PBS KIDS Games vs SplashLearn

PBS KIDS Games is a free collection of educational games for children ages 2 to 8. Its app listing describes more than 280 curriculum-based games covering subjects such as math, reading, science, and art, with play available in English and Spanish. The web catalog includes titles such as Stu's Delivery Service, City Island Adventure Game, and Carl's Collections. A Building Games topic includes Marble Run, Toy Maker, and Alma Train Game. PBS KIDS also describes its apps as a way to watch and play its content while away from home. The service is listed for web, Android, iOS, and Windows, and the PBS KIDS Games plan costs nothing. An account is not required to use PBS services, though an account can save progress, settings, or created content. PBS says it does not collect information that directly identifies a child on its own, but may collect information about game activity, videos watched, pages viewed, and links clicked. For accounts, usernames are moderated to discourage personal information and passwords are encrypted. PBS identifies itself as a private nonprofit corporation founded in 1969.

SplashLearn is a game-based math and English learning program for elementary learners from Pre-K through Grade 5. It combines guided lessons and practice with more than 8,000 activities, including skill-based games, an interactive book library, live classes, and printable worksheets. Its math and reading curriculum aligns with Common Core, and personalized learning paths use a child’s performance and progress to shape recommendations and daily milestones. Parents can review weekly reports by subject, topic, and skill. The program supports use at home and in classrooms, and offers web access plus iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire tablet apps; Chromebooks are web-compatible. Schools, districts, and teachers can use SplashLearn for free. Teacher-assigned activities are also free for students at home, with 20 minutes of daily practice through classroom-linked access; other activities may require a subscription. Families can begin with a 7-day free trial. The family plan is $7.49 a month when billed annually.