36 best apps for preschoolers

Take baby panda Lu on a whirlwind trip through the city! Scoop ice cream, play hide-and-seek, and get a new panda hairdo. Free, play.google.com

Welcome to the office. Play with the printers, photocopiers and laptops, have lunch at the café and stop by the bank–but don't forget to pick up your kids at daycare! $4, play.google.com

Take a drivethrough town and meet dozens of neighbours. Mini games help preschoolers practise counting, sorting and more. $3, itunes.ca

Thomas fans, this one's for you: There are tracks to build, worlds to decorate and train sets to create, piece by piece. Free, itunes.ca

Let your budding botanist’s curiousity lead the way by letting her discover 35 plant characters that evolve when experimented with. $3, play.google.com

Your tot will love watching over five toddlers, exploring interactive rooms and finding treasures. Ages 5 and under. $4, itunes.ca

Join the Sago Mini Superhero, Jack the Rabbit, and help him explore on his adventures! Ages 5 and under. $4, itunes.ca

Ready, set, build! Create a house with building blocks and see some surprises pop up along the way. Ages 5 and under. $2, itunes.ca

Get your car in line! In My Little Work Garage your kid will do it all: wash, oil change, fix tires and more. The cars will be good as new! Ages 6 to 8. $3, itunes.ca

This app is an interactive musical playground where kids can learn the music basics, like notes, pitch, rhythm and melody. Ages 6 to 8. $6, itunes.ca

Math comes to life with this award-winning app featuring colourful and relatable characters to slice, stack, combine and sort. Ages 6 to 8. $11, itunes.ca

What makes our bodies tick? Kids can investigate, and learn about the heart, guts, lungs, eyes, skin and more. Ages 6 to 8. $6, itunes.ca

Go on an exciting journey with the whole family around a tiny alien world. Earn badges while taking tons of pictures. Ages 5 and under. $3, itunes.ca

Teach your kids empathy and encourage an understanding, confident, and creative personality with this app that helps kids grasp why people are different. Ages 5 and under. $4, itunes.ca

Meet some very adorable monsters that would love to teach your kids the alphabet and how to read in this interactive educational app. Ages 5 and under. Free, play.google.com 

Reading is fun with Ooka Island’s more than 1,000 games and 85 eBooks for kids in preschool to grade two. Ages 5 and under. Free, itunes.ca

Your kids can go on a shopping spree and play games with Apple Blossom, Kooky Cookie, Lippy Lips and all their other Shopkins friends. Ages 6 to 8. Free, itunes.ca

With more than 100 words, this is a great app for young learners. Your child can drag and drop letters to learn how to put popular words together. And it’s not just about spelling—there are also audio cues to learn how to pronounce words. Ages 10 and under. Free, play.google.com

Take a trip around the world to meet more than 100 different cute wildlife pals! Match animal patterns in the jungle, play letter games in the Arctic and more. Ages 5 and under. $3, itunes.ca

If your preschooler needs a little help learning their first words and mastering handwriting, this award-winning app might do the trick. It rewards kids with certificates for great work, and you can also receive weekly emails that help you monitor their progress as your little one learns how to write letters with her fingers. Ages 5 and under. $10, itunes.ca

Inspire your kid’s creativity and curiosity with this app. They can explore a variety of topics like geography, science and sports and create fabulous projects using videos, photos and drawing tools. All ages. Free, itunes.ca

Your kids can play more than 10 educational mini-games to help Cookie Monster build a delicious machine. Ages 5 and under. $2, itunes.ca 

Explore four beautiful international homes, learn about different cultures and decorate along the way. Ages 6 to 8. $3, itunes.ca

Yum-Yum Letters is a fun way to introduce your littlest bug to handwriting. Watch as your child skillfully masters the art of writing letters with a little help from their friends, a cheery catepillar and a fluffy spider. Ages 5 and under. $6, itunes.ca

Help your child develop their handwriting skills with Trace It, Try It! Guided and independent letter and number tracing will allow your child to practice handwriting in a fun and engaging way. Ages 5 and under. $4, itunes.ca

In Cookie Monster’s alphabet kitchen, your child will bake words into tasty cookies and decorate them too! With the help of Chef Elmo, your child will learn how to combine letters to create words. Ages 5 and under. $4, itunes.ca

Sing along to classic nursery rhymes from your childhood! Read along narration will help your child learn the words to favourites such as Old MacDonald, The Wheels on the Bus, Humpty Dumpty, and more! Ages 5 and under. Free, itunes.ca

Mathie, a preschool number skills game, will develop your child’s basic problem solving skills. Using numbers and shapes, these interactive mathematical puzzles will test your child’s skill level over 18 chapters. Ages 5 and under. $4, itunes.ca

Everyday objects are transformed into musical instruments in Duckie Deck Homemade Orchestra! Your child will explore their creative thinking by combining different homemade instruments to play songs. Ages 5 and under. $4, itunes.ca

In this digital playspace for kids, your child will sort, feed, and keep track of colourful critters all while developing their cognitive, motor, and attention skills. Ages 5 and under. Free, itunes.ca

Read more:
37 best apps for toddlers 11 cool STEM apps for kids 16 best spelling apps for kids