How to choose safe learning apps without ads for your kids
A kids' app can look educational and still be packed with ads, purchases and nudges competing for your child's attention. Here's what ABC Kids Learning does and doesn't do, plus a checklist you can use on any app before handing it to your child.
Why an ad-free experience matters
Children ages 3 to 7 can't reliably tell the difference between a game and an ad. An ad in the middle of play breaks their focus, pulls them away from what they were doing and often invites them to tap something that takes them out of the game entirely.
Ads also tend to come with tools that track what users do so they can be shown more advertising. So when you look at a kids' app, it's worth checking not only what appears on screen but also what happens behind it.
What we do and don't do at ABC Kids Learning
We'd rather give you plain facts than big promises. Here's what you can check for yourself when you use the site:
- We don't show advertising, not in the games and not on the website.
- There is no Google Analytics or third-party cookie where the child plays.
- The games play in the browser, with nothing to install and no sign-up.
- The games are free.
- The site and the games come in English and in Spanish: each game loads in the language of the page.
A checklist for any kids' app or game
This checklist works for any app or games website, including ours. Take a few minutes to try it yourself before your child does, with these questions in mind.
- Ads: do ads appear during play or between rounds? Are there buttons that lead to other apps or app stores?
- In-app purchases: are there coins, lives or prizes for sale? Are they offered to the child directly, or only behind a grown-up step?
- Data it asks for: what does sign-up require? Does it want access to the camera, microphone, contacts or location without a clear reason?
- Your child's personal data: does it ask your child for their full name, age, a photo or where they live? A kids' game shouldn't ask a child for personal details.
- Chat and contact: can your child send or receive messages from other people? Can they see content posted by other users?
- Notifications: does it send alerts meant to pull your child back into the app?
- Timers and pressure: are there countdowns, streaks that break, or rewards that disappear if your child doesn't play every day?
- Mistakes: when your child gets something wrong, does the game encourage another try or punish them?
- Privacy policy: is it easy to find and to understand? Does it say clearly what data is kept and why?
Red flags worth taking seriously
No app is perfect, but some things should make you think twice. If you notice ads that look like game buttons, offers that pop up right when your child loses, or messages saying they'll miss out if they stop playing, the app is probably built more to hold attention than to help your child learn.
Another red flag is an app that asks for lots of phone permissions without explaining why, or that asks your child to type their name or age. In those cases, the simplest move is to look for something else.
You're still the most important part
No tool replaces you being there. Playing alongside your child lets you see what the game asks of them, how they react to mistakes and when it's time to stop. Check the apps already on your devices from time to time, too, since updates can change what they do.
And remember that screens are only one part of the day. Paper books, outdoor play and conversations at the dinner table are still at the heart of learning at this age.
Related games
- Syllable Market: a syllable game for kids who love to shopSyllable Market (ages 4 to 6): build words from syllable tiles to fill the basket.See →
- Animal Memo: an animal memory game for kids, in English and SpanishAnimal memory game (ages 3 to 5): 30 animals, pairs of cards and no timer.See →
- Interactive stories for kids: The day Pip lost his colorInteractive story (ages 4 to 7): your child chooses what happens in Pip's story, with three endings.See →
- An addition game for kindergarten: count, add and subtract with LeoAddition game (ages 5 to 7): count, add and subtract with objects on screen, with no timer during play.See →
- Robot Explorer, a kindergarten coding game for kids 5 to 7Coding game (ages 5 to 7): program a robot's moves across 30 levels in 3 worlds.See →
Frequently asked questions
Do ABC Kids Learning games have ads?
No. We don't show advertising in the games or on the website.
Do you use Google Analytics or cookies?
Not where the child plays: no Google Analytics and no third-party cookies there. On the grown-ups' pages we use Google Analytics only if you accept measurement cookies in the notice, and Vercel Web Analytics, which uses no cookies.
Do we need to sign up or install anything to play?
No. The games are free to play in the browser, with no sign-up and nothing to install.
How can I tell whether a kids' app is a good fit?
Try it yourself first and go through the checklist on this page: ads, purchases, the data it asks for, chat, notifications, pressure from timers, and whether it asks your child for personal details. If something doesn't feel right, look for another option.
Does a free app always have ads?
Not always, but many free apps are paid for by advertising or in-app purchases. That's why it's worth checking each one instead of assuming.
What if my child tapped an ad or bought something by accident?
Check your device's purchase settings and turn on the option that requires approval before any purchase. If an app shows ads your child keeps mistaking for part of the game, consider replacing it.