The best math apps for kids can help your children improve their skills and get better grades, all while having fun.
Mathematics is one of the most important skills a child should have today.
Just about every major in college will require math as a prerequisite, so it’s something kids need to know. In particular, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields require their students to be absolutely best at Mathematics.
Even if your child isn’t drawn to STEM, learning Mathematics can be helpful in a myriad of ways. Mathematical thinking bolsters a child’s logical capabilities in all areas of life.
Unfortunately, the modern education system makes it unbearable for many children to learn Mathematics, and they end up hating the subject instead of proceeding to learn it. This makes teaching kids math incredibly difficult.
That’s where the best math apps for kids can help.
In the world of advanced technology, where you can learn anything online, you are not restrained to the modern educational institution to learn anything.
Math apps are transforming the subject from something that has children bored out of their skulls into something they can learn while playing and having fun.
Because, after all, children learn best when they are playing instead of in strict classroom settings.
We’ve reviewed and ranked the top math apps available today based on a variety of factors, including curriculum, user-friendliness, fun/excitement, cost, and more.
This guide has been updated for 2023 to include the latest information on all of the top apps for building math skills.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost for you, we might get a commission if you click the link and purchase.
What are the Best Math Apps for Kids?
Here are our picks for the top math apps and math programs for kids in 2023:
1. HOMER
HOMER - The Essential Early Learning Program and App for Kids 2-8
HOMER is a personalized learning app designed to help kids fall in love with learning. There are over 1,000 learning activities across all subjects, and the content is tailored to your child's age and interests.
Why have we rated HOMER as the top math app for kids?
HOMER is a completely personalized educational app for children ages 2-8 that helps them learn fundamental skills that will help them with learning in their schools and in life as a whole.
Personalization means the activities and lessons are tailored to your child’s interests and skill level. In other words, it’s not a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
The result? Your child learns at the pace that’s right for them and develops the early math skills they need to succeed later.
Not only do kids learn the early math skills they need to excel, but HOMER also teaches kids a number of other subjects, including reading, critical thinking, and more.
HOMER is developed based on authentic research, and the results speak for themselves.
For example, the reading pathway it had created has shown over 74 percent increase in reading scores of the children.
HOMER helps enhance a child’s capacity to absorb and compete in the classroom.
Some of the skills that HOMER focuses on are Reading, Mathematics, Social and Emotional Learning, Creativity, and Critcal Thinking.
All of these areas are connected as a web and if a child goes through the whole process devised by HOMER then he or she will get the full experience of Homer that will develop their brain in unimaginable ways.
The HOMER method transcends beyond rote learning that we usually see in our educational institutions and, on top of that, it is all backed by research and consistently advised on by the experts.
Key Features
- Mathematics, Reading, Social and Emotional Learning, Creativity, and Thinking skills are offered to the children.
- There are stages starting from Toddler level up to the age of 8 and beyond. Hence, they have got it all covered.
- Teaches children to identify shapes and learn to count the numbers verbally.
- Backed by research and experts
- A web of connected and well-designed courses is good for a child’s overall development and readies him or her for school.
- Great results when compared to other alternatives.
Pricing
HOMER pricing across its two plans is as follows:
- Annually Plan: $59.99 per year
- Lifetime Plan: $99.99 one-time fee
HOMER offers a 30-day free trial.
2. Hooked On Math
Hooked On Math is the math app from the company that brought you Hooked On Phonics.
With Hooked On Math, kids can start to master basic math concepts in a fun and interactive way. There are more than 130 math games and 160 instructional videos to help students learn at their own pace.
The app uses fun characters, prizes, animated music videos, and more to make learning math fun and engaging for kids ages 4 to 9.
From basic counting to addition and subtraction math problems, Hooked On Math helps kids master everything from basic math skills to more advanced skills.
Key Features
- 130+ math games
- 30+ animated music videos kids love to teach math concepts
- Real-time feedback to help kids learn and correct mistakes
- Weekly parent updates to track your child’s progress
- Up to 3 learners per subscription
Pricing
Hooked On Math offers a free 7-day trial to all new customers.
3. Monster Math
Monster Math is an app available on iOS and Android devices that was developed by Makkajai Private Limited to help parents worried about their kids’ math fluency.
