If Peppa’s theme tune or the dulcet tones of Ben and Holly are burning a cartoon shaped hole in your head, choose from our roundup of the best learning apps to challenge evolving imaginations with an entertaining approach, and give your brain some peace.
Welcome to the school of distraction, take a seat in our virtual classroom.
Alien Assignment (free at the App store)
Brother and sister duo, Gleep and Glop Gloop, provide clues as to the items they need to repair their family’s spaceship. Using the camera option on a mobile device, kids can snap pictures of ordinary household things such as ‘a light switch’ or ‘something blue’ in order to pass onto the next level. Fret not, your photo feed won’t fill up as they progress, images can’t be saved.
Ages: 3 to 5 years
Duolingo (free at the App store and Google Play)
A former Apple app of the year, this straightforward language learning tool will be a hit with the whole family. Tutoring through the linguistics of the world’s most widely spoken dialects in bite sized pieces, there’s even an option to brush up as Gaelige. Go n-éirí on t-ádh leat.
Ages: suitable for all
Forestry (free at the App store)
Mini games and tasks for your outdoorsy offspring. Set against beautiful woodland backdrops, the nature loving app invites kids to create a world for friendly forest animals. Forage for food, build shelter and get familiar with the workings of the wild.
Ages: 3+ years
Color Shapes (free at the App Store)
The never ending puzzle that keeps tiny minds ticking. By matching and dragging colour to colour and shape to shape, toddlers take the wooden block basics and build on their understanding. With different levels of difficulty to engage all levels of interest and ability it’s a useful exercise in hand eye coordination.
Ages: 2+ years
Toca Hair Salon 2 (free at the App Store and Google Play)
One of the most popular digital toys in the scholastic sphere and one we’d happily relive our childhood styling dreams through. Cut, colour, crimp and curl like a true coiffurist; creative personalities will love watching their ideas come to life. It might also keep tendencies to trim their own hair on the backburner.
Ages: 9-11 years
Fingertip Maestro (free at the App Store)
Requires no musical talent, or taste, the latter being the most problematic, prepare to allow baby Beethoven’s the opportunity to compose. Small hands make light work of the colour coded keys and easy to navigate notes.
Ages: suitable for all
