How can you best support growing and curious minds using your classroom screen? To help you, we’ve shortlisted the ten best apps to educate, engage and excite your preschoolers by putting them in charge of their learning using our interactive screens. Research in the U.S has shown that four-year-old’s learnt new words from an interactive touchscreen app played just once for 10-12 minutes, so give the below apps a try in your classroom and make the most of your smartboard by encouraging collaborative and interactive learning.
1. GoNoodle
Free trial available
App available from the CommBox store
GoNoodle is a trusted teacher application, providing hundreds of lessons around physical and mental wellness and education through a range of activities and routines that incorporate both sensory and motor skills. GoNoodle promotes ‘good energy’, and seeks to fuel the minds of children through the joy of being silly, mindful and curious.
2. Khan Academy
Free
App available from the CommBox Store
Khan Academy is an award-winning free educational app that uses an adaptive learning path, ensuring each child can learn at their own pace. Teachers can set up their classroom within the app, and guide their young learners through early skill development in literacy, reading, writing, language and math all while encouraging creativity and social skills.
3. Sesame Street
Free
Web-based app (www.sesamestreet.org)
Loved by children around the world since 1969, Sesame Street revolutionised children’s programming and has been a benchmark for educational content ever since. You can now share the characters who once taught you with your preschoolers, as your favourite Sesame Street characters can now be found online! The website is host to a huge range of interactive videos, artwork and games, as well as holiday-themed activities to educate and entertain your preschoolers.
4. Toddler Puzzle
Free
App available from the CommBox Store
An educational puzzle game where your preschoolers match letters, numbers, fruits, vegetables, animals and more. Puzzles aid in developing their memory skills, as well as their ability to plan, test ideas and solve problems with the aid of a visually engaging interactive screen.
5. My Colouring Book
Free
App available from the CommBox Store
Turn your screen into a vibrant and immersive colouring book. Targeted at early learning, the interactive My Colouring Book app is full of your favourite animals, and is a fun opportunity to promote concentration, motor development and hand-eye coordination in young children.
6. Moose Math
Free
App available from the CommBox Store
Moose Math educates via a mathematical adventure (with a Moose!) covering counting, addition and subtraction, sorting and more. The developers of this app recently merged with the excellent Khan Academy, combining their passions for bringing world-class learning apps to everyone, free of charge.
7. Magic Alphabet
Free
App available from the CommBox Store
The alphabet is the building block of literacy, so we created a simple and fun app to help you teach your preschoolers their alphabet. Increase letter recognition by using your touch screen, which lets them trace the letter while listening to the sound.
8. ABC Mouse
Requires a paid subscription
App available from the CommBox Store
Covering topics including reading, math, science, art and colours, ABCMouse Early Learning Academy offers a full online curriculum for children ages 2 – 8. The app has a fantastic virtual map outlining your preschoolers learning path and progress, keeping them engaged in a dynamic and immersive way.
9. LingoKids
Free trial available
App available from the CommBox Store
Developed by experts in early childhood learning, and certified by Oxford University Press, LingoKids teaches English literacy through songs and games, while also developing their communication, critical thinking and creativity skills.
10. YouTube Kids
Free
App available from the CommBox Store
A video app made exclusively for kids, which includes popular children’s videos delivered in a easy to use format. The app provides your preschoolers with a more contained environment to in which to explore child-appropriate and child-friendly video content.