Top 5 education apps for teaching kids about technology
Modern technology is often accused of being a bad influence on kids, with even the most well-intended of educational apps dismissed as offering little to no benefit to a child’s development. It’s ironic then that as adults we readily welcome new developments in AI and technology, praising all of the comforts and creative possibilities that they bring.
The truth is technology isn’t inherently good or bad no matter what age you are. It simply comes down to how you use it.
Helping children understand technology from an early age can bring immeasurable benefits to their education and future well-being, especially in an age where new innovations are rapidly changing the way we live our lives.
To help inform and inspire the next generation of technophiles, we’ve put together the following list of apps that specifically help children learn about technology.
Pocket Gamer's Top 5 apps for teaching kids about technology list brought to you by Foldio Adventures - Finn Goes Online.Foldio Adventures - Finn Goes Online is the latest release from German tech start-up Foldio that educates children from ages 7 and up on the fundamentals of cybersecurity.
It takes a playful approach to the subject by having kids lead the game’s incredibly cute, titular alien hero on a point-and-click adventure across the globe.
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Foldio Adventures - Finn Goes Online
Foldio Games brings a fun and friendly approach to learning about online security with Foldio Adventures - Finn Goes Online. It takes kids from ages 7 and up on a colourful, point and click adventure across the world with Finn the Fox, where they’ll discover together the digital world and the importance of staying safe online.
After observing earth from afar on his spaceship, Finn the Fox is forced to make an emergency landing on our planet. Unbeknownst to him however, that whilst it appeared safe enough from a distance, there’s a whole unseen online world that he’ll have to navigate as well. From understanding the importance of passwords to learning how to behave when presented with unpleasant situations like cyberbullying, Finn the Fox helps guide children through a variety of fun and easy to understand lessons on how to stay safe online.
Foldio Adventures - Finn Goes Online is currently available to download from both the App Store and Google Play for £2.99.
This entry is sponsored as part of Steel Media Preferred Partners.
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Hopster Coding Safari for Kids
Hopster Coding Safari for Kids is an animal themed pre-coding logic game to help kids learn the fundamentals of coding. Children are presented with a series of logic problems to solve, getting different animals to where they need to be.
It could be the Tiger that needs to get back to her den, the Penguin trying to return to its Antarctic Ice Hole, the hungry Monkey desperate to get to the banana tree, or one of the other animals in this app - here, play is at the heart of learning to code.
Hopster Coding Safari for Kids is available to download for free from the App Store.
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ScratchJr
With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) learn important new skills as they program their own interactive stories and games.
By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, children learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. They also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. With ScratchJr, children don’t just learn to code, they code to learn.
ScratchJr is avaiable to download for free for iOS and Android.
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codeSpark Academy: Kids Coding
codeSpark Academy is the most used home coding program for kids 5-9! The award-winning app has introduced over 30 million kids in 190 countries to the ABCs of computer science and its lovable coding characters, the Foos.
codeSpark Academy uses a patent pending "no words" interface that allows pre-readers to learn the basics of computer programming and essential coding skills through a variety of interactive learning activities including puzzles, games, step-by-step creative projects, game design and offline printables – all of which can be monitored by parents.
codeSpark Academy: At Home Kids Coding is available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play.
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Tynker. Fun Coding for Kids
Tynker is an educational programming platform aimed at teaching children aged between 5-18 to learn how to develop coding skills. Instead of typing the source code, you visually drag blocks of code and snap them together.
Tynker provides step-by-step tutorials that teach kids coding in a way they enjoy, helping them build games and apps, modify Minecraft, program drones, control micro:bit, and even explore STEM. It makes it easier for kids to learn 60+ courses which includes courses in Minecraft Modding, Minecraft Game Design, Creative Coding, Python, CSS, etc.
Tynker is free-to-play and available to download from the App Store.