10 Best iPad Apps for Preschoolers

When my husband got his iPad for Christmas last year he had no idea that it would soon be commandeered by our two children. So this year when thinking of things to ask for from Santa, he thought it’d be awesome if Santa just brought the kids their own iPad mini. Problem solved!

Since the kids opened up their new iPad I’ve been on the hunt for great apps to load for them. Here is a list of the 10 best iPad apps for preschoolers that we’ve found and enjoyed over the past few weeks!

You’ll notice that quite a few of them are from PBS Kids. Since my kids love their programming, they also are much more interested in apps that include their favorite show’s characters. Plus, quite a few PBS Kids apps are free or low cost! And you can always catch up on your PBS Kids shows by downloading the PBS Kids app.

10 Best iPad Apps for Preschoolers

1. Interactive Alphabet –

Positively, the BEST Alphabet experience from crib to kindergarten! My daughter spends most of her time tracing letters and saying the words after she finishes tracing the letters. She’s 3 and LOVES the interaction with each individual letter as well as with the words included. You can explore, trace, and type letters and words! Find it in the app store here, $3.99.

2. PBS Kids Cybershape Shape Quest –

Help your animal friends return to their homes in this augmented-reality game! These 3 fun-filled educational games deal with spacial reasoning, geometry and problem solving. My son absolutely loves the game aspect of it and doesn’t even realize how much he’s learning as he plays! Find it on the PBS Kids website, FREE.

3. Zoorchestra –

Who says classical music cannot be fun? Zoorchestra is a fun and easy to use musical app for kids. Your child can change the instruments, tempo, and much more in this interactive music app created by a father! Find it in the app store here, $1.99.

4. PBS Kids Wild Kratts Creature Math –

Practice addition and subtraction skills with your favorite pair of brothers – the Kratts! With Wild Kratts Creature Math kids will learn both math and science skills, as well as fun facts about animals across the world. Find it on the PBS Kids website here, $1.99.

5. ABC Mouse 26 A-Z Music Videos –

Download the ABCmouse.com Music Video app and watch 26 animated music videos, one for each letter of the alphabet! I love how this app pairs well with Interactive Alphabet when my daughter becomes more interested in each letter. She’ll ask me to pull up a letter and then watch and enjoy the video while asking me about A words or B words, etc. Find it in the app store here, FREE.

6. PBS Kids Play at Home with Daniel –

Make everyday experiences interactive with Play at Home with Daniel. Parents can even join on the fun as kids visit the doctor, get ready for bed, and more with Daniel Tiger! My daughter plays this over and over again going through Daniel Tiger’s day, including playtime, bedtime, daily hygeine, and a fun sticker book! Find it on the PBS Kids website here, $1.99.

7. Monkey Preschool Lunchbox –

Monkey Preschool Lunchbox is a collection of six exciting educational games for your preschooler (ages 2 to 5). It seems to be quite the favorite amongst my friends and upon their recommendation I’ve downloaded it for the kids. You can find more about this app here, $1.99.

8. PBS Kids SUPER WHY Phonics Fair –

It’s Phonics Fair time! In this app from the hit PBS KIDS preschool series SUPER WHY, kids ages 3-6 celebrate as they learn reading, word-building and phonics skills through classic carnival-themed games. And even though my children are pre-reading, they LOVE being able to recognize letters and the sounds they make. Find it on the PBS Kids website here, $2.99.

9. Tozzle Lite –

Tozzle Lite is the free version of a fun puzzle app that preschoolers love. Children drag and drop shapes to fill in the empty shapes in the picture helping them learn shape recognition and spatial reasoning, and there is assistance after three tries. Once my daughter masters this version I’m sure we’ll upgrade to the paid app. Find it in the app store here, FREE.

10. TeachMe: Toddler –

This app is an educational app that teachers six different preschool appropriate subjects: letters, abc phonetics, numbers, shapes, colors and counting. Parents can choose which topics they want their child to learn and even choose specific questions. By being able to check up on my kids progress, I can see where they are excelling and where they may need help if they ask. Find it in the app store here, $0.99.

What’s your preschooler’s favorite app?

Disclaimer: I received one or more of these apps for free in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.