard to see everything that is up there cl…

I'm convinced the reason my kids keep going back to play Osmo , one of our favorite educational tools for kids, is its brilliant mashup of digital elements and tangible controls they can actually touch and move around on the table. If yo…

With the school year ending soon, I know that my kids aren't going to stand for games or apps that feel too much like a school lesson. Nor do I want them to spend their summer days doing nothing but memorizing math facts. But after playi…

I sometimes think I have the sense of humor of a ten-year-old, which comes in handy since I do have a tweenage son who thinks things like talking cupcakes and singing basketballs are pretty hilarious. What's even more hilarious is when w…

If you're hoping to get your future mathlete ready for preschool in the fall, or just want to find a new ways to help practice counting, adding, and subtracting with your first grader, download the free version of King of Math Junior . T…

One of my favorite memories of childhood was my Highlights magazine showing up in the mailbox. I'd always turn straight to page 14 to do the Hidden Pictures before my sister could. (Sorry, sis.) My kids still love getting the magazine to…

Though your kids may not be able to find their shoes when you are running out the door, they are sure to love finding the solutions to the problems posed in Alien Assignment , a fun, free app for kids as young as three. Created by the Fr…

In this week's Spawned podcast, our editor Liz's Cool Pick of the Week is Brain Pop, a website I have turned to for years with my homeschooled kids to find smart, kid-friendly videos about topics as diverse as William Shakespeare, the Ci…

If your family is anything like mine, a vacation means loading up all the tech gadgets to keep the troops entertained for the long trip ahead. With spring break right around the corner, and summer vacation on the horizon, here are 6 simp…

When your preschooler wants to play, but you really need a few uninterrupted minutes to finish some work or get dinner on the table, we've found an entire menagerie of adorable friends who will be happy to set up a playdate at any time. …

We are such fans of Tinybop's beautiful, minimalist apps around here, because they inspire our children to want to learn more about science in a creative, artistic way. Following in the footsteps of winning apps like The Earth by Tinybop…

As much as I can hold my own on the dance floor, the stark reality is that I have about two moves I heavily rely on. (Ask anyone at any wedding I've ever been to). Despite my efforts to expand my moves repertoire, I think I have to releg…

At first glance, Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector may look like a cute cartoony app for young kids to waste a few minutes of their day. Yet, it's one of the few apps in my household that has the parents, teens, and my younger tween all hooke…

When it comes to my range of talents, I'm sadly lacking in the music department. Yep, I'm pretty much tone deaf, unlike Kristen, the former music therapist, who puts us all to shame there. However I still really want my kids to get the b…

My kids get really excited about President's Day because it means a day off from school. But I'd like to make sure that they spend a little bit of time reflecting on our former presidents too, so I love an app that helps with just that. …

I'm amazed at the quantity and quality of STEM toys and projects for kids that keep coming out. Anything that parents view as educational and kids view as entertainment gets a thumbs up in my book, which is why I'm excited about a new ST…

Welcome to our new weekly series on Cool Mom Tech that introduces you to some of our favorite free apps to download to your devices. Because as much as we love all the useful, fun, and entertaining apps we recommend here, admittedly we l…

Of course I've heard about Minecraft . How could I not? The crazy best-selling, square-loving video game is practically everywhere and has been for years now. I also knew the super skinny basics on Minecraft: It's all about virtual, 3-D …