PRESCHOOL · CHOOSING APPS
Choosing apps for ages 3–6: a parent checklist
The App Store is full of bright, friendly “kids” and “learning” apps. Then you open one and there’s a pop-up ad every two minutes, a coin shop next to the play button, and a sign-up screen halfway through. Here’s what to check before and after you download, plus a checklist you can keep handy.
Start with what you want the app to do
Preschool apps get used for very different things. Sometimes you need ten quiet minutes to get dinner on the table. Sometimes you want something to play together. Sometimes you’d like your child to spend time with numbers, colors or a second language. Knowing which one you’re after makes it easier to see past words like “educational” on the store page.
Whatever the reason, one standard applies: during the few minutes you’re not looking, the app shouldn’t send your child somewhere else, let them buy something, or keep nudging them to play one more round.
Before you download: read the store page
- Look for the “In-App Purchases” label. It isn’t automatically bad, but find out what’s for sale and whether it’s a one-time unlock or a subscription.
- Check the privacy section: “App Privacy” on the App Store, “Data safety” on Google Play. For a preschool app, the shorter that list, the better.
- Scan the screenshots for coin shops, countdown timers, energy meters and leaderboards. Those features make it hard for kids to stop.
- See who makes it and when it was last updated. Apps that haven’t been touched in years can break on newer devices.
- Skim parent reviews for the words “ads,” “accidentally bought” and “account.”
After you download: play it yourself for ten minutes
The store page won’t tell you everything. The most reliable test is to play a round yourself, tapping around the way a four-year-old would.
- Where do ads appear? Mid-game? As a video your child has to watch to continue? Right next to a button kids tap all the time?
- Purchases and links: can a random tap open a store, a web page or another app? Is there a parental gate that only a grown-up can get past?
- Accounts: does it ask for a sign-up, or your child’s name, birthday or photo?
- Pacing: timers, lives, game over on a wrong answer? Notifications like “come back tomorrow for your reward”?
- Can a non-reader play? Are instructions spoken, and are the icons clear without text?
- Turn on airplane mode and try again. Does it still work?
The checklist
| Check | What to look at | What reassuring looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Ads | Are there ads, and where do they appear? | No ads, or ads that never interrupt play and sit away from buttons kids tap |
| Purchases & subscriptions | What’s for sale, and does it auto-renew? | A clear one-time price, behind a parental gate |
| Accounts & data | Login required? Any personal info about your child? | No login needed; a short privacy list |
| Parental gate | Do purchases, outside links and settings need a grown-up? | A question or gesture a young child can’t easily pass |
| Pacing & pressure | Timers, lives, daily login rewards | No time pressure; wrong answers mean try again |
| Language & voice | Can a non-reader figure it out alone? | Spoken instructions and clear icons |
| Offline | Does it need the internet? | Works fine in airplane mode |
| Stopping points | How long is a round? Are there natural breaks? | Short levels with a clear finish |
What the App Store “Kids” category means
The App Store has a Kids category with three age bands: 5 and under, 6–8, and 9–11. Apps in it have to follow extra Apple rules. For example, links out of the app and purchases must sit behind a parental gate, apps can’t send kids’ personal information to third parties, and third-party ads and analytics are tightly restricted.
It’s a good starting point, not a guarantee that an app is fun or right for your child. Pacing, difficulty and language are still things you find out by playing.
How Hao's Dad does it
This is also the checklist I hold my own games to, Fruit Park and Fruit Trail. Neither needs a login or has a countdown, and kids can keep trying after a wrong answer. Fruit Park's six mini games have three levels, so older kids can move up.
Whoever made the app, the most reliable test is still to play it yourself for ten minutes before handing it over.
FAQ
Are free apps always worse?
Not necessarily. What matters is how the app makes money (ads, in-app purchases or a subscription) and whether those things show up where your child taps, or sit behind a parental gate.
How do I stop my child from buying things by accident?
Pick apps that gate purchases, and also turn off in-app purchases in Screen Time on iPhone or require authentication for purchases in Google Play settings.
Are apps labeled “educational” better?
The label doesn’t tell you much. Watch what your child actually does in the app: matching, counting and naming things, or tapping ads and collecting coins.
This article is general parenting information and is not a substitute for medical or professional advice. If you have concerns about your child's development or health, talk to your pediatrician or another qualified professional.
Play it yourself for ten minutes first
Fruit Park and Fruit Trail are on the App Store. Feel free to run them through this checklist.
