What to Put on a Kid’s Tablet: 6 Apps for a Well-rounded Development

What are the must-have apps to install on a new kid’s tablet? Here’s a quick guide to six apps that help kids learn various things while having fun. These apps cover reading, math, open-ended play and creativity, speech/language development, spatial awareness and logical thinking.

Key Apps for Kids:

1. Epic!: A digital library with 40,000+ books and audiobooks to improve reading skills.

2. Funexpected Math: Interactive math and logic learning with digital tutor for ages 3–7, over 10,000 tasks

3. Toca Life World: Encourages social skills, creativity and storytelling through open-ended play.

4. Speech Blubs: Supports speech and language development with peer-led videos and fun activities.

5. LEGO DUPLO World: Develops spatial awareness and problem-solving with themed digital building packs.

6. Thinkrolls: Teaches logic and basic physics through engaging puzzles for ages 3–8.

Quick Comparison Table

These apps are designed to balance fun and education while keeping kids safe. Use them to build critical skills and make screen time meaningful!

1. Epic!

Epic! is a digital reading platform offering access to over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and videos. With a 4.7/5 rating from 512,000 App Store reviews, it’s a favorite among parents - 95% of them report their children show better reading skills after using the app [3][4].

Educational Value: Boosting Reading Skills

Epic! helps kids build literacy with features like:

• Interactive "Read-To-Me" books narrated by professional voice actors

• Vocabulary tools, including an audio-enabled Dictionary Lookup

• Comprehension quizzes to test understanding

• A Spotlight Words feature to strengthen vocabulary

"Epic strikes the perfect balance between educational and fun, and should allow parents to feel more confident about introducing the iPad into their children's daily lives as a tool." - TechCrunch [3][4]

Engaging Features for Young Readers

The app keeps kids interested in reading with:

• Audio-enhanced books featuring music and sound effects

• Reading Buddies that guide kids through stories

• Achievement badges to celebrate milestones

• Interactive quizzes to reinforce what they’ve learned

Content for All Reading Levels

Epic! offers curated material for kids up to age 14, with tools that ensure kids get age-appropriate content that supports their literacy journey.

"Epic is incredibly valuable because it gives students exposure to books that they wouldn't get from a library or our classroom." - Cindy, Epic Educator Ambassador [3][4]

Parents can create up to four child profiles. The platform also includes books in Spanish, French, and Chinese, making it a great option for language learning as well [3][4].

Next, find out how Funexpected Math transforms early math challenges into interactive learning.

2. Funexpected Math

After building literacy skills with Epic!, it's time to focus on numbers, shapes and logic with this interactive math app.

Educational Value: Math Concepts and Problem-Solving

Funexpected Math helps young learners dive into early math through 10,000+ tasks spread across 675 lessons. The app emphasizes number sense, spatial awareness, early coding, and logic. Studies show that children using the app for just two 15-minute sessions a week can progress up to three times faster than average [2].

Interactivity: Math Games and Exercises

The app keeps kids engaged with a variety of interactive formats:

Education in Funexpected Math is lead by an AI-tutor. She tailors the program to a child, scaffolds learning, asks guiding questions instead of serving up answers, introduces math terms, and provides hints when needed.

Age-Appropriateness: Math Learning for Ages 3–7

Funexpected Math tailors its lessons to suit the developmental stages of young learners:

Safety: Data Protection and Ad-Free Learning

The app is designed with child safety in mind, following COPPA and FERPA guidelines. It also undergoes KidSAFE recertification every year. It offers an ad-free experience, secure data handling, and parent-controlled settings. Its dedication to quality education has earned recognition, including the Kidscreen award, EdTech Breakthrough award, and Webby People's Choice award [5].

"This app provides an engaging math learning experience without being too much of a game or nothing more than a digital worksheet. The kids love Funexpected and often ask if they can play during free time."
– Eric, STEM Teacher, Academy at the Lakes, Florida [20]

3. Toca Life World

Educational Value: Storytelling and Social Skills

Toca Life World helps kids dive into storytelling while learning social and emotional skills[7]. Children explore social situations, practice empathy through role-play, improve communication, and learn about diverse cultures. These elements are wrapped in engaging, interactive features.

Interactivity: Customization at Its Best

This app takes creativity to the next level with its customization options:

The Character Creator tool allows players to adjust details like height, skin tone, hairstyles, facial features, and outfits. This feature is easy to access and enhances gameplay [9].

Age-Appropriateness: Designed for All Ages

Toca Life World offers experiences tailored to different developmental stages. It encourages open-ended play and creativity. According to Play Design Lead Petter Karlsson, the app is all about letting users build, create, and express themselves.

Key features include:

• Open-ended exploration

• Storytelling opportunities

• Collaborative play scenarios

• Problem-solving through world-building

Safety: A Secure Environment for Kids

Toca Life World provides a safe space with age-appropriate content, inclusive character options, and parent-controlled in-app purchases.

