50+ Online Kids Learning Games (free and paid) for Educational Fun

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Bring some fun into your child’s education with some online educational learning games.

Here at Hess UnAcademy, we believe that learning should be fun. That’s why I’m sharing this list of online learning games with you and your family – my kids love them!

It’s important to remember, homeschooling is not all work and no play. However you choose to include playtime in your child’s day, these online learning games are sure to serve you well.

Featured Online Games for Younger Kids

When it comes to online educational games for the little ones, Homer Learning is an educational app you just have to try!

Homer features over 1,000 educational games across all subjects. Your kids are destined to fall in love with reading and learning when they use it!

And not only that, it’s intentional screentime – the kind that your kids can actually benefit from. In fact, you can expect your kids to increase their reading scores by as much as 74%!

But don’t take our word for it – you can try it for free right now!

Best Game to Teach Coding

codeSpark Academy allows you to weave critical thinking and problem-solving skills into your daily lessons. It emphasizes logic, sequencing, and programming concepts to offer a solid STEM foundation in a fun, interactive environment.

Ideal for children ages 5-9, codeSpark Academy makes coding easy by turning it into a visual, block-based language that makes it easy for kids to understand.

Your kids are going to love it. Try it here for free!

Best Game for Music Instruction

Want your kids to learn to music? How about teaching them guitar? Then you need to take a look at Notey’s World.

Imagine a game where you use your guitar, or even you voice, to navigate through a fantasy adventure. Yes, it’s absolutely as cool as it sounds.

And if you click here from your iOS device, you can gain special access Notey’s World premium content (more levels, game modes, and worlds to explore) free for 30 days!

For more info, check out our Notey’s World review here.

50+ Online Kids Learning Games for Educational Fun

Incorporating online kids learning games into your homeschool is one of the single best ways to build much needed foundational skills. Think about how much easier it would be to teach those daunting subjects like math, language arts, and science. Your kids may not realize they are learning because they are having fun. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, learning games provide opportunities for:

• Enhanced communication
• Problem-solving
• Critical thinking
• Collaboration
• Memory

And so much more!

With these educational elements in mind, read on for a roundup of free and paid computer games that your kids are sure to enjoy (and learn from, too). Or if you’re looking for offline learning games, check out this list of my favorite educational board games, our math board games guide, or our printable board games collection.

Note: Titles marked with an asterisk (*) means a paid game/service. All other learning games are free.

Online Learning Games That Cover Core Subjects

Core subjects are considered all things language, math, science, geography, social studies and history. For most families, these subjects are typically taught using textbooks or workbooks. Consider adding a little fun to the mix with the following games:

Language Arts Learning Games

• Homer* – Homer is a popular learn to read app for toddlers and preschoolers that takes kids through engaging early reading games and activities. Perfect for the youngster who is just beginning to learn to read.
• Night Zookeeper* – Night Zookeeper is a super fun online game that combines writing, spelling, and grammar lessons for an exciting educational adventure. Your kids will get to design and create their very own magical creature.
  
  They will then guide their creature through an online adventure and many fun stories. While doing this, they’ll practice spelling, creative writing, punctuation, capitalization, parts of speech, and so much more! My kids love this program and we highly recommend it.

• ABCYa – ABCYa is one of my kids’ favorite online games, and I like it because most of the games are educational. Sectioned by grade level, this website has games that cover multiple subjects including language arts, math, science, social studies, and more. It’s fun and child-friendly learning.

• Spelling City – simple way for kids to practice their latest spelling list online.

• Word Searches – fun and educational word searches for learning practice.

• Endless Alphabet – Endless Alphabet is a downloadable app found on the app store that teaches kids their ABC’s. There are other editions in the Endless family of games for older kids too.

• Mrs. Wordsmith* – is a reading and language arts supplemental program that has offline games as well as online apps available for customers.

• Reading Eggs* – Reading Eggs is technically a learn-to-read program, but it’s filled with fun games, and my kids always forget they are learning to read.

• Starfall – Starfall is a free learning game that helps kids learn their ABC’s. They have a paid section of their site with more learning games, but I’ve never tried that section.

Online Math Games

• Prodigy Math – Prodigy Math has become one of my kids’ favorite online math games. You pick a character and you are placed in a world where you must fight cute little monsters. You can only hit these monsters by doing math problems correctly. Super fun! Good for kids grades K-6.

• Mr. Nussbaum Multiplication – The ever-popular Mr. Nussbaum games also has a multiplication chapter that makes practicing multiplication fun! The Zombies of the Graveyard is particularly fun.

• Math Tango – Math Tango, from Originator Kids, is another game found on the app store. The animations in this game are funny and super cute. Math Tango is a fun and engaging way to get kids enjoying math.

• Mathletics* – Mathletics is a fun math game platform that is often used in public schools, but homeschools can sign up too.

• Math Playground – Math Playground is a fun math website that is filled with more than 500 online math games for kids. Geared towards kids up to sixth grade, there is something for whatever subject your child is working on right now.

• Cool Math Games – This secure website has many fun math games for kids to learn and practice their basic math facts. This site goes all the way up to fractions and even includes some brain teasers.

• ABCYa

Science Games

• Sheppard’s Software – Sheppard’s Software is a learning game website for kids that has a variety of games in many subjects, but their science games are the best. Teach little kids about animals or older kids about chemistry!

• Science Kids – Science Kids has games that teach and reinforce science lessons to kids that are older and more advanced. These are more than just the life cycle of the butterfly. Learn about friction, melting points, and electricity, and more.

