Stop paying for apps- the best free sites for kids!

"You and me are thrifty, so go all you can eat Fill up your bag and I fill up a plate" Shape of You by Ed Sheerhan

Let's talk tech. The market is FLOODED with learning games for children. It's great to have that variety, but really frustrating as an adult to have to scan through children's sites to figure out if it's worthwhile.

That's why I did the work for you.

Find what's free: Before you download a single thing, reach out to their teacher and your local library to find out what they can provide access to. Most public libraries offer free access to paid apps like Hoopla, Tumble Books, and some even provide coveted ABCMouse for free. The best part is these tools have been vetted by professionals- so they (should) be quality educational tools!

Coding games: Does your kiddo want to design video games when they grow up? Hour of Code's website highlights dozens of games for all ages to introduce your child to coding . Most of a pretty extensive amount of free games before that paywall hits.

Monster Reading: This app is reading based (they have a math spinoff too) and perfect for kids with big imaginations. Teach Your Monster to Read pairs phonics activities with fun graphics. It's $5.99 to download on a phone/tablet...BUT if you use it on a computer it's completely free.

For all Subjects: ABCYa is one of my all time favorite sites! They have so many games for kids that cover all sorts of skills. Just like Monster Reading, they are completely free to use on a computer. But if you want to download it on a tablet, they will charge a fee. I found this to be a common loophole when I was searching for resources- it's worth visiting an app's actual website to find out their pricing guidelines.

Speaking of free resources...

THANKS SO MUCH TO OUR SPONSOR GEMOO

With built-in screen recorder, screen capture tool, documentation tool, organized cloud library, and comment function, Gemoo enables teachers to easily keep parents up-to-date on how their children perform at school and exchange feedback at their own time. All for Free Forever.

What's New?

• No more homework battles: Spring fever is coming and it's time to tighten up your homework routine! Here's my newest video to get the most out of homework time.
• More Free Tools: Here's 3 more amazing edtech tools to try with your kids.
• The best candles: I discovered swan creek candles at a gift shop recently. They weren't even burning yet, and the whole store smelled amazing. I burn vanilla pound cake and roasted espresso at the same time- my whole house smells like a cozy coffee shop. Then I found out they sell refill kits ! So I bought the wax and refilled the gorgeous vessels for half the price.
• Ari Lennox: I recently saw Ari Lennox in concert which was a dream come true. She has an incredible voice and relatable lyrics. I was even more excited to find out she lived in Charlotte for a while and several of her songs were written with it in mind. If you like Neo-Soul and R&B you should check her out.

Have a great week!

Natalie