33 best apps for school-age kids

This digital library gives you unlimited access to 25,000 books, including more than 500 French ones. Free, itunes.ca

Using augmented reality through your device’s camera, kids can create a tower of blocks and watch them come tumbling down. $2, itunes.ca

Be the mother (or father) of dragons with this simulator, which lets you hatch and care for your one-of-a-kind virtual pet. Free, itunes.ca

This mindfulness app lets kids use emojis to check in with their feelings, try mindful missions and earn sticker rewards. Free, itunes.ca

Owie Owie fever has turned some bugs into an evil army. Help George escape by climbing trees and collecting power-ups. Free,play.google.com

Watch over 1,000 videos—from animated originals to kid-hosted shows—on Toca Boca’s new interactive video platform. $7 subscription,itunes.ca

Play fast-paced rounds matching cute Disney emojis. Unlock characters, power up and play missions to boost your score. Free,itunes.ca

Kids can time their brushing time (and earn trophies!) with a dentist-approved Wiggles song and music video. Free, play.google.com

Learn how to spell while upgrading your wheels! Free, itunes.ca.

Move, jump, dance and sing alongside the characters while solving problems and expressing yourself. Free, itunes.ca.

Spin the clay on the wheel, glaze and fire it, then you’re ready to paint! Let your kids’ creativity shine through. $7, itunes.ca.

Get creative while building monsters and altering genes. After all your body parts are there, have fun playing with your monsters! $4, itunes.ca.

This app brings the magic of the outdoors to the comfort of your home. Kids can plant trees, grow forests, raise mountains, scavenge for food and meet exciting animals. $4, iTunes.ca

Blast off into a spelling adventure with this app’s three interactive games, which will target your child’s specific vocabulary skills. From Speedy Spellings to Scrambled Spellings, this download’s colourful characters are a great addition to the learning process. Kids also have the opportunity to decorate their own spaceship and win trophies and stars. $6, iTunes, $5, googleplay

Stop your kids from groaning about chores with Chore Monster. You can easily set up their chores and the rewards they’ll earn. Free, play.google.com iTunes.ca

One of the top features in this game is HangMouse, a fun activity that encourages kids to figure out a word before the cat catches the mouse (think Hangman for spelling). The Missing Letter feature encourages young learners to complete words by recognizing patterns. There is also an option to upgrade this app for premium vocabulary and spelling activities. Free, iTunes.ca

Gain access to over 500 books, more than 200 educational video field trips and a chance to explore 7 islands! Books will come to life and help you child improve their reading skills in a fun way. Get up to 5 books for free and unlock the rest for $10/month, $30/6months and $50/year. iTunes.ca

Learn about the earth and what it’s made of with this app. You’ll get to travel through time to see how the earth has changed, cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions of your own and shape any piece of land you want with just your fingertips. $4, iTunes.ca

This arcade-style game is a win for any iPad-loving family. Created by Oxford University Press, Pip the Parrot is the fly-away spelling guide in this jungle of words. There are lots of opportunities to win awards throughout, and the soundtrack keeps the game fun and lively. Parents will love the multiple profile feature so they can keep track of each child’s progress. $6, iTunes.ca

Enhance your kids’ creativity in math, science, engineering, arts and technology. They’ll be crazy about building their own cars, cupcakes, spaceships and aliens! $3, iTunes.ca

When you choose your child’s grade (grades one through eight), this spelling app will prompt your kid with an age-appropriate word and they’ll have one minute to spell it. After a minute, they’ll either be corrected or not and a new word will be given. Your child will quickly be on his or her way to becoming a spelling champion. Free, Windows

Albert is one smart monkey! He’s also the cuddly character who will help your child memorize important information. For example, when you’re ready to teach your kid their home address and phone number, this game can help. There are also quizzes that will enhance your child’s homework activities. Earn points, get rewards and have fun memorizing and learning to spell. Free, iTunes.ca

Your little engineers will get to explore and understand the physics behind levers, pulleys, inclined planes and more! $4, iTunes.ca

This app focuses on week-by-week spelling progress. As your kid completes each spelling test, they’ll get a reward. Games like Hangman are built into the app, and if you need more spelling ideas, SpellingCity can help with dozens of pre-populated options. Free, play.google.com

Mini entrepreneurs will improve their math skills and learn about economics while running their own cupcake shop. They’ll buy ingredients, set prices, design cupcakes and make tons of deliveries to customers. $5, iTunes.ca

Whether your child is learning three-letter words or 13-letter words, this app and all its little spelling monsters can help. There are a number of mini games built into the download, and you can share spelling lists between devices. The ”parent gate” makes it simple to track your child’s progress, including the length of time each game is played. The focus of this app is comprehensive spelling, but it’s also a whole lot of colourful fun. iTunes.ca, $3; play.google.com, Free

Adults may know Grammar Girl, a real-life woman who has taught grammar to millions (including Oprah!). This educational app is her creation, a perfect complement to what your school-aged kids are learning in the classroom. While this download does teach your kids how to spell, it also helps them to understand articles, nouns and verbs so they’ll be grammar stars in no time. $3, iTunes

Give your child the world with this awesome app. They can fly around the globe and learn facts about every country, meet different people and watch hundreds of videos. $7, iTunes.ca

Read more: Kids' apps we love 2016 10 fun typing games for kids 13 best spelling apps for kids