• Switch Zoo – Switch Zoo is a website geared towards younger kids that teaches all about animals. Kids can play online for free or can download the free app to play on another device. Make animals, give them habitats, go on virtual scavenger hunts, or play one of the many other games.

• Kids National Geographic – Kids National Geographic is geared towards older elementary-aged kids and is a fun way to engage them in scientific learning and discovery.

Geography Games

• World Geography – Shappard’s Software has a section where kids can play games that revolve around various countries in the world. These games are particularly useful for kids who are studying countries and their capitals.

• U.S. Geography – Also from Sheppard’s Software, study U.S. Geography via great learning games that focus on states and their capitals, along with United States landscapes.

History Learning Games

• 13 Colonies – Found on Mr. Nussbaum, this fun game takes kids through the 13 original colonies and the history surrounding them. These games are best for older elementary-aged kids.

• Artists – Another Mr. Nussbaum classic learning game. This game teaches kids about famous artists.

• Authors – Learn about famous and influential authors

• Age Of Empires* – Not officially a learning game, but our family uses these Age Of Empire worksheets to turn this fun game into an educational adventure. Proof that a game doesn’t have to be educational to be considered a learning game.

Multi-Subject Games

• Arcademic Skills Builders – Arcademic is a website that is filled with numerous animated games that are fun and educational. My kids’ favorite is Tractor Multiplication because who doesn’t love trucks? But there are games spanning numerous subjects and themes.

• ABCMouse* – ABCMouse is a very popular game amongst both public schooling and homeschooling families. You pay for a monthly subscription and you gain access to their platform where kids can explore and enjoy numerous learning games. We paid for this program for a while and it wasn’t up our alley, but many other families swear by it so it might be worth checking out. Try your first month free.

• Adventure Academy* – Adventure Academy is the older kids version of ABCMouse. If you are a fan of ABCMouse and your child has outgrown it, Adventure Academy might be for you. I have never played it personally but I know many families who love Adventure Academy. Try your first month free.

• Fun Brain – Funbrain.com is a miscellaneous website filled with various learning games for kids all the way from Kindergarten to eighth grade. They are not the highest quality games but if you’re bored of websites you’ve already tried, this might be worth looking into for variety if nothing else.

• Mr. Nussbaum – Mentioned above, Mr. Nussbaum is a fun learning platform that is good for older elementary-aged kids who want to practice what they’re learning.

• ABCYa – mentioned above, but again, ABCYa is one of my kids’ favorite places to play games online and it covers multiple subjects.

• Primary Games
• PBS Kids
• Brainiversity*
• Gamequarium

Electives

Electives are those “other” subjects that aren’t typically counted in the core mix. However, as any veteran homeschooler will tell you, those electives make for some of the best kind of learning and skill building opportunities.

Typing Games

• Touch Type Read Spell*
• Dance Mat Typing – Dance Mat Typing is a favorite typing game of kids and families all over. In fact, you can read a Dance Mat Typing review here!
• Type To Learn*
• Keyboard Climber 2
• Keyman
• Typing Pal*
• ABCYa

Learn more about the benefits of free typing games here!

Health

• Digestion
• Skeleton
• Food Groups
• Nutrition

Specialty Learning Games

• Hearing Music*
• Buckaboo Drum Kit
• Sports

STEM Games

• Brain Pop
• GameStar Mechanic*
• Manga High
• Engineering
• Calculation Nation
• Codeingame
• Code.org
• Code Monkey*
• Code Combat*
• Tynker
• Code Monster
• Kinetic City
• Tynker
• Blockly
• CodaKid*
• MakeCrate*

Miscellaneous Learning Games

I call this next list miscellaneous because although they don’t have a core subject or elective title, they can still be used as learning games.

• Fanatical* – Fanatical is a video game store that has many gaming options. Dig through and see if you can find a game you can turn into an educational adventure. For example, our kids learn about physics and economics while playing Roller Coaster Tycoon.

• PBS.org – PBS.org is a popular website for younger elementary aged kids. Some of the PBS characters are very popular and beloved amongst kids. Not all of them are educational in nature but some of them are. Wild Kratts for example is a great way for kids to learn about science and animals, and Daniel Tiger is perfect for teaching kids about big emotions.

• Highlights Kids – Based on the popular kids magazine, this website has many fun games for kids to play on various topics.

• Jeopardy
• Jigsaws
• Scavenger Hunts*
• Arcade Games
• Minecraft Education
• Scratch
• Spore
• Nancy Drew*
• Oregon Trail
• Festive

How to Add Kids Learning Games in Your Homeschool

Although this is not an exhaustive list, there are plenty of online and PC games to get your kids started with learning through games. If you are new to adding games into your kid’s learning routine, consider these tips to make the transition smooth:

• Add a game during (or after) your morning routine.
• Choose certain days of the week to be “game days”.
• Incorporate games that go with a concept your kids are currently learning.
• Use 1-player games for quiet time.
• Include your kids in choosing games to play.

Remember, just because it doesn’t look like the ideal way of teaching, it doesn’t mean that your kids aren’t learning through educational games. Give it a try, you may be surprised how much they learn and retain! 

CHIME IN: Do you use educational games in your homeschool? If so, what kind? Let me know in the comments below!

Free Printable Games

Did you know that in addition to the list of amazing games below, I’ve got a collection of free printable games?

If you like including games in your child’s studies, you need to grab this free printable collection of games.

This collection includes 11 printable games (50 pages) for your kid to enjoy, no matter where you are! Enjoy in the car, at the desk, or on the living room floor.

And the best part is these printable games are educational too!

Grab your collection of free printable games now!

Perfect for ages 3-13.