TODDLER APPS ROUNDUP

Best toddler activity apps UK (2026)

Nine apps and websites for play with toddlers, compared side by side. Some are free, some need a subscription, and only some keep your child off the screen.

Download on theApp Store See the comparison

Free to download
No account needed
No screen time for your child

On a laptop?
Scan to get Mooshie on your iPhone.

Mooshie activity screen with Say this words to use

Mooshie Today screen with mood and time options and today's activity

5,918activities for 6 months to 4 years

0minutes of screen time for your child

3 freecoached activities every week

0child details uploaded, ever

The quick answer

Our pick for screen-free play with under-4s (we make it): Mooshie Moments. It picks a play idea for your toddler’s age, your free time and how today is going, using things you already have at home.
Best completely free: CBeebies Parenting (a BBC website, pregnancy to 5) and Khan Academy Kids (an app your child plays, ages 2 to 8).
Best if you like video demos: Kinedu and BabySparks, which show you each activity before you try it.
Good to know: Busy Toddler is a blog and printable curriculum, not an app, and Hearty is aimed at children aged 4 and over.

Parent and toddler playing with household toys

The apps at a glance

Swipe the table to see every column →

App	Who uses the screen	Ages	Free version	Paid (UK)
Mooshie Moments	Parent only	6 months to 4 years	3 coached activities a week, no account	£9.99 a month or £29.99 a year, 7-day free trial
Kinedu	Parent (watches a video, then plays)	Pregnancy to 6 years	Limited activities, articles, milestones, baby tracker	Several App Store prices, £3.99 to £59.99; 7-day free trial
BabySparks	Parent (watches a video, then plays)	0 to 3 years	Sample activities and milestone information	App Store lists £3.99 to £29.99, plans not named
Lovevery	Parent only	0 to 36 months (app store listing; help centre says up to 30 months)	28-day free trial of the app	Included with Play Kits: £80 per kit (0 to 12 months), £120 per kit (1 to 4 years)
Inspired Minds	Parent only	Babies to preschoolers	Searchable activity database and baby tracker	From £6.99 a month, from £39.99 a year, or £129.99 lifetime
Busy Toddler	Parent (website or printed PDF)	Curriculum 2.5 to 5; free blog for younger children	Free blog and newsletter guide	Not an app. Playing Preschool PDF $39.90 per year-long volume (one-off), priced in US dollars
CBeebies Parenting	Parent (website)	Pregnancy to 5 years	Everything is free	Free
Khan Academy Kids	Child	2 to 8 years	Whole app is free, no ads	Free
Hearty	Mainly parent; some videos	Aimed at about 4 to 10	3 days of free access	App Store plans from £4.99 a month; yearly £29.99

Prices and features checked November 2026 from each app’s own website and the UK App Store. They can change, so check before you subscribe.

How we chose these apps

We looked for apps and websites that UK parents actually find when they search for toddler play ideas, then checked each one against the same questions:

Is it built for toddlers? Some popular apps start at 2 or 4, so we say where an app is better for older children.
Who holds the screen? A parent reading an idea is very different from a child tapping a tablet.
What do you get for free? We describe the free version as the app itself describes it.
What do you need at home? Some apps need toys or craft supplies; others use what is in your cupboards.

Every fact comes from each app’s own website or its app store listings, and prices are as shown at the time of writing (November 2026). We make Mooshie, so it is listed first. Every other entry has a fair, plain “best for” so you can pick what fits your family, even if that is not us.

Toddler pouring water between bowls with a parent nearby

Our picks, one by one

1. Mooshie Moments

Best for: Parents of 6-month to 4-year-olds who want quick, screen-free play with no toys to buy

Mooshie is an app for you, not your toddler. Tell it their age, how long you have and how today is going (bouncing off the walls, a hard moment, winding down) and it picks something from 5,918 activities that mostly need nothing or everyday household items. Each one gives you How to play steps, specific words to say and a Brain Bit on why it helps, and Lifesavers cover tantrums, potty training, picky eating and bedtime. It is iPhone only for now and has no video demos, so if you prefer to watch first, Kinedu or BabySparks may suit you better.

