Best educational videos and games for kids
The useful question is not “video or games?” It is which format helps your child learn something worthwhile without turning every session into an endless attention loop. This guide compares strong options by age, subject, and learning style.
Quick comparison: what each option is best at
These products and channels solve different jobs. A child who needs phonics practice needs something different from a child who wants a science explanation or a parent who wants tighter control over YouTube viewing.
| Option | Format | Often works well for | Strongest use | Parent note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khan Academy Kids | Interactive app | Ages 2–8 | Early literacy, math, stories and practice | Broad free starting point for younger children |
| PBS KIDS Games | Learning games | Preschool–early elementary | Character-led practice and problem solving | Good for short, familiar play sessions |
| Duolingo ABC | Interactive app | Early readers | Letters, phonics and beginning reading | Useful when the learning goal is specifically literacy |
| Numberblocks | Animated video | Preschool–early elementary | Number sense and early math | Pair episodes with blocks, counting or drawing |
| SciShow Kids | Educational video | Early elementary | Science questions, nature and experiments | Best when a parent follows up with a question or activity |
| Art for Kids Hub | Follow-along video | Elementary | Drawing, creativity and step-by-step practice | Moves the child from watching to making |
| WonderKid TV | Parent-controlled video + learning prompts | Families using YouTube learning content | Approved channels, limits, learning goals and watch visibility | Not a general game library; it structures the video environment |
Educational video picks
Video is strongest when the child benefits from seeing an idea demonstrated, hearing a story, watching an experiment, or following a creator step by step.
Numberblocks — early math
Animated number characters make quantities, counting and arithmetic visible. It is especially useful when you pause and recreate the idea with blocks, toys or drawings afterward.
SciShow Kids — science curiosity
Short explanations turn everyday questions about animals, weather, space and the natural world into approachable science conversations.
Art for Kids Hub — learn by making
Follow-along drawing lessons are a strong example of screen time leading directly into an offline activity. The value comes from doing the drawing, not simply watching it.
National Geographic Kids — animals and the world
Useful for children whose motivation comes from animals, unusual facts, geography and real-world footage. Interest-led content can be an effective doorway into reading or projects.
Parent tip: If the videos live on YouTube, decide separately how your child will discover them. A good channel does not automatically make the surrounding recommendation environment a good fit for your family. YouTube Kids itself offers controls such as search on/off and an “Approved content only” mode.
Learning game and interactive-app picks
Interactive activities are strongest when a child needs repetition, immediate feedback or multiple attempts rather than another explanation.
Khan Academy Kids
A strong starting point for younger children because it combines stories, early reading, math and interactive activities in one experience.
- Good for broad early-learning practice
- Useful when you do not want separate apps for every subject
- Works best with a clear stopping point rather than open-ended device time
Duolingo ABC
More focused than an all-purpose learning app. It makes sense when phonics, letters and early reading are the specific goal.
- Short interactive lessons
- Clear literacy focus
- Easy to combine with real books and read-aloud time
PBS KIDS Games
Character-led activities can make practice feel familiar and approachable for preschool and early-elementary learners.
- Broad set of simple game mechanics
- Familiar characters can lower friction
- Best used as one part of a varied play routine
ScratchJr
For children ready to move from consuming media to creating with it, block-based programming introduces sequencing and simple computational thinking.
- Creation rather than passive viewing
- Encourages experimentation
- Good bridge into projects with a parent or teacher
Choose by age and developmental job
Keep it concrete and easy to stop
Look for songs, simple stories, counting, naming, movement and short interactive activities. Co-viewing and repeating ideas in real life matter more than collecting lots of apps.
Connect media to school-ready skills
Phonics, number sense, science questions, drawing and simple problem solving become more useful. This is also a good age to ask, “What did you learn?” after a session.
Shift toward deeper interests and creation
Longer science explanations, documentaries, coding, art projects and subject-specific channels can become more valuable than generic “kids learning” content.
Match the format to the job
Use video to explain or demonstrate; interactive practice to rehearse; books and conversation to deepen understanding; offline play to make it real.
How we chose these recommendations
This is an editorial shortlist created by the WonderKid TV team. No product paid to appear here. We favor resources that make the learning purpose understandable to a parent before handing over the device.
Make educational screen time actually educational
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ current “5 Cs” guidance asks families to consider the individual child, the content, whether media is used to calm, what it crowds out, and ongoing communication. That is more useful than assuming every minute of “educational” media has the same value.
Want educational YouTube without open-ended discovery?
WonderKid TV lets parents choose which YouTube channels each child can access, set viewing limits, add learning-first rules and quizzes, and review watch activity.
Disclosure: WonderKid TV is our product. We include it here because it solves a different part of the problem—the child’s video environment—not because we claim it replaces dedicated reading, math or game apps.
Frequently asked questions
Are educational videos or educational games better for kids?
Neither is automatically better. Video is good for explanations and demonstrations; games are good for practice and feedback. Use the format that matches the learning job.
What is a good educational activity for a 5-year-old?
Early reading, number sense, drawing, simple science questions and short hands-on activities are all good candidates. The best activity is one your child can understand and then talk about, practice or recreate away from the screen.
Does “educational” mean unlimited screen time is fine?
No. Content quality matters, but so does what media replaces—sleep, movement, family interaction, schoolwork and offline play all matter too.