With millions of downloads [6] and recognition as an Editors' Choice app [8], Toca Life World is a hit among families. It boasts a 4.3-star rating on Google Play [6] and 4.2 stars on the App Store [8], reflecting its strong reputation for safety and fun.

4. Speech Blubs for Language Skills

Educational Value: Speech and Language Development

Speech Blubs uses video to help children learn through engaging demonstrations by their peers. According to a UCLA study, children learn more effectively when observing other kids[11]. The app includes over 1,500 exercises, developed with input from more than 1,000 speech therapists, to support speech and language growth[10][11].

"Speech Blubs provides a fun, interactive digital addition to the support you can give your child's communication at home!"[10]

Now let’s dive into how the app keeps speech practice fun and interactive.

Interactivity: Speech Practice Activities

Speech Blubs keeps kids engaged with a variety of interactive features:

These activities are tailored to meet the needs of different age groups.

Age-Appropriateness: Speech Exercises by Age Group

The app is suitable for kids as young as 12 months and is helpful for children with Down syndrome, articulation issues, or Autism Spectrum Disorder[10]. Speech Therapist and Audiologist Natalie Barnes highlights its versatility:

"There's something for everyone in Speech Blubs. It's not just an articulation app or a language app, for example. It's a multi-dimensional app that has lots of different elements."[10]

Safety: Privacy Protection Measures

Speech Blubs ensures a safe, private learning environment with these key features:

• Strict data protection policies keep personal information secure

• Face data stays on the user's device only

• The TrueDepth camera system is used solely for gameplay purposes

• The app complies fully with COPPA regulations[12]

With 4.6-star rating from more than 26,900 App Store reviews, Speech Blubs has also earned awards like the Social Impact Award and Mom's Choice Award[11].

5. LEGO DUPLO World

Educational Value: Developing Spatial and Problem-Solving Skills

LEGO DUPLO World takes the fun of building blocks and turns it into a digital activity. Kids can improve spatial awareness and problem-solving skills by creating virtual structures with colorful 3D bricks [13][14].

Interactivity: Themed Play Packs for Hands-On Fun

The app offers a variety of interactive play packs, each focusing on different skills:

These activities combine hands-on creativity with critical thinking, keeping kids engaged and learning.

"Sharp, colorful graphics are very responsive to kids' touch. And it's fun to see them come 'alive' as they move or make sound." [15]

Age-Appropriateness: Perfect for Toddlers and Preschoolers

LEGO DUPLO World is designed for children aged 1.5 to 6 years, offering multi-touch features, helpful parent tips, and seasonal activities like guiding eggs to nests [13]. It has earned recognition with awards such as the Kidscreen Best Learning App Winner 2021 and the KAPi Award for Best App 2020 [13].

Safety: Secure and Kid-Friendly Design

The app provides a safe environment with strict content controls and tools to encourage healthy screen habits. It complies with FTC COPPA Safe Harbor standards and has been downloaded over 10 million times, boasting a 4.2 stars on the App Store [14].

6. Thinkrolls: Kids' Logic Games

Educational Value: Problem-Solving and Logic

Thinkrolls uses puzzle-based gameplay to introduce kids to basic physics concepts. Through fun challenges, children learn about force, acceleration, buoyancy, heat, elasticity, and gravity in an easy-to-understand way [16]. With 207 puzzles, the app sharpens critical thinking and builds skills like:

Interactivity: Engaging Puzzle Mechanics

Each level presents a physics-based challenge, encouraging kids to use logic and solve problems.

"Adorable physics platformer creates little problem-solvers." - Amanda Bindel [16]

The app, which earned an Editor's Choice award [16], adjusts its challenges to suit various age groups, ensuring an engaging experience for all.

Age-Appropriate Difficulty Levels

Thinkrolls offers two difficulty modes tailored to different age groups:

This setup allows children to progress at their own pace while staying engaged and appropriately challenged.

Safety: A Secure Gaming Experience

Thinkrolls is designed with child safety in mind, offering:

• Privacy Protection: No collection of personal data or location sharing

• Offline Access: Fully functional without an internet connection

• Ad-Free Experience: No ads or in-app purchases

• Parental Controls: A secure area for adults to manage settings

The app complies with both COPPA and GDPR [16][17], ensuring a safe and secure environment for young players.

Conclusion

After reviewing the features of each app, it's evident that combining the right digital tools can make early learning more engaging and effective. Apps like Epic!, Funexpected Math, and the rest of the above show how digital tools can support skill development in meaningful ways.

Making the Most of Educational Apps

Interactive apps are especially helpful for learning, particularly in STEM subjects [1]. However, their success often hinges on how they're used. Here are some practical strategies:

Building Healthy Digital Habits

To ensure a balanced approach to digital learning, consider these tips:

Research highlights that screen time can benefit toddlers and preschoolers when the content is high quality [18]. However, with 58% of so-called "educational" apps labeled as low quality[1], it's essential to choose apps that encourage critical thinking and meaningful interaction within an app.

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