2. Kinedu

Best for: An assessment-led daily plan with video demos and tracking

Kinedu starts with a short development assessment, then builds a daily plan of video activities matched to your child’s stage, with milestone tracking, expert classes, articles and a baby tracker alongside. Because it runs from pregnancy to age 6, one app can follow your family for years. Most of the activity library sits behind the subscription, and the UK App Store shows several prices without naming every plan, so check the price in the app before the 7-day trial ends.

3. BabySparks

Best for: Budget-minded parents of under-3s who like to watch a demo first

BabySparks gives you a personalised daily programme in which every activity has a short video tutorial, plus milestone tracking, weekly reports and online parenting classes. Its list price is low compared with many rivals, and its US website offers a one-off lifetime plan. The activity programme stops at age 3, and the free version is limited to sample activities.

4. Lovevery

Best for: Families who already own, or plan to buy, Lovevery Play Kits

The Lovevery app is the companion to the Play Kits toy subscription. It gives week-by-week guidance, play ideas for each toy in a kit, some DIY activities and expert answers on topics such as sleep and feeding. Because the toys and the guidance are designed together, everything matches. After a 28-day free trial, full access needs an active Play Kits subscription, and most ideas centre on Lovevery’s own toys.

5. Inspired Minds

Best for: Parents who like to search for activities themselves and track routines

Inspired Minds, from I Teach Tiny Humans, is a searchable bank of learning activities using everyday materials, with a free baby tracker for sleep, feeds, nappies and milestones. Premium adds personalised recommendations, printables and two 36-week preschool curricula for ages 3 and 4, and there is a lifetime option. It has only a small number of UK ratings so far.

6. Busy Toddler (Playing Preschool)

Best for: A structured home preschool plan on paper for 2.5 to 5-year-olds

Busy Toddler is not an app. It is a free activity blog by Susie Allison, a former teacher, plus Playing Preschool, a printable PDF curriculum with 38 weeks of hands-on lessons per year. You pay once rather than every month, and most supplies are cheap craft and household items. It is priced in US dollars and non-refundable, it starts at 2.5, and lessons take about 45 to 60 minutes with some planning and printing.

7. CBeebies Parenting (formerly BBC Tiny Happy People)

Best for: Free, trusted UK ideas for getting your toddler talking

BBC Tiny Happy People now lives inside CBeebies Parenting, a free BBC website with age-banded activities, short films and talking tips from pregnancy to 5. It is backed by UK partners including the RCSLT and the Institute of Health Visiting, and the activities use low- or no-cost household items. As a website, it has no daily plan, reminders or tracking, and the main focus is talking and communication rather than all-round play.

8. Khan Academy Kids

Best for: A free, ad-free learning app for children aged 2 to 8 to use themselves

Khan Academy Kids is completely free, with no ads or in-app purchases, and is made by an education nonprofit. Children play learning games, read books and watch videos covering reading, phonics, maths and social-emotional skills. It is designed for your child to hold, so it counts as screen time, and it starts at age 2 with a US school framing.

9. Hearty

Best for: Families with children aged 4 and over who want quick ideas by situation

Hearty offers ready-made ideas for games, science experiments and family time, sorted by real-life situations such as tired after work or a weekend at home. It is well rated on both app stores. Its own website says it works best for children from about 4 upwards, so it suits an older sibling more than a toddler, and you need a subscription after 3 days of free access.

Parent-led apps vs apps your child uses

Toddler apps fall into two camps, and it helps to decide which you want before you download anything.

Parent-led apps

Mooshie, Kinedu, BabySparks, Lovevery, Inspired Minds and CBeebies Parenting are all for the grown-up. You read or watch the idea, put the phone down and play together. Your toddler gets your attention, your voice and real objects to handle, and the screen stays in your pocket.

