Even if your child is too young for their own mobile phone, they're undoubtedly fascinated by yours. And unsurprisingly, developers have caught on: there's literally hundreds of thousands of apps aimed specifically at children now available for iPhone and Android. Unfortunately, they're not all created equal.
If you're a parent looking for engaging, safe, and educational apps for your kids, it can be a little overwhelming finding quality smartphone content. So we've rounded up some of our favourite fun apps for pre- to high-schoolers below, with more to come in the future.
To keep things simple, we're sticking to apps that are free to download and play, and that don't feature the option to make in-app purchases. Most of the apps here are also ad-free, so overall provide a safe environment for your kiddos to play, explore and learn.
And if you're concerned about your phone bill, we've also included handy information on the difference between free apps, paid apps, and in-app purchases.
Apps for preschoolers
ABC KIDS iView
Available on: Google Play, App Store
ABC KIDS is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's preschool-focused digital channel, and its iView app gives younger kids easy one-touch access to clips and full episodes from a wide range of educational and fun programs. KIDS iView is free to download and use, doesn't include annoying ads, and offers a video library including Play School, The Wiggles, Peppa Pig, Octonauts, Thomas and Friends and Bananas in Pyjamas.
The downside? Unlike ABC's main iView app, ABC KIDS doesn't yet support Chromecast. However, if this isn't a dealbreaker for you, ABC KIDS iView is a fun and safe way for little ones to enjoy their favourite programs, and includes parental controls and an easy child-friendly interface.
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Sesame Street's Breathe, Think, Do app is designed to teach younglings vital problem-solving and de-stressing skills. Your kiddo will help a colourful Muppet monster friend solve problems by staying calm, making plans, and seeing what works best. Kids can pick solutions, see them in action, and participate in "Breathing with the Monster" to learn self-soothing breathing techniques.
Breathe, Think, Do also features a great parents' section, which offers additional insight and resources for helping younger children learn to solve problems without a toddler-typical meltdown. And of course, the app is free to use, completely kid-safe, and super adorable.
Sago Mini Babies Dress Up
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Developer Sago offers a number of bright, engaging apps aimed at preschoolers, and Dress Up is a cute (and completely free) introduction to the company's products. Colourful and easy to use, Dress Up Mini Babies sees your child pick an animal character, then swipe through a range of options for clothes and accessories. The selected animal avatar will react to each clothing choice, so it's up to players to find the combination that keeps their animated buddy happy.
Once your child has dressed up all four animal friends (including a cat, dog, bird and bunny), they can take a screenshot of their dress-up success for your phone's photo gallery. Dress Up is simple, but engaging for younger players, and is a great first step into the Sago world: once your child has mastered Dress Up, you may want to consider paid apps such as Sago Mini Town, Sago Mini Apartments or Sago Mini Road Trip.
LEGO DUPLO Town
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Give little fingers a chance to build, explore and play with LEGO'S DUPLO Town app, which has been designed to help develop toddler-specific skills such as cause-and-effect. Simple and visually engaging gameplay allows your child to build and demolish houses, explore the DUPLO environment, and play with on-screen characters and pets.
DUPLO Town features easy navigation and an automatic save function, so your child can return to his or her virtual town for later play. It's a great way to help younger kids develop motor skills and express creativity, and - best of all - there's no danger of stepping on discarded LEGO in your bare feet.
Pokémon Playhouse
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Cultural phenomenon Pokémon has a huge fanbase of adults and older kids, and now Pokémon Playhouse brings the popular pocket monster game to under-5s. This free app lets your child collect, play with, and hatch a range of cuddly and colourful Pokémon; kids can explore the app's Playhouse, play games to hatch new monsters, and enjoy Pokémon-themed stories and songs.
Pokémon Playhouse is not as complex as the original Pokémon game, so it's an ideal way to introduce preschoolers to the series. There's no in-app purchases or incentives to buy, and no reading or math skills are required to enjoy the games and activities. Gameplay is easy and exciting, and helps to develop your child's motor and memory skills in a fun, interactive environment.
