Including screen time fun for your little one
As a parent, you may be feeling guilty about how much screentime your toddler is having but don’t. The online world is a great place for children to learn and develop their motor skills and problem-solving skills. Like everything, it works great in moderation.
No one can deny that the online world is going anywhere, so getting your toddler used to playing games can really help them in their development, ready for primary school. Knowing how to work a tablet or computer can help your child become mobile literate which is a very useful skill to have.
Many of the apps below can help your toddler with their imagination, number-solving, and reading skills. Think of it as guilt-free screen time that can help them to expand their horizons.
If you are looking for more stay at home activities then have a look at:
The Parents Guide to Things to do With Kids at Home – This is our biggest list of things to do in Hampshire
37 Outdoor Play Ideas for Kids – There is so much to do in Hampshire with kids and you can explore so many different places.
50 Things To Do On A Rainy Day At Home – Worried that you have nothing to do on a rainy day? Then use our list here for the biggest things to do at home.
Things to do in Hampshire Guide
Wondering what to do today? Then our guide for ALL things Hampshire is for you!
If you are looking for things to do in Hampshire with kids then this guide is for you. We have over 200+ ideas that you can use to keep your whole family amused while exploring everything Hampshire has to offer!
Find out more about our Things to do in Hampshire guide here
This is an up to date spreadsheet, in activity order, that you can use when you have no clue what to do. We’ve included everything from country parks, to splash pools, lakes, castles, days out, playgrounds and walks. You get lifetime access to this spreadsheet, so any updates we do, you get them, all included in the price!
13 toddler-friendly apps
These are the best app for toddlers that are free. They are all fun, educational and are games that you can play together.
Khan Academy Kids, Free, App Store & Google Play
Khan Academy Kids is great for helping your little ones to read and write. Perfect for 3 – 7 year olds, they can pick a character and learn while playing.
What we like the most is that you can track your children’s learning as they go and it’s not all about the core subjects, they also cover emotional wellbeing as well.
First Words For Baby, Free, Google Play
First Words For Baby is a great resource for helping your toddler to talk and sound out words. With each word, there is a picture so that they can associate the word with the picture. There is a fun quiz mode for them to try out and the voices can be changed depending on what your toddler likes.
The animation is really cute and makes for a really fun learning experience. You can purchase the paid version which costs £1.99 and offers over 360 words.
Elmo Loves 123s Lite, Free, App Store & Google Play
Elmo Loves 123s is a really cute app that is free to download. It’s full of games and videos that help keep your toddler amused and always learning. The activities include everything from counting objects to tracing to colouring. They do offer a paid version which comes with a lot more games and activities. They also offer an ABCs Elmo app as well.
ABC Kids Tracing & Phonics, Free, Google Play & App Store
ABC Kids Tracing & Phonics is a great tracing app that is great for learning phonics. It is brightly coloured and helps them to form letters. This app is great for toddlers as young as 2 right up to year R. The games are all different and include matching and songs for recognition.
KS1 Science For Kids – Tappity, Free, App Store
Available on the App Store, KS1 Science For Kids is a great problem-solving app with over 100 games that can help improve observation and imaginative play. This app is all about exploring science and the world around your child.
It does have some in app purchases but offers lots of free content as well.
CBeebies Storytime, Free, App Store & Google Play
CBeebies Storytime app is just that, lots of different books, some using well-loved characters and others just well-loved stories. The books can be read to your child or they can read them themselves. Throughout there are games and puzzles to complete to continue the story.
I have found this helps keep my daughter interested. The language used is adventurous so they may need help if reading the books themselves. You do need to download each book separately into the app.
123 Numbers, Free, Google Play & App Store
This is a great free app for Google Play that teaches your toddler how to count and trace shapes. This has no in-app purchases and is great for on-the-go when you need to keep those little hands busy!
123 Numbers is bright and colourful, helping parents and toddlers to play and learn together. You can do everything from number tracing, to learning to count to number matching.
Playtime Island, Free, App Store & Google Play
Playtime Island is great for toddlers as they are based on all the CBeebies programs. The games are all different, covering activities from drawing to spelling and skills from counting to problem-solving.
There are no hidden extras or places that your toddler can go to charge you money. Like all toddler apps, the parent areas have code to put in so that little fingers can’t sneak into the settings. My 3-year-old loves these apps and has done for over a year now.
Lego Duplo World, Free, App Store & Google Play
Lego Duplo World is a great introduction to playing more advanced games. It is simple to play but provides great talking points between you and your toddler. They have to start making decisions about what their character will look like and what they can drive.
These decisions have some consequences, eg the helicopter can reach the higher coins. They also have to work their way through the levels to get more characters. Again no in app purchases which I love.
EasyXylo Xylophone, Free, App Store
This is a great music app for babies and toddlers. They can play tunes and really have fun making their own music. Your toddler can slide between bars easily and and sound is very high quality, just like a real xylophone.
It does offer in-app purchases for more songs and sounds.
Applaydu, Free, Google Play & App Store
Applaydu is all about helping children to be more creative and make their own stories. the game is based around English, Maths and science and lets your little one be as creative as they can be. There are story books for bedtime and games you can play together as a family.
Peppa Pig: Paintbox, Free, Google Play
This is a great game for toddlers to play as it can really bring out their creative side. Pick either Peppa and George and watch your kids choose to either colour in a picture or make their own. The picture becomes interactive with rainbows and muddle puddles. This is also available on iTunes too.
Related Posts:
- The Full List of Country Parks in Hampshire
- 79 Playgrounds Near Me in Hampshire
- 25 Painting Ideas for Kids
Teach Your Monster to Read, Free, App Store
This is free at times and paid at other times depending on the time of year. It offers three different levels from beginner reader to free reader. You can start by picking your monster and dressing them. Then it’s all about reading and following the instructions. It’s a great way to learn phonics.
There are hundreds of free toddler apps out there and although most of them have loads of in-app purchases, some are perfect for little, exploring fingers. If you have any other favourites please comment below so we can provide some sanity to those of us who struggle to keep our toddlers away on long journeys or just to amuse them when we just need 5 minutes.
Laura x
If you enjoyed this post and would like some more ideas on things to do at home then head over to the Staying at Home section where you’ll find loads of creative ideas for things to do at home. You could also pop over and follow our Facebook page here or our Hampshire days out Pinterest boards for lots more ideas on things to do when you are at home; Staying In Ideas With Kids, Kids Craft Ideas and Rainy Days At Home.
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