Top 8 Parent-Approved Child Development Apps to Try with Your Preschooler at Home
In today's digital world, the screen time debate is one every parent is familiar with. We worry about passive consumption, the endless scroll, and whether our children are truly benefiting from their time on a tablet or phone. But what if we could reframe screen time from a necessary evil to a powerful educational tool? The key isn't to eliminate screens entirely, but to be incredibly intentional about the content our preschoolers engage with.
As a parenting consultant, a question I, Goh Ling Yong, hear constantly is, "Which apps are actually good for my child?" It’s a valid concern. The app store is a digital jungle, filled with flashy games that promise learning but often deliver little more than distraction. The goal is to find apps that act as a launchpad for curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking—not just a digital pacifier. A great educational app should be a partner in your child's development, encouraging active participation and sparking conversations long after the screen is turned off.
That's why we've done the digging for you. We've sifted through countless options to find the gems that are not only loved by kids but are also rigorously designed to support key developmental milestones. This list features eight parent-approved child development apps that turn screen time into a dynamic, interactive learning experience. From pre-reading and early math to coding logic and emotional intelligence, these are the tools you can feel good about integrating into your preschooler's day.
1. Khan Academy Kids: The All-in-One Powerhouse
If you could only download one educational app, this might be it. Khan Academy Kids is a completely free, non-profit-backed app that offers a robust, curriculum-aligned learning path for children aged two to eight. It’s an entire preschool in your pocket, developed by experts in early childhood education from Stanford. The app covers a vast range of subjects, including reading, phonics, writing, math, logic, and social-emotional learning, all woven into a delightful and engaging interface.
What sets Khan Kids apart is its adaptive learning technology. The app adjusts the difficulty of activities based on your child's performance, ensuring they are always challenged but never overwhelmed. The content is delivered through a cast of charming animal characters who guide children through stories, activities, and creative exercises. There are no ads or subscriptions, ever, which is a huge relief for parents tired of navigating in-app purchase prompts. It’s a safe, high-quality environment where learning truly comes first.
Pro-Tip: Use the "Library" tab together with your child. This section is a treasure trove of books, videos, and activities organised by topic. If your child is suddenly fascinated by dinosaurs or space, you can dive into the library to find curated content that fuels their curiosity. Read the stories aloud with them and ask open-ended questions like, "What do you think will happen next?" to build comprehension skills.
2. Homer: The Personalised Path to Reading
Homer is a powerhouse when it comes to early literacy. This app is hyper-focused on creating a personalised "learn-to-read" plan for your child based on their current skill level and interests. When you start, you'll take a quick, game-like assessment that identifies your child's strengths and weaknesses in phonics and letter recognition. From there, Homer builds a step-by-step pathway that grows with them, from learning the sounds of letters to reading their first stories.
The magic of Homer lies in its ability to tap into what your child loves. Does your preschooler adore vehicles, animals, or fairy tales? The app incorporates these interests into the lessons, making the process of learning to read feel relevant and exciting. Beyond phonics, it includes a massive library of digital storybooks, songs, and creative activities that build vocabulary, general knowledge, and a genuine love for reading. It masterfully combines the science of reading with the art of play.
Pro-Tip: After a lesson on a specific letter sound, go on a "sound hunt" around your house. If the lesson was on the letter "B," challenge your child to find as many things as they can that start with that sound: "ball," "book," "banana," "bed." This simple game connects the digital lesson to the physical world, reinforcing their learning in a tangible way.
3. LEGO DUPLO WORLD: Building Creativity and Spatial Skills
For generations, LEGO bricks have been the gold standard for open-ended, imaginative play. LEGO DUPLO WORLD brilliantly translates that experience into a digital format. This app isn't about rigid rules or high scores; it's a virtual playground designed to spark creativity, problem-solving, and pretend play. Children can explore various scenes, such as a train station, an amusement park, or a farm, using digital DUPLO bricks to build structures and interact with characters.
The app is fantastic for developing spatial reasoning and fine motor skills as children manipulate the digital bricks. It also subtly introduces foundational concepts like cause-and-effect and number recognition through its interactive play scenarios. For example, your child might need to figure out how to build a bridge for a car to cross or help an animal find its food. These mini-challenges encourage critical thinking within a fun, low-pressure environment.
Pro-Tip: Use the app for "co-playing." Sit with your child and build something together in the digital world. Then, grab your real-life DUPLO bricks and try to recreate your digital masterpiece. This bridges the gap between the screen and hands-on play, enhancing the learning value of both experiences.
4. Sago Mini World: The Ultimate Pretend Play Sandbox
Sago Mini World is a universe of pure, unadulterated imaginative play. It gives children access to over 40 award-winning apps in one subscription, each set in a whimsical world populated by adorable characters like Harvey the dog and Jinja the cat. There are no instructions, no time limits, and no right or wrong answers. Kids are free to explore, experiment, and create their own stories, whether they're designing a custom monster, running a superhero camp, or exploring the ocean floor.
This open-ended structure is incredibly valuable for social-emotional development. As children direct the characters and invent narratives, they are practicing empathy, exploring social roles, and making sense of the world around them. The app is thoughtfully designed with delightful surprises and humorous animations that reward curiosity and keep little ones engaged. It’s a joyful and safe space for preschoolers to exercise their most powerful muscle: their imagination.
