The pandemic revealed that online learning, while being no replacement for learning in the classroom, was a great way to expose children to regular snippets of learning while at home. Children’s learning platforms are a way to supplement the learning that children get at school, in a fun, engaging way that mimics a game.
There are a range of online learning options for kids, with an increasing number of learning platforms for primary aged children.
Online children’s learning isn’t just for homeschooling, but can be a great way to engage children with learning activities and improve their school outcomes, combined with some guilt-free screen time, giving parents a break.
Our EdTech expert trialled 6 online learning platforms to check out their suitability for primary school aged children, their play-ability and the learning objectives behind them. Here’s what we found…
1. Night Zookeeper
Price: £10.99
Age: 5-12
Subjects: Creative writing, literacy
Night Zookeeper encourages children to develop creative writing skills through games and prompts. It follows Will Rivers, a night-time zookeeper and his group of animal friends (for a summary, see this incredibly catchy song) as they defend the zoo from intruders. Although the interface can be a little complicated, it gives a lot of different options for children to improve their writing, including regular scolding from Professor Penguin who handles grammar mistakes.
Night Zookeeper also comes with lots of optional extras, like a series of books detailing Will’s adventures, and regular competitions such as the Hero of Creativity Award. There’s also a TV show available on Sky Kids in the UK.
2. Tassomai
Price: £8.99 a month
Age: 7-17
Subjects: Sciences
Tassomai is a mobile app which provides quizzes and learning videos on science topics to help kids improve their learning. It works a little like Duolingo, where children are incentivized to use the app every day to improve and maintain their score.
Tassomai uses adaptive learning, which means that the content that children see will change based on their answers to previous questions. If they do poorly with a particular subject, they won’t move on to more complex topics until they’ve improved.
Tassomai can also be linked to schools (if the school has a membership) meaning that schools receive feedback on kids’ progress at the same time.
Tassomai is a fun tool for children, although it does seem to be designed for a slightly older age group (GCSE seems to be the sweet spot). Younger children may struggle to stay motivated.
3. Wonderopolis
Price: Free!
Age: 2-13
Subjects: Facts (not-curriculum linked)
Wonderopolis is a really fun website designed for curious kids. Each day a new ‘Wonder of the Day’ is released, covering topics like “Who Created Frozen PIzza?” or “How Do Forecasters Predict the Weather?”. Topics are broken down in a kid-friendly article, supplemented with additional activities and links to other content. There’s a knowledge test at the end so children can test how much they remember.
Although the content isn’t linked to the curriculum, it’s a great tool for curious kids to learn facts and explore topics they’ve never encountered before.
4. BrainPOP
Price: £4.99
Age: 5-18
Subjects: Broad range of subjects (not-curriculum linked)
BrainPOP is really easy to use, unlike some of its competitors which can be cluttered. Content is video-based and wide ranging (but not curriculum-linked). Some topics included ‘Antibiotic Resistance’ or ‘Edgar Allan Poe’. Each video starts with a question, asked by Moby, a robot who can only bleep in a questioning way, and answered by Tim, his human companion.
The short videos are followed by quizzes and different short activities. A particular favourite is Time Zone X which gets kids to sort events into a timeline with points added or taken away.
It’s worth noticing that the content is US centric, which may be irritating for learners of other nationalities.
5. Questa Kids
Price: £9.99
Age: 7-12
Subjects: Cultures, history, geography
Questa Kids follows Questa, a 9 year old girl and Zeke, an intergalactic, interdimensional, time-travelling iguana, on a mission to save the future of knowledge. Together they complete Country Quests, travelling to one different country per Quest. They travel through that country’s space and time, meeting different characters (most of whom are women) and helping them to complete learning activities in exchange for knowledge tokens.
Learning activities are cross-curricular and diverse - kids might be asked to make a map, or research different recipes from a country. There’s a strong emphasis on research and independent learning - kids are often asked to do their own research, and talked carefully through the steps to do so.
Questa Kids follows a more guided path than some other online learning platforms, encouraging kids to complete the Country Quests in order (otherwise the storyline is out of sync) and rewarding them with Famous Women Badges, when they meet women who really existed.
Questa Kids is currently offering 3 months’ free access to the platform if you sign up before the launch on March 8th 2023. Sign up to the Early Iguana Deal here.
Our EdTech Expert says…
“There are a range of options available for children in terms of online children’s learning. Although primary school may be young to focus on learning outside school, many of these online platforms give kids an opportunity to learn through fun, without realising they’re learning. Skills like literacy and maths can be picked up without relying on testing at this stage, merely allowing children to explore different issues and think about how they link together.
This is an age where children can learn to explore the world of learning, and get excited and enthusiastic about it. Developing a love of learning (or at least a liking for learning!) is a foundational part of good educational outcomes.
If you’re not sure which online platform to pick, try asking your child what they think. The learning platform that they consistently make use of is the best option for them. “
Laura Curtis
