The past 2 years have taught me to embrace many things that my blissfully-niave-(and lets face it- annoyingly judgy) pre-COVID self would have shuddered to consider— nasal swabs, masks, elbow bumps and, yes, loads and loads of screen time for my littles.

Sure, I’d rather have my kids engaged, and playing and exploring the world with their two little legs and their awesome little brains. But, you know what? Mama’s got to work (and sleep and cook and clean and all the other things) and so sometimes that screen’s got to come back on.

But, in order to appease that old inner Karen, I’ve done a lot of researching the best educational apps and websites that can keep my littles busy. I asked family and friends, I read endless best lists and reviews, and explored and downloaded each and every one. So without further ado- here is my list of the top educational apps and websites to keep your toddler and elementary school-aged kids busy while stuck at home.

The Best Educational Apps and Websites for kids ages 3-8

Reading:

As someone who loves to read, watching my kids learn to read has been a parenting joy I never even imagined existed. We read all the time with our boys and it thrills me to see the boys reading together. But, these days? With full-time jobs and full-time parenting, I couldn't possibly read to them as much as they would like. Reading apps have been a nice supplement to the time we do spend with our beloved books.

• Teach your Monster to Read- Children ages 3-6 create a monster and take it on a magical journey improving their reading skills as they progress. Free on computer, $5.99 for the app

• ABC Mouse- This comprehensive, graduated learning program for kids age 2-8 takes kids on a learning adventure with games, books, puzzles, songs, and art. Free 30-day trial

• PBS kids reading games: Through the PBS site and app, you can stream videos and play games categorized by skill or character. The games themselves are pretty basic, but the kids love seeing their favorite characters, such as Wild Kratts, Pinkalicious, and Clifford. Free.

• Kahn Academy kids was created at Stanford and designed to inspire kids to love learning. It offers math, reading, writing, and socio-emotional games and activities for kids ages 2-7. Free on Apple and Google Play

• Homer Reading: We started with Homer when my oldest was 3. He loved the stories and the games, and we loved the research-based, personalized learning path that allowed him to learn through the subjects he was passionate about. The system is developed as an early reading program and is best suited for ages 2-7. Free 30-day trial, $7.99/mo thereafter.

Virtual Storytimes

One of the things I’ve been missed the most over COVID is storytime. I miss the warm cozy feel of my littlest's cuddly body curled up on my lap while someone else reads a story to us. But, in the time of Corona, we can do the same thing- but this time with a screen.

• Brooklyn Public Library- The librarians at the Brooklyn Public Library are offering live virtual storytimes on their Facebook page every weekday at 11am.

• Storytime Online- This mom of 2 reads popular children's books on her YouTube Channel.

• Storyline Online- This fun creation by SAG has videos of famous actors reading children's books of all kinds. You can see Bette White ready Harry the Dirty Dog or A Tale of Two Beasts read by Sarah Silverman.  

• Penguin Kids- Authors of the famous Penguin children's books are reading their stories at 11am each weekday on their Instagram account.

• Oliver Jeffers- The author of The Day the Crayons Quit reads one of his books each day at 11am EST live on Instagram.

Math:

My oldest always struggled to enjoy math- he got it, but he never really had fun with it. The math apps though- they make a game of it and now my little ones not only really know their math facts- they think it’s fun to play with numbers!

• Kahn Academy Kids- Kahn Academy is a super cute and interactive app for very young math learning- counting, number identification, and basic number concepts- developed by the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Free on Apple and Google Play

• ABC Mouse- Offers a step-by-step learning path based on age and experience in reading, math, social studies, and emotional skills with games, puzzles, and stories as well as rewards for each completed activity. The app is free for 30 days during the COVID19 crisis.

• Monster Math: Follow Monster Maxx on his quest to save his best friend while you complete various math-based activities to move through the journey. My somewhat math adverse oldest played Monster Math for 45 minutes happily today. Free for a 7-day trial, then 29.99/year after that.

• Splash Math: This visual learning, personalized, and adaptive path to math fluency is curriculum-based and has content for Kindergarten to Grade 5. The games are discontinuous but offer more variety than some of the other programs Free 7 day trial, $7.99/ mo. after 

• Moose Math: This fun, free app for Kindergarten and 1st graders, from the makers of Kahn Academy Kids, is based on the common core standards. The game provides rewards for kids when they complete an activity that allows them to build their own city. It's super cute, very kid-friendly and engaging and FREE.

Science:

My oldest is a huge science buff. Everything becomes an experiment, he is always testing "hypotheses," and he loves to observe, find, and collect. During the early COVID quarantine days, his favorite days on our calendar were science days. But I quickly started running out of experiments and activities to keep him amused. Spangler Science and these other apps came to my rescue in a big way- giving me tons of new ideas and experiments to try out ourselves.

• National Geographic Kids- This fun and educational site offer games, videos, animations, and puzzles about nature, animals, and the world. Some of its content is reading-heavy and, therefore, best suited to the older set, but the videos and games are great for everyone. Free.

