App stores list hundreds of thousands of apps in their education categories, and most of them carry the word "learning" somewhere in the description. Very few have been tested with children. The good news is that learning scientists have described what makes an app genuinely educational, and parents can apply the same test in a few minutes.
An app is not educational because it shows letters and numbers. It is educational if it makes a child think actively, stay focused on the learning, connect it to real life, and ideally talk about it with someone else.
In 2015, a team of developmental psychologists led by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek reviewed decades of research on how children learn and proposed four features that make an app educational. They are a useful checklist for any app or show.
Tapping and swiping is not the same as thinking. A good app asks the child to make choices, solve a problem, predict what happens next or build something. If the child can "win" by tapping randomly, it is not active in the way that matters.
Many apps are full of sound effects, animations and rewards that pull attention away from the content. Research on e-books for young children has found that heavy "bells and whistles" can reduce story comprehension. Look for apps where the fun is the learning itself, not a distraction from it.
Rote drills of isolated facts tend to stay inside the app. Learning sticks better when it links to things the child already knows, such as counting real objects, telling stories about their own day, or exploring animals they have seen.
Children learn more when they talk about what they are doing. Apps designed to be used with a parent, or that prompt a child to explain their thinking, tend to be more valuable than ones built for silent solo use.
Researchers who analyzed popular apps for young children found that many contained advertising and design features meant to extend play or prompt purchases. These are worth watching for:
Slow-paced shows with a clear educational goal, interactive picture-book apps that read aloud without too many animations, and simple open-ended creative apps such as drawing or building. Co-viewing matters most at this age.
Apps that practice skills at the right level and adapt as the child improves, such as reading and math practice, plus creative tools for making music, stop-motion films or simple code. Look for apps that show progress to parents.
Children can benefit from more open tools: coding platforms, language apps, documentaries, research for school projects and creative software. At this age, the question shifts from "is this app educational" to "is my child creating and learning, or mostly consuming".
For children under five, the AAP's one-hour guidance applies to all screen media, including educational content. For older children, the AAP focuses less on a single number and more on making sure screens do not displace sleep, physical activity, homework and family time. Educational content is a better use of screen time, but it still uses time, and an hour of a well-designed app does not replace an hour of play, reading a paper book or being outside.
Generally no. Shared reading of a printed book with a parent produces more conversation and better comprehension in young children than most digital formats. Apps can complement books, not replace them.
App store listings usually state "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases" near the install button. Children's apps without either are a good starting point.
See our full citation list on the Sources & Research page. This article was written and reviewed following our editorial standards. It is general information, not medical advice for your child.
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