Best Free Educational Apps for Four Year Olds

Khan Academy Kids covers early literacy, early math, and social and emotional skills in one app for children ages 2 to 8. The app includes 4,000 plus activities, videos, and books, and families and teachers can use the full app at no cost. There are no ads and no in-app purchases in the family version, which makes it easy for a four year old to use with less adult help during a short session.

• The pricing page lists a separate option for schools and districts at $5 per student per year.
• That option is for schools, not for a family at home.
• Choose this app first if you want one free place for reading, math, and stories, and if you want to avoid a monthly charge while your child is still i

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PBS Kids Games brings together 280 plus free curriculum games for children ages 2 to 8, with characters from shows such as Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Lyla in the Loop, Weather Hunters, and Carl the Collector. The App Store listing shows the app as free, and the games are described as kid tested and designed for young children. A four year old who already knows one of the shows will find a familiar character in each game, which can help a shy child start a new activity.

• This app works best as a second app next to a reading app, because it does not set out a full reading or math path on its own.
• Choose it if your child learns best through play with known characters, and if you want a free app with no subscription screen in the way of a short p

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Duolingo ABC is a free learn to read app for children from preschool to grade 2. Its App Store listing describes more than 700 hands on lessons covering the alphabet, phonics, sight words, and vocabulary, and it states that the app is free with no ads and no in-app purchases. The official Duolingo ABC page describes a phonics curriculum based on guidance from the National Reading Panel, with lessons on letter sounds, handwriting, sight words, and vocabulary.

• Lessons are short and game like, so a four year old can finish one lesson in a few minutes and then stop.
• The app also works offline, which helps on a car ride or in a place with weak Wi-Fi.
• Choose Duolingo ABC if reading is your main goal and you want a free phonics path.
• Pick a different app if you also need math, science, or a wider preschool curriculum in the same place.

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Starfall began as a free service to teach children to read, and it still offers free reading activities on its site. A Home Membership costs $35 per year and serves a single family household, including grandparents, for one year on computers and mobile devices. The membership adds complete access to more than 700 activities, including expanded math and reading content for PreK to grade 5, plus added songs and rhymes.

• The in-app subscription is $5.99 per month, which costs more over a year than the $35 website membership, so check both routes before you sign up.
• Choose Starfall if your child responds well to songs and simple phonics games, and if you want a low yearly cost rather than a monthly charge.

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ABCmouse is a structured early learning program for children ages 2 to 8, with separate Reading and Math Learning Paths and more than 13,000 activities in its Premium version. Basic Access is free, with no payment or trial required, and it gives limited access to a chosen set of up to 10 learning activities per day for one child profile. Premium Access adds unlimited learning, personalised grade level content, immersive worlds, and support for up to three child profiles.

• The monthly Premium plan costs $14.99 per month, with a 30-day free trial for web signups.
• The annual Premium plan costs $79.99 per year on ABCmouse.com, or $69.99 per year through the Apple App Store or Google Play.
• Choose ABCmouse if you want a set learning path.
• Start with Basic Access first, because 10 activities per day may be enough for a four year old.

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Lingokids is a play app for children ages 2 to 8, with games, songs, and videos across subjects that include math, reading, science, social and emotional skills, music, and English. Lingokids Basic costs nothing, needs no payment details, and never expires. It gives 10 activities per day, refreshed every 24 hours, with no ads, on one child profile.

• Lingokids Plus starts with a 7-day free trial, then costs $13.49 per month or $161.88 per year on the website.
• Plus adds the full library of 4,000 plus games, songs, and videos, offline play, up to four child profiles, and screen time limits.
• App store prices change by country, so check the price at checkout.
• Choose Lingokids if your child likes short games and songs, and if you want a free daily limit that keeps screen time short by design.

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HOMER, from Begin, is an early learning app for children ages 2 to 6, with reading, math, creativity, and social and emotional skills. Begin lists HOMER starting at $6.66 per month, and the app gives a personal learning path that adapts to each child. One subscription covers up to four child profiles, which helps a family with a four year old and a younger sibling who wants to use the same account.

• The web signup gives a 30-day free trial, while signup inside the app gives a 7-day free trial, so the route you choose changes how long you can try t
• There is no ongoing free tier after the trial ends.
• Choose HOMER if you want a personal path for a child aged 2 to 6 and you are ready to try a subscription after the trial.

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Reading Eggs is a bundle of reading and math programs, with Reading Eggs for reading and Mathseeds for math, for children from PreK through grade 2 and beyond. The Reading and Math plan costs $13.99 per month, with the first 30 days free, and it includes all reading and math programs for up to four children. The yearly plan is listed at $74.99 for the first year, then billed yearly at $99.99, and a two year plan is listed at $107.99 for two years, then billed every two years at $199.98.

• A separate Homeschool Max plan costs $41.90 per month or $299 per year, and it adds assignment scheduling and skill mastery tracking.
• The monthly plan renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the next billing date, so set a reminder before the 30-day trial ends.
• Choose Reading Eggs if you want reading and math in one family subscription, and if you have up to four children who can share the same account.

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