Here's how to choose learning apps for kids: pick apps that make your child think, not just tap, with a clear learning goal and few distractions, and try them together first. Then check the App Store privacy label, ads and in-app purchases, and set parental controls before your child plays on their own.
Calling an app "educational" is easy. In a 2015 report in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest, researchers led by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek noted that more than 80,000 App Store apps were described as education or learning apps, yet there were no science-based standards for that label. Drawing on decades of learning research, they described four "pillars" that make an app more likely to help children learn:
Active. The child has to think, not just tap and swipe. The authors call this "minds-on" activity. Steering a spaceship by swiping doesn't count. Solving a navigation puzzle does.
Engaged. The app keeps the child on the learning task. Noise, movement or side games unrelated to the goal pull children off task.
Meaningful. New ideas connect to the child's own life. Their example: hunting for triangles at home and photographing them beats picking a triangle out of a lineup.
Socially interactive. The app gives children reasons to interact with others, including talking about what they learned with parents and teachers.
Not every good app has all four, but apps that do are more likely to lead to real learning, especially when they have clear learning goals.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), through its HealthyChildren.org site, shares tips for healthy digital habits that apply to learning apps too:
Choose quality content to use together as a family.
Make a family media plan that balances time with and without devices, with screen-free times and places such as meals and bedtime.
Keep routines predictable for younger children, with time limits. Built-in timers make it easier to stop when time is up.
Teach children to recognize ads.
Check settings. Set parental controls and privacy settings at the most secure level, and talk about whether your child can make purchases.
Our guide to family screen time rules covers writing a family media plan in more detail.
In the US, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). According to the FTC, its main goal is to put parents in control of what information is collected from their young children online. It protects children under 13 and covers apps directed to children that collect personal information. Covered apps must:
post a clear privacy policy about the information they collect from children
give parents direct notice and get verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children, with limited exceptions
let parents review the information and have it deleted
keep the information secure and only as long as needed
not require a child to give more information than is reasonably needed to take part
Personal information is broader than a name or email. The FTC says it includes persistent identifiers, such as a device identifier or IP address, that can recognize a user over time and across apps. It can also include photos, video and voice recordings of a child.
What this means for you: if a children's app asks your child for their name, email, photo or location without involving you, think twice.
Apple asks developers to describe their app's privacy practices, including those of third-party partners whose code is in the app. On each app's product page, you can see some of the data types the app may collect and whether that data is linked to you or used to track you. A short label is a good sign. Remember that the label is the developer's own report, so read the privacy policy too.
The FTC warns that some kids' games say they're ad-free but still show ads for paid features, and that a game subscription may not unlock everything. Its advice:
Read reviews and ratings, and watch videos of people playing before you download. Look at reviews with your child.
Use parental controls to turn off in-app purchases or require a password for every purchase.
Talk about family rules for apps and games.
For a step-by-step look at spotting ads before you download, see our guide to games without ads on iPhone.
Goal: can you say in one sentence what the app teaches?
Thinking: does your child have to reason and choose, or just tap fast?
Focus: are there flashy extras or side games unrelated to the goal?
Level: does it fit your child now, and can it get easier or harder?
Mistakes: does it help your child learn from a wrong answer?
Real life: does it give you something to talk about or try off-screen?
Data: what does the privacy label list, and is any of it used to track?
Accounts: does it ask your child for a name, email, photo or location?
Ads: are there ads, and are they aimed at getting kids to buy?
Costs: what's free, what costs money, and are purchase controls on?
Chat: can strangers message your child?
Stopping point: does it have natural breaks, or does it push for one more round?
Play the app yourself for a few minutes before handing it over. Then play with your child. Ask what they're doing and why. Connect it to real life: after a counting game, count the stairs. The AAP also lists warning signs that media use is becoming a problem for younger children, such as constant arguing about media or losing interest in other activities. At any age, screen time that gets in the way of physical activity, healthy eating or bedtime is a red flag.
They can be, but quality varies a lot. Apps that are active, engaging, meaningful and social are more likely to help children learn, especially when a grown-up is involved.
COPPA is a US law, enforced by the FTC, that protects the personal information of children under 13 online. Covered apps must get verifiable parental consent before collecting it, with limited exceptions.
Check the App Privacy section on the App Store page, then read the app's privacy policy. Be cautious with apps that ask your child for personal details.
Use your device's parental controls to turn off in-app purchases or require a password for every purchase, as the FTC suggests.
Brainy Bucks: Math & Reading comes from the same developer as this site, so hold it to the same checklist. It has no ads, accounts, chat or third-party analytics, keeps learning data on your device, and its App Store privacy label lists purchase history, not linked to you. It's free to download with optional in-app purchases, and Child Mode shows no prices or purchase buttons, with purchases and settings behind a parent PIN.
Get Brainy Bucks free on the App Store
Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions (Federal Trade Commission)
What to know about kids and video games, ads, and unexpected payments (FTC Consumer Advice)