Choosing ad-free apps for toddlers: five things to check
You install a kids' app, and soon ads keep popping up and one tap sends your child off to another app.
For small children, what matters isn't only whether an app is fun but also whether it keeps them inside the app. Here are five things to check, with real screenshots.
Five things to check
1. No ads
Small children can't tell ads from the game. They tap them and end up in the App Store or on a website.
Check that the App Store description clearly says there are no ads, and play for a minute to make sure no ad banners appear.
2. A parent check before purchases and settings
Make sure a child can't reach purchases or outside links on their own. Try the parent check yourself. A sum adds a barrier, but some children may solve it, so check the purchase settings too.
3. No account needed
A kids' app rarely needs a name or email address. Pick apps that work without signing up and say they don't collect or send children's information.
You can check this in the App Privacy section of the app's App Store page.
4. Simple pricing
Auto-renewing subscriptions keep charging if you forget to cancel. For kids' apps, a one-time purchase with a clear list of what it unlocks is easier to manage.
5. Limits on time and switching apps
Your iPhone and iPad have tools for this, separate from the app:
- Guided Access keeps your child in a single app (Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access)
- Screen Time sets how long apps can be used
For small children, playing together with a grown-up and taking breaks works best.
Two apps built around these points
Pikaniji (drawing and colouring for ages 2–5)
Draw with glowing pens and rainbow pens that change colour as you draw. In colouring pages, the outlines stay on top, so colouring outside the lines is fine.
- No ads, no accounts
- A parent check before purchases and settings
- Free to try; a one-time purchase unlocks everything. No subscription
Little Playground (touch-and-play for ages 0–5)
Seven gentle games on a wooden shelf: make flowers bloom, play peekaboo with animals, explore a piano and a pond, and more. No scores, no winning or losing.
- No ads, no analytics and no accounts
- Purchases and outside links sit behind a parents' screen opened with a sum
- Each game is free for one minute a day; a one-time purchase removes the limit. No monthly fee
If something does not work while trying an app
There is no sound
Check the device volume and silent mode. In Pikaniji, also check that the sound is not set to None. In Little Playground, check the sound-effects setting. Both apps follow the device’s silent setting.
A purchase is not available
Use the Apple Account that made the purchase, connect to the internet and try Restore Purchases from the parents’ settings screen. A purchase awaiting approval becomes available after it is approved.
Will Pikaniji drawings survive reinstalling the app?
Drawings are stored on the device. Deleting the app deletes them too, so check the support guidance before trying a reinstall.
See Pikaniji support and Little Playground support for more details.
