In the era of applications (apps)

Many moons ago I remember watching a Hindi movie called " Yaadein" in which the lead character says that he as invented a website, something .com and he says that in the coming days this is going to rule the world. I got thinking, I was like 14/15 and did not understand a word of it. Cut to 24 years later, we all know the reality. We all live under the shadows of the apps. When I go for my son's school drop off's sometimes, I forget my phone in all the morning chaos, suddenly that 10-15 minutes time periods feels refreshingly long. I feel I have so much time to do so many things. It's not even funny, because the kind of dependencies we have with our phones.

The boon or bane of technology usage is a topic for another day, today we shall try and make use the best of technology possible to parents. In the era of apps where you can literally do anything using an app, there are a few gems that would benefit the very hard-working parents to work a little, you know smartly! I have listed down a few apps that would help parents of different age groups to handle different age-appropriate challenges. Most of the apps have been used by me at different times for different reasons, hence I can vouch for the benefits. Some of them are free, while some are trail and pay based. Anything you choose to try is completely your choice. So here we go. Below are the listed apps.

Best Learning Apps for Ages 2–4 (Toddlers & Preschoolers)

1.Khan Academy Kids (Free | No Ads)

• Focus: Alphabet, numbers, rhymes, reading readiness

• Why I Love It: Aligned with early childhood curriculum and fun storytelling.

I discovered this app during covid-19, helped me immensely. It is child friendly, no over the top stimulating music or graphics for young children. Large variety of topics covered and there are small tests too. I have made the maxim use of this app and enjoyed too.

2. PBS Kids Games

• Focus: Educational games with popular cartoon characters

• What I love: Completely ad-free and safe

It is fun and safe. I am not a big fan of most of the cartoon characters that children are being exposed to, but there are more damaging things out there. But here some cartoon characters like Curious George are used, hence there is no harm in giving this a try.

3.Google Bolo (Now Read Along)

• Focus: Reading skills in English and Indian languages

• What I love: Voice assistant helps guide the child

Out of the hundred things that Google keeps rolling apps everywhere, this app has my heart. It is an app that helps children to improve their reading skills. It encourages them to read aloud, which for their age is very important (age 2--4) It gives them instant feedback. Very safe too.

Best Learning Apps for Ages 5–8 (Kindergarten to Grade 2)

4. ABCmouse (Free Trial | Paid)

• Subjects: Reading, Math, Science, Art

• Structure: Offers a learning path tailored to each child’s level

It has games, puzzles, worksheets and many fun activities. The app also has a paid version. I have not tried the paid version, but I did hear very good feedback from people who have tried it. ABCmouse is a member of the kidSAFE Seal Program.

5. BYJU’S Early Learn App

• Focus: Math, English, and EVS

• Special Feature: Disney-themed content makes it highly engaging

• Curriculum: Indian (CBSE & ICSE)

I think I need not elaborate here because of the heavy marketing they have done for their brand. The marketing kind of took over the content they were providing and the constant calls they did to attend trial classes and the spamming kind of ruined their brand rather than helping. Nothing can take away from the fact that they do provide good content. The design and structure are amazing. Graphics used are very smart. Helpful. Beware of the scammers who call using their names.

6. Epic! (Free for teachers)

• Focus: Huge digital library of 40,000+ books and audiobooks

• Best For: Building strong English reading habits

If you are an avid reader like me, who will read a lot of stories and use them to convey different messages to your children, then this app is perfect for you. It does not have any inappropriate content nor shows any ads! This app has some of the rare stories that may not be popular among people or internet but are solid and can create deep and meaningful impact. As parents or teachers, we can weave these stories across during any conversation and convey different learnings to our children.

Best Learning Apps for Ages 9–12 (Primary School)

7. Toppr

• Curriculum: CBSE, ICSE, and state board

• Subjects: Maths, Science, Logical Reasoning

• Best For: Exam prep with interactive videos

Last I read, it was acquired by Byju's and did face some user interface problems. But I have checked and worked on it recently and it seemed to be running fine. This is helpful for children, safe and does not show any inappropriate content. This cannot be rated as the most loved app, but you can definitely give it a chance

8. Scratch & ScratchJr (MIT)

• Focus: Creative Coding

• Why I think it's cool: Kids can make their own animations, games, and stories

  My son loves this app. It is amazing and your kids will be completely smitten by it. It is also included in his school computer lab as well. He creates so many things on it. I need to learn from him as to how is he doing so many wonderful magic tricks on it. Very helpful, safe and not at all overwhelming with graphics and other images.

9. Duolingo

• Focus: Learn English, French, Spanish, Hindi, and more

• Fun Element: Game-style lessons with daily streaks

I recently used this app as my son wanted to learn French. I told him to first learn one version of his mother tongue (we are from north part of Karnataka which has a different dialect, and we live in Bangalore that has a different dialect, and he mixes both Kannada dialects and speaks, do not ask me why, I have my reasons, and I am not proud). So yes, learning French is on hold as of now due to other challenges with school and sports, but you can make the best use of it if your kid loves languages and wants to explore and enjoys different languages. After all we all have now become global citizens!

10. YouTube Kids

• Educational videos, rhymes, STEM projects

• Parental control enabled

Forever eternal and evergreen app for all age groups! You can never go wrong with this app. I need not recommend it either. It always keeps running in the background if you have toddlers at home!

Conclusion!

We cannot escape technology in this day and age, what we can do is to make the best utilization of everything we have on our platter. In the ocean of apps, these are some of the corals I could find, tried and tested. If you know anything more apart from these, share your experiences. Every child learns differently. These top-rated apps in 2025 are safe, engaging, and full of learning potential. Whether your goal is reading, coding, or curriculum support, there's an app for that! You know I feel the happiest when you guys share your feedback! So please do share your feedback. Looking forward! Also write to me about the topics you would want to discuss on my blog!

Thank you and loads of love

Pooja