With so many kid learning websites preschool available, that are free to use, or paid, it can be confusing which site you should set your children up on. I have used a lot of these sites with my own children and grandchildren. They’ve provided hours of fun activities, great learning through games, s s well as the ability to meet the kids in their social environment.
As parents, we are becoming ever more conscientious that, in order to give our children the best educational start in life, there is much we can do at home in order to support, encourage and facilitate early learning. For many parents, it’s hard to know where to start and how to access appropriate early learning tools and resources, especially as there are just so many online ones to choose from. It can be confusing and overwhelming. No website or preschool app is a substitute for parenting, but there are some amazing tools available to help parents make time for targeted and daily early learning.
Here is the list of best preschool websites with fun games, printables, and more that help make learning early skills fun.
1. Starfall
Starfall is an excellent website that helps younger kids develop math, early literacy, and problem-solving skills through fun learning games, stories, and printables. The site is designed so parents can sit and explore with their child, or to allow kids to navigate themselves.
The website was founded nearly 20 years ago to provide free and low-cost educational experiences for young children. Since its inception, this site has become a go-to resource for thousands of teachers and parents. It is known both for its colourful graphics, fun songs and characters and interactive learning games and its comprehensive early reading and math curricula. Starfall offers an excellent phonics-based programme which grows with your child’s confidence and ability. Most of the online resources are free but though a low-cost annual subscription all family members (including grandparents) will be able to access the full extent of the activities and printable resoures. You can also check Starfall Learn to Read app and Starfall ABC review.
Age: Grades Pre-K to Grade 3 (ages 2-8)
Cost: Free or annual membership for $35/year
Visit Starfall website
2. PBS Kids
PBS Kids provides kids and their parents with a wealth of free early learning games, activities and videos from some of their favourite PBS TV shows (please note that the videos are available in limited territories).
The site is easy for even very young children to use and it is colourful, fun and appealing. A simple sign up provides your child with a profile page from which they can create an avatar and view any saved content. Games are categorized by topics (such as shapes, problem solving or feelings) and the quality audio provided means children can enjoy the experience by themselves. Click through to PBS Parents to access quality learning resources and ideas.
Age: Grades Pre-K to Grade 3 (ages 2-8)
Cost: Free
Visit PBS Kids website
3. Nick Jr.
Nick Jr. is home to many pre-school favourites including Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol.
Their online platform allows children to easily search for content via familiar characters or shows, or for their parents to direct them to the learning activities. A huge amount of quality content is available at your fingertips, including early-learning games (subjects include literacy, math, social & emotional and more), printable puzzles, colouring pages and full-length videos of their favourite shows. A click-through to ‘Nick Jr. for Grownups’ gives parents access to useful and informative articles and ideas, and if you sign up to free membership of the Nick Jr. Fan Club you’ll receive monthly information and a free welcome pack.
Age: Preschool to Grade 3 (ages 2-8)
Cost: Free
Visit Nick Jr.
4. Funbrain
Funbrain has a plethora of online games, videos and learning resources.
Although the site is not the simplest to navigate (the ads and click-throughs are a little annoyingly and it’s easy to get lost in them), it’s worth exploringly for the great content. As well as the key subject areas of reading and literacy, the math and problem-solving activities are high quality and educationally sound. Take time to look around and curate some super learning resources to use with your kids. Most games can be adapted for different ages and abilities and the series of various math videos are engaging and fun.
Age: Preschool to Grade 8 (ages 4-14)
Cost: Free
Visit Funbrain website
5. ABCMouse.com
ABCmouse.com, designed for pre-K and kindergarten students, offers age-appropriate content that comes in an engaging format.
The content focuses on reading, writing, math, art and music and songs, social studies, and science and health. Content is presented through art, books, songs, puzzles, games, and printables. Kids follow a learning path that gets progressively more challenging as they use the site. Their level is set based on starting age, and they can either follow a customized learning path or choose activities at random. Kids are motivated by ABC Mouse’s tickets and reward system.
Age: 2 to 8
Cost: 1-month free trial then $9.95/month
Visit ABCMouse website
6. Sesame Street
The dedicated Sesame Street website is a super resource for pre-schoolers who want to interact with the iconic Sesame Street characters.
For many years the Sesame Street Workshop has led the way when it comes to early learning programming and its award-winning blend of characters, fun experiences and learning has entertained and educated both kids and parents alike for many years. Its online offering now has many learning activities and games alongside the videos, as part of its ‘Caring for Each Other’ initiative. Totally free and easy to navigate, kids will love the ABC and counting games and sing along with the many learning songs.
Age: PreK to Kindergarten
Cost: Free
Visit Sesame Street website
7. Reading Eggs
This preschool early reading platform is a prequel to the ever-popular Reading Eggs comprehensive reading programme.
Through age-appropriate animations, games and activities, very young children can develop language skills, build vocabulary and acquire phonemic awareness. There is a wealth of high-quality content to access with a membership, including hundreds of read-aloud books (with a good balance of fiction and non-fiction), alphabet games, songs and phonics activities. Kids are kept entertained as they begin their journey to reading success, in a safe and supported way. Parents receive regular progress reports detailing their child’s progress and development.
Age: 2 to 4
Cost: Free 2-week trial then from £6.99/month
Visit Reading Eggs Junior website
8. Learn with Homer
When you access a subscription to Learn with Homer your child benefits from two distinct learning focuses: developing a love of stories through Homer Stories and developing early reading skills with Homer Reading.
Homer Stories contains a large number of titles and is characterised by its superior animation, child-friendly interactions and useful reading features. As well as original content, there are many familiar titles to choose from. Homer Reading offers a comprehensive early-reading programme which (it claims) increases early reading success by 74%. You can access many quality lessons covering: the ABC, early phonics, and sight words and many feature catchy songs. Each profile can be personalised by a child’s age, ability and interests.
Age: 2 to 8
Cost: Free 30-day trial then $7.95/month
Visit Learn with Homer website
9. Education.com
Part of the IXL group and providing a comprehensive learning platform for young kids, Education.com is a one-stop-shop to help parents and educators support children on their learning journey.
Covering over 800 key skills (it includes content for other subjects too) and with curriculum-focussed curated games and resources, it’s a real educational treasure-trove! A lot of content (including downloadable worksheets, workbooks and study packs) are free but a premium subscription provides additional content and access to a progress tracker which monitors a child’s knowledge, proficiency and time spend learning. Their dedicated site for pre-schoolers – Brainzy – provides fun games and songs as an introduction to key early-learning skills.
Age: 4 to 11
Cost: Free or membership starting at $5.00/month. Please note: There is currently 50% off Premium membership and you can cancel anytime.
Visit Education.com
10. JumpStart
JumpStart Academy Pre-School is a dedicated resource (part of the wider JumpStart suite of resources) to help children become school-ready.
It’s colourful characters and fun learning activities provide a springboard to aid early-learning success. Through age-appropriate game-play, children can practise and develop skills in early reading, number sense, shapes and colours as well as learning about some key life-skills, such as looking after pets! A membership gives access to the ‘Parent Center’ and unlocks a comprehensive reporting tool so that parents can monitor and track progress and view the skills learnt, and access further resources to support their children’s learning. It can be used on various devices.
Age: 3+
Cost: From $7.99/month
Visit JumpStart website
Conclusion
When choosing a learning website for your child, it is important that it has age-appropriate activities. As your child picks up on reading, math, and other subjects, these websites will follow them as they advance. With over 400 reviews on the internet, the following learning websites are the best of the best.