Apps for primary school aged kids
ABC ME iView
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Like the aforementioned ABC KIDS iView, ABC ME iView is an on-demand streaming service aimed at younger Aussies: however, where KIDS focuses on preschoolers, ABC ME airs content for children aged 5 to 12. As with ABC's other apps, all content is ad-free and there's nothing to pay, and parental controls are available so you can keep an eye on your child's viewing habits.
The app features a variety of Australian and international kids' shows, including Degrassi: Next Class, Arthur, The Legend of Korra, Wallace and Gromit, Horrible Histories, Backyard Science, and Good Game. Your kids can choose from cartoons, live-action comedy and drama, documentary-style real-world reporting and even sports, so there's something for everyone.
LightBot: Code Hour
Available on: Google Play, App Store
This free-to-play puzzle game is a fun and challenging way to introduce kids and teens to computer programming and coding. As nerdy as that sounds, the gameplay itself is straightforward but addictive - simply come up with the right sequence of steps, turns, and jumps to help the on-screen robot light up selected squares.
Once your kid has the hang of the moves, it's up to them to figure out the best way to get their robot from A to B. Children don't need any coding or programming experience to play, and once they've mastered the 20 included levels, can move on to more advanced Lightbot apps, such as Programming Puzzles or SpriteBox.
Socratic - Math Answers & Homework Help
Available on: Google Play, App Store
Ideal for older primary school students, Socratic is the ultimate homework helper that will see them through to high school (and beyond). If your child is stuck on a homework question, they can simply snap a photo of the problem, submit it to Socratic, and receive an instant answer, including step-by-step problem-solving, explanations and video.
Socratic uses artificial intelligence to identify and answer questions, and covers a huge array of school subjects (including science, history, English, and a variety of maths disciplines). Answers are provided with sources and, for mathematics, a breakdown of each solution, so students are actively learning - not just parroting answers. And in great news for parents, Socratic is completely free to use, with no in-app purchases or pesky advertising.
Wizard School
Available on: App Store
Designed for kids aged 7 and up, Wizard School hides its educational properties in a series of fun, creative challenges. Children can pick from topics such as science, music, design, or languages, and tackle cool and shareable challenges through videos, images, and drawings. Completed tasks earn virtual coins, which can be used to 'buy' stickers and tools within the game, and all of your kid's creations can be shared safely with family and friends.
Wizard School is free to download and use, with no in-app purchases and plenty of parental monitoring options. It's a great way to encourage creativity in kids over a variety of subjects and mediums, and as all content is curated by educators, each challenge is designed to make learning fun, safe, and effortless. The downside? It's currently only available to iOS users.
LEGO DC Superheroes Chase
Available on: Google Play, App Store
The second LEGO entry on our list is the DC Super Heroes title, which is designed for players aged between 5 and 12. Kids can select from their favourite DC heroes (Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman), pick a mission, and enjoy a wild street chase in pursuit of of DC Super Villain. Or, if your child is on the rebellious side, he or she can instead play as the Villain, and attempt to outwit the Heroes and take over the on-screen city.
This app is funny, full of action, and age-appropriate for primary schoolers - so there's no bad words, violence or adult storylines. As with most LEGO apps, there's also no ads or in-app purchases, so your child can play in a safe on-screen environment. DC Super Heroes Chase is a fun game option for kids that won't teach them bad habits (and is totally free to play).
Paid apps and in-app purchases
While all the apps we've listed in this article are free, you will find some applications require you to pay an upfront charge to download and use them. If you do tap on a paid app, you'll receive a pop-up asking you to sign in or verify your account before making the purchase, so you're unlikely to buy an app by accident.
Other apps are free to download, but feature in-app purchases - the ability to buy added features or extras from within the app. This mostly applies to games, but again, if you are using an app with this feature, you'll be prompted to confirm your purchase via your Apple ID or Google account before buying.
None of the apps listed here include in-app purchases, so there's no risk of your child accidentally spending money. However, some apps may be a free, smaller version of a premium paid app (for example, LightBox); they're still absolutely free to use, but you may want to upgrade to the full version later on.
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