Child-on-screen apps

Khan Academy Kids is the main example here. Your child taps, listens and watches, and the app does the teaching. That can be handy on a train or while you cook, and the content is carefully made. It does count as screen time, though, and it starts at 2.

Plenty of families use one of each. If you want ideas for play that needs no device at all, our screen-free activities page is a good place to start.

The free options, and what you actually get

If you searched for the best free app for toddler learning, here is what each option gives you without paying:

CBeebies Parenting: everything, free, on a website rather than an app.
Khan Academy Kids: the whole app, free, with no ads, but your child uses the screen.
Mooshie Moments: 3 coached activities every week with no account needed. Premium (£9.99 a month or £29.99 a year) gives you unlimited activities.
Inspired Minds: a searchable activity database and baby tracker.
Busy Toddler: a large free blog of activity ideas by age and type.
Kinedu and BabySparks: a limited set of activities plus milestone information, with the full library on a subscription.
Lovevery and Hearty: free trials (28 days and 3 days), after which the full app needs a subscription.

A free tier is a good way to find out whether you will really open an app on a wet Tuesday afternoon. Try one for a week before paying for anything.

Try Mooshie free this week.

3 coached activities every week, free. No account, no toys to buy, and your child never touches the screen.

Download on theApp Store QR code to download Mooshie Moments

Which one fits your toddler?

A few quick pointers, based on what parents tell us they need most:

You have five minutes and no plan: Mooshie is built for exactly that moment, and suggests something that fits the time you have.
You want to see it done first: Kinedu or BabySparks, both with video for each activity.
You already have the toys: Lovevery, if those toys are Play Kits.
You want a full preschool routine: Busy Toddler’s Playing Preschool, once your child is 2.5.
Talking is the priority: CBeebies Parenting is free and UK-made.
You need your child busy for a bit: Khan Academy Kids is free and ad-free.

For more ideas by age, see our toddler activities and activities for 2-year-olds.

LOVED BY FAMILIES

Parents and experts on Mooshie

“I used to spend 30 minutes looking for an activity on Pinterest, get overwhelmed, and just turn on the TV. Mooshie takes 5 seconds.”

Sarah J.Mum of a 2-year-old

“Finally, an app that tells me to put my phone away. The activities are actually doable with stuff I have in my junk drawer.”

Mark D.Dad of two

“As a pediatric OT, I love that these activities build core developmental skills without feeling like ‘homework’ for parents.”

Dr Emily R.Paediatric occupational therapist

Toddler working through an indoor obstacle course made from household items

Questions parents ask

What is the best toddler activity app in the UK?

It depends on what you need. For quick, screen-free play ideas for ages 6 months to 4 years, we think Mooshie Moments is the best fit, though we make it. Kinedu and BabySparks suit parents who want video demos, and CBeebies Parenting is the best free option from a UK source.

Is there a good free app for toddler learning?

Khan Academy Kids is completely free with no ads, but your child uses the screen. If you want free ideas you do together off-screen, try CBeebies Parenting on the BBC website or the free tier of Mooshie, which gives you 3 coached activities a week with no account.

Do toddler activity apps mean more screen time?

Not always. Parent-led apps such as Mooshie, Kinedu, BabySparks and Lovevery are used by the grown-up, and the play happens off the screen. Apps like Khan Academy Kids are designed for the child to use, so they do add screen time.

Is Busy Toddler an app?

No. Busy Toddler is a free activity blog plus a paid printable PDF curriculum called Playing Preschool, for ages 2.5 to 5. You read it on a website or print it out. See our Busy Toddler alternatives page for app options.

Is Mooshie Moments on Android?

Not yet. Mooshie is on iPhone only for now, through the UK App Store, with Android and iPad coming later. If you use Android today, Kinedu, BabySparks and Khan Academy Kids are all available there.

Make memories. Build skills. Play together.

Your first activity is ready as soon as you tell us their age.