Best Kindergarten Apps for the iPad

Kids are constantly absorbing new information from when they turn six months old. The older they grow, the more cognitive awareness they will have. Learning becomes second nature for them, and discovering how to use an iPad will open a new world. You can choose from hundreds of educational kindergarten-level apps that are engaging and fun. Although many have in-app purchases, you can try out the free version to see which ones your kids love the most.

Best Kindergarten Apps

Dr. Seuss’s ABC

This app takes all the favorite characters created by Dr. Seuss and teaches kids different reading skills. They can choose to read a book or have it read to them. Tap on the pictures to see the corresponding word and hear how it is pronounced. Or touch individual words or letters to listen to their sound. This app encourages independent play and gives children control over how to play.

Moose Math

Math doesn't have to be tedious or difficult. Moose Maths helps kids learn skills such as subtraction, counting, and addition in a simple but fun way. There are five multi-level activities, and kids can earn rewards to build their city and decorate buildings. The app also includes colors, shapes, geometry, and sorting. Moose Math also consists of a section where parents and teachers can monitor progress.

Endless Reader

Endless Reader focuses on sight words and phonics in a fun and interactive way. Words appear on cards in a monster's mouth, and kids can complete interactive word puzzles with dancing letters. This app focuses on sight words and helps children recognize them. Recognizing sight words is essential when learning how to read because these often have an unusual spelling that cannot be sounded out using phonics knowledge or represented using pictures.

Reading Eggs

This app has won multiple awards for its ability to help kindergarteners learn reading skills. It includes more than 3000 digital storybooks, phonics skills, phonemic awareness, and sight word recognition. More than 20 million children use and love Reading Eggs, which features spelling games, word puzzles, and nursery rhymes. The app also includes guided reading lessons and is based on the latest research on learning principles for children.

Little Finder ABC

A solid foundation will make way for easy learning. Little Finder ABC helps little ones learn the letters through fun games they can play with someone else. As they search for the hidden objects, they will find letters and know how they sound and look.

How to Keep Your Kids Safe?

1.     Set Up Parental Control Settings

You can set up the iPad to help you restrict certain content from your kids. You can block or limit specific apps and features. In addition, you can determine the settings on the iPad for explicit content, privacy, and purchases and downloads. You can implement these settings from the iPad’s inbuilt parental control settings. Or you can download apps such as Qustodio, which offer parental control features such as app and content filtering and screen monitoring. Third-party apps give you additional control over the iPad’s settings and another layer preventing your child from hacking the safety features.

2.     Vet the Apps

Good kindergarten apps provide an educational experience while the child is having fun. However, how do you know that it is safe and that your child won't receive explicit content while playing? Research is one way of putting your mind at rest. Start by reading the reviews. Make sure you go for apps with hundreds, if not thousands, of positive reviews. See what their main concerns are and that there are no complaints about not being age appropriate. Respectable developers will always have a website listing all their apps and contact information. Also, avoid downloading apps from websites or social media. Instead, download the apps from the App Store or Google Play Store. Both have a strict vetting procedure before allowing new apps in the store.

 3.     Education is Key

Don't let your guard down even if you chose a kid-friendly app, and set up the iPad's parental controls. Have a conversation with your child, even at a young age, about internet safety. Use age-appropriate language to explain safety procedures, such as never giving out personal information online. Or to inform an adult when someone approaches them.

4.     Set Usage Limits

Even though an app is educational, it does not mean kids should spend hours playing online. The American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry recommends not more than one hour of non-educational screen time per weekday and up to three on the weekends. Remember that most kids use a screen at school, so it all adds up. You can set a time limit on the iPad Pro 12.9 – once that is up, they get off the sofa and do something else. Organize play dates, take them to a sports activity or give them chores around the house.

5.     Use an iPad Cover

An iPad cover will safeguard your device against any slips or falls, especially when a young kid is using it. The best iPad Pro 12.9 case on the market is by Zugu, which offers you military-grade protection in a five-foot drop against concrete.