7 Extremely Helpful Apps for Parents at Home With Their Kids

By now, many of us have been sheltering in place for several weeks. This has meant a lot of change, including new routines—and trying to have more structure. But no matter what, the challenge of juggling multiple parental hats is unending. Work-life balance has changed dramatically; a parent’s day might once have been defined by travel to school or work, and now it might blur into long days of shifting back and forth from employee to teacher to cook to playmate and back again.

Luckily, those with ready access to devices and WiFi have discovered some ways to ease the new normal. Vogue spoke with numerous parents to curate a list of the most useful apps and websites for those now working, teaching, and parenting from home.

Lingo Kids

Lingo Kids is the app parents Dustin Patrick Smith and Burton Buffaloe rely on for engaged English learning: “Right now, we are trying to keep activities both fun and educational in our house. Our kids were in Montessori before the schools were forced to close, and the school gave them structure. Lingo Kids is a great place to start. It’s all about language learning that makes it fun for them. Just today we worked on the ‘ABC chant,’ which the kids are now singing constantly.”

Caribu

Zoom is a seemingly eternal presence in the work-from-home lifestyle, and Caribu presents itself as the fun, kid-friendly alternative. Your child can participate in virtual playdates with friends and family members both down the block or across the country with one swift click. The app even integrates fun activities that both sides can play together in real time. Plus, AT&T is now funding 60 days of free, unlimited access to the app for parents, kids, and family members alike.

Quill

Designed for elementary-, middle-, and high-school students, Quill helps to build and practice grammar rules through online exercises that receive custom feedback, all delivered in real time. Diagnostic assessment, a key feature of the platform, will pinpoint students’ weaknesses and create a custom course plan over an eight-week time period. Quill is offering premium packages at no charge for the remainder of 2019–20 school year.

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Epic

“This app is great because it gives you access to over thousands of books. The library has so many great book options for kids of all ages. The app is simple to use, so my daughter can easily navigate it, and it also gives the kids the option to have books read out loud to them. We also love using the Epic app to spend time reading to each other,” says mom Dayna Bolden. Epic is now offering a free 30-day trial in response to school closures.

ABC Mouse

The Adanna David Family frequently uses ABC Mouse, an online resource that covers every base of early-stage learning, from English and math to art and music. “My favorite app! It’s highly educational, good for easy math and learning to read and write. I love that the teachers are diverse, and that you are able to customize the children’s characters,” says Adanna Steinacker. The site is currently offering a free 30-day trial.

Mindful Powers

An important aspect of classroom learning to keep up at home is the art of focus and discipline. Enter Mindful Powers, a free app that helps set boundaries and conceptualize self-mindfulness. Through features titled Mindful Play and Focus Time, a virtual friend named Flibbertigibbet guides kids through time-management exercises and relaxation techniques.

Go Noodle

The free app Go Noodle is a fun substitute for P.E. class, with a library of physical activities to keep little ones on their toes. Influencer Dulce Candy uses it at her home: “We love GoNoodle because it’s a great app and website that allows us to fill downtime with interactive activities where [our son] learns while having fun all at the same time. It’s been a great replacement to video games!”

Prodigy Math

Another app recommended by Dulce is Prodigy Math, a math-learning platform targeted towards students from first to eighth grade. Through thoughtful and challenging courses, the app adapts to your child’s learning style while recording feedback in real time. All of the content is currently free, with available premium upgrades.

Messenger Kids

In terms of the social aspect of quarantine, Gray Benko recommends Facebook Messenger’s kid version: “It’s hooked up through the parent’s Facebook account, although it’s a separate app, and they have no access to Facebook. Parents have to accept new contacts for their kids to chat with and basically have complete control and access. Plus, there are fun features for their kids to use while video chatting with their buddies! It’s really a win-win for everyone.”