A monster named Maxx, who is not scary at all, is the main character of the game and it teaches Mathematics to your children in the funniest way possible.
The game will basically teach your kids to learn the most fundamental math concepts with ease. The child helps the monster Maxx to find his friend Dextra by fighting enemies by solving various math problems.
This is a good way for a child to learn and practice basic math skills in a fun way.
Moreover, it also gives the child the ability to do math mentally given that most children will develop the mental models that will make it easier for them to solve the expressions mentally.
The stereotype of Mathematics being a boring subject is no more since games like Monster Math are here to teach it.
Key Features
- Available for pre-K and K up to grade six. That is why you can put your child in the whole process so that he can move along in a procedural way.
- The game-like structure with a backstory makes this online class of Mathematics interesting.
- Available on Android and iOS devices.
- Children can go for the multiplayer option through which they can compete with their friends online. This creates a sense of bonding and efficiency through competing among the children.
- There are other numerous applications with the same theme which are published by Makkajai Private Limited.
Pricing
The price of Monster Math is $7.99 and it also has in-app purchases.
4. Prodigy
Prodigy is one of the greatest math apps out there for students.
It is basically a fantasy game that engages your child while teaching him or her mathematics. This is the best way to teach children since playing grabs their attention more than making them sit in classes for hours.
Prodigy is used by more than a million teachers, 3 million parents, and almost 50 million students around the world.
It offers content of more than 1500 advanced and basic math skills. The grades that are compatible with the game are from grade one up to grade eight.
DoK levels from one to three are also offered. There are duels among the characters within the game that can be won by solving mathematical expressions. You do not have to worry since the game has a good backstory that stops the child from getting bored. After finishing the duels the game also borrows elements from other Role-Playing games (RPG) like Pokemon. And that too requires them to solve mathematical expressions.
Key Features
- The application takes the route of fun-filled teaching of core math concepts for the children.
- It has a full-fledged defined procedure through which the children can learn mathematics while advancing in the game.
- The application has an interface that is engaging and easy to understand.
- It has over 1500 math skills kids can learn.
- The English language game is also on the way.
- It has a customized interface for teachers and parents to help them with teaching their students or children mathematics.
- The game is based on an adaptive system and, hence, it will focus on weak spots for children if any.
- It is offered between the ages of six to fourteen.
- It is available for both platforms: Android and iOS.
Pricing
- Prodigy Basic is free
- Prodigy Monthly is offered with two variations. One is called Prodigy level up which is offered at $9.95 per month while the other one is Prodigy Ultimate which is offered at $14.95.
5. Elephant Learning Math Academy
This math program for kids focuses on structural and discipline-based learning for children.
Elephant Learning Math Academy provides a math program for kids that is 3 months long…a course that gives a child training in mathematics that is usually taught in a year in the modern education system.
The only requirement is that your child gives 30 minutes each week to the Elephant Learning Math Academy. A recommendation is that it must be 10 minutes for 3 days per week.
Up to 1.2 million children are already taught by the application and on average a child takes up to 18 months to go through the whole process. And, no doubt, it does give results.
Elephant Learning Math Academy also uses gamification and adaptive learning. That means that the game will adapt to the weak spots displayed by children and will help them strengthen through really fun and engaging them.
Key Features
- There are demonstration videos for people to learn about the interface and technicalities in order to help the children with it.
- Elephant Learning Math Academy has an evaluation procedure to assess the children to figure out where they stand and how to manipulate the game with Artificial intelligence running in the background to strengthen their weaknesses.
- Though it is considered supplementary, it covers the essential topics so you do not have to worry about that.
- The guarantee about the performance suggests that Elephant Learning Math Academy will refund if the child does not perform after gaining a year of an Elephant age which requires 10 months with 30 minutes per week.
- This application also focuses on discipline-building in children.
- It is focused on ages between two and six.
- It is available for both platforms: Android and iPhone.
Pricing
Elephant Learning is priced at $50/month for a single student or $90/month for a family plan. Annual discounts are available.
6. DoodleMaths
DoodleMaths was co-founded by Nicola Chillman and Tom Minor for providing one of the best ways to teach children Mathematics.
