Keep kids engaged and prevent summer slide with these fun, educational apps.
† Pricing note: Prices are checked against each vendor's official website or help center at the time of writing, but vendors change plans and prices at any time. Always confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site before purchasing. How we review and verify →
Khan Academy Kids offers free, comprehensive early learning content covering reading, math, and more for children ages 2-8.
ABCmouse offers a full early learning curriculum with thousands of activities for children ages 2-8.
SpellingJoy ELA is a voiced, interactive English Language Arts curriculum for ages 5-10. The child plays a ~20-minute daily lesson alone - the AI tutor reads aloud, the child builds words with tappable tiles, reads back (speech recognition), and writes with AI feedback. Phonics-first, standards-aware, a full 36-week year per grade. Parents review the week's work. It is an AI tutor, not a state-accredited program, and is not COPPA/FERPA certified - parental consent and supervision are the parent's responsibility.
SpellingJoy is a 100% free spelling practice platform for K-6 students. Unlimited spelling games, unlimited tests, 134+ word lists, custom list creation, and progress tracking - all completely free with no subscriptions and no hidden costs.
Epic! provides access to a library of 40,000+ children's books, audiobooks, and educational videos. $84.99/year or $13.99/month.
Reading Eggs provides a comprehensive reading program for children ages 2-13 with lessons, games, and books.
SplashLearn offers game-based math and ELA practice for Pre-K through 5th grade. Known for engaging gameplay that keeps kids motivated.
Starfall teaches reading through systematic phonics with engaging activities for Pre-K through 5th grade.
Summer slide - the learning loss that happens over break - can be prevented with just 15-20 minutes of daily practice. Mix reading, math, and spelling apps to cover core skills. Consistency matters more than duration, so build a short daily routine rather than long occasional sessions.
Khan Academy Kids (comprehensive K-8 learning), SpellingJoy (unlimited free spelling practice), and Starfall (early reading and math) are all completely free with no subscriptions. Prodigy also offers a generous free tier for math practice.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends balancing screen time with physical activity. For educational apps, 20-30 minutes per day is effective without causing fatigue. Many parents find splitting this into two short sessions works best - one in the morning and one after lunch.
Children as young as 3-4 can benefit from age-appropriate apps like Starfall and ABCmouse. For focused academic practice, ages 5 and up tend to get the most benefit. Always supervise younger children and look for apps designed specifically for their age group.
Summer apps should prioritize fun and engagement over rigid curriculum. Look for game-based learning, reward systems, and variety to keep kids motivated without the structure of school. Apps like Prodigy and SpellingJoy turn practice into play, which helps maintain consistency over the break.
Khan Academy Kids is our top pick for summer: free comprehensive learning across subjects, which makes it the one app that can carry a whole summer routine covering reading, math, and more. For math-focused practice alongside it, Prodigy turns equations into an adventure game that kids actually want to play, and ABCmouse covers ages 2-8 with a full early learning curriculum.
If you want summer to follow a plan, SpellingJoy ELA is a complete homeschool English year - reading, phonics, grammar & writing for ages 5-10 - voiced so your child does a short daily lesson on their own while you get a weekly report. See the homeschool English year. (An AI tutor, not a state-accredited program.) SpellingJoy is the best free option for summer spelling practice - unlimited games, tests, and word lists with zero cost.
And if your child is an avid reader, Epic provides thousands of books to keep them turning pages all summer long.
About the Author
SpellingJoy Team
The SpellingJoy team is dedicated to creating free, high-quality spelling resources for K-6 students and their families. We test every app we review and provide honest assessments to help parents make informed decisions.
SpellingJoy+
$2.99/month. All printable packs, teaching resources, premium packs. Cancel any time.