• Code Spark- Coding isn't just for future tech wizards. Coding teaches problem solving, logic, math, and science. CodeSpark is a super engaging and interactive way for kids to learn the basics of coding through puzzles, challenges, games, and free coding opportunities. Free for 7 days, then $9.99 thereafter

• Cape May Zoo School- The Cape May Zoo is one of our favorite summer visits with its airy, park-like feel and its vast array of animals. During their 2020 pandemic closure, they broadcasted a tour and animal lessons daily that they have kept collected on their website.

• Spangler Science/ Spangler Effect:  The TV personality and Ellen favorite, Steve Spangler, offers cool, exciting experiments you can do at home on his youTube channel and website.

• Exploratorium Activities and Apps- The amazing San Fransisco Exploratorium is offering all of its activities, experiment, and apps completely free. The site is pretty reading-heavy, so likely better suited for older kids. 

Movement/ Yoga/ Meditation:

No matter what’s keeping us at home these days- snow days, quarantines, or closed facilities- just because we don’t have anywhere to go, doesn’t mean my littles don’t have LOTS of wiggles. So we got a little desperate to get them out sometimes- these apps have been an awesome supplement when Mama isn’t up for the 500th round of freeze tag.

• Cosmic Kids Yoga- Created by a yoga teacher in 2012, this app started out as youTube videos (and can still be seen on YouTube for free). She has since created an ad-free, upgraded app version that offers her signature yoga videos as well as meditations categorized by topic, length, or age. Free 2 week trial, $9.99/mo. after

• Go Noodle- Kids love this free and silly app and website, which offers video-based dance, yoga, and meditations. Free.

• Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame-  Your young child will laugh and learn as they help a Sesame Street monster friend calm down and solve everyday challenges with their Breathe, think do strategy. Free.

• Ninja Focus: Your little ninja will go on a journey of guided meditation, mindful activities, and yoga through this clever and engaging app designed to improve focus, sleep, and mood. Free with paid expanded content.

Music:

Nothing compares to being with other people making music together, but we don’t always have access to the music classes we love. During the initial stage of the pandemic, we were thrilled when 2 of our absolute favorites created online versions of their classes- my boys were thrilled.

• Mr. John’s Music: Mr. John’s Music is a Philadelphia treasure and legend. Classes regularly sell out within hours of posting online because parents enjoy the sessions as much as kids do. During the initial stage of the COVID crisis, they offered weekly Vimeo videos which have grown into a huge library of digital offerings. Grab some shakers and rock out to these awesome creatives.

• Music Super Heroes- Is a sweet, very kid-friendly app that teaches the basics of music theory- tempo, notes, rhythm, and instruments through a series of games and musical experiences. Kids get stars for completing games which "buys" them instruments from which they can record their own original songs. $1.99 in iTunes and Google Play.

Arts and Crafts

There are few better ways to explore the world and express your creativity than with arts and crafts. But I can exhaust myself with all the Pinterest searching that I have to do in order to keep my little crafters entertained. Enter- art apps and videos- they’re engaged and I get a free moment to read something other than “the 50 best at home crafts for toddlers.”

• Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems- These youTube based videos were a bright spot in our stay-at-home days and thankfully the Kennedy Center has kept them all archived to be enjoyed over and over. The Elephant and Piggie author reads his books, teaches kids to draw his characters, and speaks calmly and directly about this strange time we are all going through. Free printables are available for most episodes as well.

• Art for Kids Hub – This how-to-draw youTube series is a wonderful resource for the aspiring artist who wants to draw practically anything. Their YouTube channel offers tons of free video explanations and examples.

• Kids Art Spot is an app created by one of my favorite mom bloggers, The Artful Parent. The app includes art videos, drawing prompts, printable activities, and art invitations. 4.99-9.99/month.

Audio stories and Podcasts:

You've heard me talk about my love of audio stories for kids before. Not only do they teach incredible lessons, inspire their imagination, but they foster creativity and reflection in a way that other mediums can't. We use audio stories for quiet time, car rides, and whenever either of our kids just wants some quiet time alone. Both of my kids LOVE their audio stories, and I love all the joy, calm, and curiosity they bring.

• Sparkle Stories- Ever since my oldest gave up his nap over 3 years ago, he has been listening to sparkle stories faithfully every single day. These wholesome original audio stories are categorized by topic, age, character, or series and offer kindness, learning, and compassion with each word. This fantastic resource is offering a 30-day trial during the COVID crisis.

• StoryNory- is another excellent audio story option with free original, fairytale, educational, and children's classic stories.

• Story Pirates: Story pirates are a bunch of actors and comedians that act out stories written by kids resulting in complete silliness and fun.

• Wow in the World:  This science-based podcast explores the wonders of the world in a super fun and kid-friendly way that will inform even the most avid fact gatherer.

What are your go-to apps when you’re littles are stuck at home?

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