This math app contains adaptive learning technology that tailors the content of the app to the child in such a way that it helps the child with his or her weaknesses and strengths. This technology is currently booming and many good teachers have opted for this technique in classrooms and in the use of technology.
Even the worldwide standardized aptitude tests are based on adaptive testing methods which manipulate the level of difficulty of the questions based on the previous performance of the person who is taking the exam.
The DoodleMaths app has an attractive and easy interface that proves itself really good for children.
There is also a parent’s tab that will give them the statistics that show their child’s performance.
Key Features
- Provides different interfaces for families and schools. It means that schools can also implement this system on their computers and check the progress of students and make decisions accordingly.
- Available on Google Play Store, App Store, and Amazon App store
- The application is also good for developing your child’s aptitude in English alongside Mathematics.
- Both co-founders are experienced teachers and have applied it in Doodle Math.
- For ages 4-14.
Pricing
- Monthly-$10.99/mo
- Annual-$94.99/year
7. CK-12
Another player in the market of teaching children Mathematics with help of widely available gadgets is CK-12.
The main aim of this organization is to increase access to educational tools for the population for free. These are mostly Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects that are offered by the organization.
Mostly, these subjects are learned through hard copy texts that make it really boring for the children and, hence, difficult to learn. However, CK-12 offers an engaging method for teaching students these things.
The methods that are used by CK-12’s math program for kids include text descriptions, video lectures, multimedia simulations, practical experiments, flashcards, and photo galleries. This is the kind of variety that will help your child along with his or her STEM-related education.
A strong basis in these subjects is vital for any child who later on chooses STEM as his or her primary field of study.
That’s why CK-12’s math program for kids gives them the opportunity to overcome the deficits in their knowledge and understanding of STEM subjects left by the contemporary education system.
Simply put, this is one of the best free math apps out there
Key Features
- CK-12 has an interconnected web of subjects that teach STEM knowledge in totality.
- Includes math programs for elementary students, high school students, and everyone in between.
- There are certified educators monitoring the child’s learning process.
- The application provides an online community for discussions of these subjects that add up to the education of your child.
- There are Flex books, webinars, and several other practice opportunities that strengthen muscle memory. This will help them while taking their examination.
- It provides an adaptive learning process where the content is changed as per the strengths and weaknesses of the child.
- It is offered for the ages of 4-18
- It is available on Google Play Store, App Store, and Web.
Pricing
This is a totally free math app.
Why Are Math Apps So Important?
Mathematics is one of the most important subjects in the contemporary world.
There are a lot of specializations in this very field. Apart from that, it is a part of almost all other fields of knowledge.
A strong foundation in Mathematics is tantamount to a great career in both research and other types of employment.
Caring about your child’s education in Mathematics is vital to their future success.
The above math apps are the top picks in the market for teaching Mathematics.
What we should be looking for in such applications is mainly their technique of teaching. Since this is the most important thing for a child. What most applications lack is their element of engagement with children.
It is really hard to engage children with the age group we are looking for. What we need is some sort of playing with learning since a child learns more this way than any other way. Let’s hope for the best and try the application listed above.
Key Features To Look For In Math Apps For Kids
There are numerous options out there to choose from, and you as a parent might feel confused and unsure of how to choose the best math app for your kid.
When trying to find the best math apps for kids, here are a few of the things that matter:
- DoK range
- Teacher control
- Caters Adaptivity and differentiation
- Good Curriculum alignment
- Data actionability
- Ease-of-use for kids
- Training and support stimulation
- Student engagement in learning
- Cost
- Supports & inspire development
- Challenging yet Adaptive learning
- Age appropriateness
- Cost
- Stimulating Engagement and interaction
- Learning outcomes
- Continual assessment and analysis
- Endorsed by educators and schools
- Rewards and positive reinforcement
- Promotion of creativity.
A Final Word On Math Apps
If you want your child to do better in math, there are some great apps out there that can help. Apps can make learning fun, which helps kids better absorb new information and concepts.
Remember, not all math apps are the same, and neither are all kids.
The best math app for one kid might not be the best choice for another.
That’s why we recommend testing out the free trials of different math games apps to see which one your kid gets the most from.
Have a question about our guide to the best math apps for kids? Comment below and we’ll help.