Pro-Tip: Use the app as a story-starter. After your child plays for a bit, ask them to tell you about the adventure they just had. "What did Harvey the dog do at the airport? Who did he meet?" This encourages narrative skills, vocabulary development, and sequential thinking. You can even draw pictures together to illustrate their Sago Mini story.
5. Toca Boca (Toca Lab: Elements): Making Science Fun and Accessible
The Toca Boca studio is legendary for creating digital toys that champion play, and Toca Lab: Elements is a standout for budding scientists. This app introduces preschoolers to the periodic table in the most playful way imaginable. Forget memorising symbols; here, each of the 118 elements is a unique, quirky character. Kids get to "play" in a laboratory, using tools like a centrifuge, a cooling agent, and a Bunsen burner to see how the elements react and transform.
There are no high-stakes experiments, just pure discovery. What happens when you heat up Neon? What happens if you spin Gold really fast? The app encourages a trial-and-error approach that is fundamental to scientific thinking. It demystifies science and presents it as an exciting process of exploration and curiosity, laying a wonderful foundation for future STEM learning without ever feeling like a lesson.
Pro-Tip: Connect the app to real-world kitchen science. After playing with the heating tool in the app, talk about how you use heat to cook an egg or boil water for pasta. When using the cooling agent, connect it to making ice cubes in the freezer. This helps your child see that the principles of science are all around them.
6. Moose Math: A Playful Adventure in Numbers
Created by the same team behind Khan Academy Kids, Moose Math focuses specifically on early numeracy skills. The app transforms math into a series of fun adventures set in a whimsical world. Kids join the "Duck Moose" characters to complete activities that align with core early math curriculum, including counting, addition, subtraction, geometry, and measurement.
The app features several different mini-games, each targeting a specific skill. In the "Moose Juice" store, kids practice counting and addition by making smoothies. In "Pet Bingo," they solve simple math problems to earn new pets for their collection. The narrative structure and reward systems are highly motivating for preschoolers, making math practice feel like play rather than a chore. It builds a positive and confident relationship with numbers from a very young age.
Pro-Tip: Bring the "Moose Juice" store to life! Get out some cups and use pom-poms, beads, or snack items like blueberries and grapes as "ingredients." Call out smoothie orders like, "I'd like a smoothie with 3 blueberries and 2 grapes!" and have your child count out the items. This hands-on activity powerfully reinforces the one-to-one correspondence and simple addition they practice in the app.
7. Code Karts: Pre-Coding Logic for Little Racers
Introducing "coding" to a preschooler might sound intimidating, but Code Karts breaks it down into its simplest, most essential form: logic and problem-solving. The app uses a simple drag-and-drop interface where kids place directional blocks to navigate a race car through a track. It's an incredibly intuitive way to introduce the fundamentals of sequencing and conditional logic ("if this, then that").
The game starts with very simple, straight tracks and gradually introduces more complex challenges, like obstacles and colour-coded boosters. This gentle learning curve builds confidence and teaches children how to break down a larger problem into smaller, manageable steps. They are learning the foundational thinking skills required for coding without typing a single line of code. It’s a fun-first puzzle game with powerful cognitive benefits.
Pro-Tip: Create a real-life "Code Karts" game. Use pillows and toys to create a simple obstacle course in your living room. You be the "race car," and have your child give you directional commands to navigate the track: "Take two steps forward! Now turn right! One step forward!" This hilarious game reinforces the same sequencing and logic skills in a physical, screen-free way.
8. Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings: Building Emotional Intelligence
Based on the beloved PBS Kids show, Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings is an essential tool for social-emotional learning (SEL). This app provides a safe and interactive space for preschoolers to explore and understand a wide range of emotions, from happiness and excitement to frustration and sadness. The app features simple games, sing-along songs, and drawing activities that help children identify and name their feelings.
One of the most powerful features is the "Feeling Finder," a digital photo booth where kids can take pictures of themselves making different emotional faces. The app also includes many of the catchy "strategy songs" from the show, like "When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four." These memorable jingles give children a practical, easy-to-remember toolkit for managing their big feelings in a healthy way.
Pro-Tip: Integrate the strategy songs into your daily life. The next time your child gets frustrated while trying to build a block tower, start singing, "When you're feeling frustrated, take a step back, and ask for help." Hearing the familiar song from the app can act as a powerful emotional anchor, helping to de-escalate the situation and reminding them of a constructive coping strategy they've already learned.
The Best App is an Interactive One
Choosing the right app is only the first step. The true developmental magic happens when you engage with the content alongside your child. As we often discuss on the Goh Ling Yong blog, these digital tools are most effective when they serve as a catalyst for conversation, curiosity, and real-world exploration.
Think of these apps not as a replacement for parenting, but as a new kind of interactive book or educational toy. Sit with your preschooler, ask questions about what they're doing, celebrate their successes, and help them work through challenges. By turning screen time into shared, quality time, you can unlock its full potential to support your child's incredible journey of growth and discovery.
What are your family's favourite child development apps? Do you have a pro-tip for making screen time more interactive? Share your gems in the comments below—we’d love to learn from your experience
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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