The best music apps for kids in 2027 are KidNation, Spotify Kids, Yoto, tonies, Khan Academy Kids, Lingokids, Moshi Kids and PBS KIDS Video. Some play songs. Others get kids dancing or help them wind down. A Toniebox needs separate hardware. Yoto also offers a player for screen-free listening.

Heads-up: KidNation is our app, and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges co-founded it. We checked every other app’s App Store page on November 6, 2026.

Quick picks

See all eight side by side in our comparison sheet.

The list

1. KidNation (our app)

KidNation’s music library was made and picked by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, a multi-platinum artist and dad of four. It includes feel-good songs, life lessons and learning tracks. Think handwashing or getting along, with a beat a grown-up can stand on the 40th replay.

The music sits beside music videos and other hand-picked videos, all with zero ads, for kids 5 to 8. After a video, Word Ninja turns words from it into a spelling game. The Storyteller reads your kid a new story with the hero and villain they picked.

KidNation is freemium. A new version is coming, so join the waitlist. If you’ve got a Toniebox, there’s also a KidNation Tonie with 45 to 60 minutes of songs.

2. Spotify Kids

Spotify Kids comes with Spotify Premium Family. It has playlists made for young listeners, and songs can be downloaded for offline play. Its App Store rating was low, at 2.7 stars in November 2026. Read the recent reviews first.

3. Yoto

The Yoto app is free and ad-free. You can play audio cards directly in the app. For screen-free listening, Yoto Players and Minis play music or stories when kids insert a card. The player is a separate purchase.

4. tonies

The tonies app sets up the Toniebox, a soft speaker that starts playing when a kid puts a figure on top. Figures are sold one by one, and the KidNation Tonie is one of them. The app alone isn’t enough. You need the Toniebox.

5. Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy Kids is free, with no ads or subscription. It’s a learning app with dance and sing-along videos for ages 2 to 8.

6. PBS KIDS Video

PBS KIDS Video has free songs and sing-alongs from PBS KIDS shows, plus full episodes and live TV. Brief sponsor messages play before some full-length episodes. Shows can be downloaded for offline viewing.

7. Lingokids

Lingokids has movement songs, stretches and dancing among more than 4,000 activities. It’s 100% ad-free on a subscription, and it leans younger.

8. Moshi Kids

Moshi Kids has calm music, sleep stories and meditations. It’s 100% ad-free on a subscription. Built for bedtime.

How we picked

Each of the eight apps had to play music made or picked for kids. We’ve separated app listening from options that need hardware. Prices change, so check the store before paying.

Questions parents ask

What music app is safe for kids?

Look for a hand-picked library with no open comments or ads. KidNation, Yoto, Khan Academy Kids, Lingokids and Moshi Kids say they’re ad-free.

Does Ludacris have a kids’ music app?

Yes. Chris “Ludacris” Bridges co-founded KidNation and makes and picks its music. KidNation is for kids 5 to 8 and has zero ads.

What’s a screen-free way for kids to listen to music?

Try a Yoto player or a Toniebox. Both play music without a screen, but both require their own hardware.

Want songs your kid loves and you don’t mind hearing twice? Join the KidNation waitlist.

Seven story apps stand out in 2027: KidNation’s Storyteller, Vooks, Epic, Khan Academy Kids, Moshi Kids, Duolingo ABC and Yoto. Most read your kid a book someone else wrote. KidNation reads them a story they invented.

Heads-up: KidNation is our app. We checked every other app’s App Store page on November 6, 2026.

Quick picks

Compare all seven in our comparison sheet.

The list

1. KidNation’s Storyteller (our app)

Your kid picks a hero, a villain, a setting, a special item and the kind of story they want. The Storyteller writes and illustrates a new story from those choices, then reads it aloud. Kids who can’t read yet still get the whole thing.

Change one choice and the story changes.

The app uses guided choices instead of an open chatbot. Kids tap options. They don’t type to a bot. The AI writes each story on KidNation’s servers, never on your kid’s device.

KidNation is made for kids ages 5 to 8 and has zero ads. It includes a hand-picked video and music library, songs by co-founder Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and the Word Ninja spelling game. The app is freemium, with a new version on the way. Join the waitlist.

2. Vooks

Vooks turns picture books into gentle animations, with narration and on-screen words for kids to follow. It’s ad-free and requires a subscription.

If bedtime screens make your kid wired, this is the calm one.

3. Epic

Epic has a large digital library, including books that read themselves aloud. You can also download books for offline reading. A paid subscription begins with a 7-day free trial.

4. Khan Academy Kids

The “Read To Me” button reads storybooks aloud in English or Spanish. The full app is free for ages 2 to 8, with no ads or subscription.

5. Moshi Kids

Moshi Kids offers sleep stories, calm music and meditations, including some read by famous voices. It’s 100% ad-free and runs on a subscription.

It’s built for sleep, not reading instruction.

6. Duolingo ABC

Duolingo ABC is free, with no ads or in-app purchases. Its interactive stories sit inside more than 700 reading lessons covering preschool through 2nd grade. The last App Store update was in August 2023.

7. Yoto

The Yoto app is free and ad-free. It can play audio cards directly in the app and manage Yoto Players and Minis.

For screen-free listening, you’ll need to buy a player. These small speakers use cards that kids can handle themselves.

How we picked

Each app had to read stories aloud to children in or near the 5-to-8 age range. If an App Store listing didn’t mention ads, we wrote “not stated” instead of guessing.

Prices change. Check the store before subscribing.

Questions parents ask

How can I make up a bedtime story with my kid?

Ask three questions: Who’s the hero? Who’s the villain? Where does the story happen? Then take turns adding one sentence.

KidNation’s Storyteller uses a similar setup. Your kid makes the choices, and the app writes and reads the story.

Are AI story apps safe for kids?

Look for guided choices instead of an open chatbot. Also check where the AI runs. KidNation’s Storyteller gives children options to tap and writes each story on the company’s servers, not the device.

What’s a free app that reads books aloud?

Khan Academy Kids. Its “Read To Me” storybooks are free and contain no ads.

Want a bedtime story your kid helped invent, read out loud? Join the KidNation waitlist.

The best spelling and vocabulary apps for kids 5 to 8 in 2027 include KidNation’s Word Ninja, Wonster Words, Spelling Shed, Starfall, Khan Academy Kids, Duolingo ABC, Reading Eggs and Teach Your Monster to Read.

The right one depends on how your kid learns. Some kids like drills. Others only spell when they don’t notice they’re practicing.

Heads-up: KidNation is our app. We checked every other app’s App Store page on November 6, 2026.

Quick picks

Our comparison sheet puts all eight apps in one table.

The list

1. KidNation’s Word Ninja (our app)

Most spelling apps hand your kid a word list. Word Ninja begins with a video your kid chose. Afterward, it takes words from that video and makes them part of a ninja spelling game. If your kid just watched a song about planets, “planet” shows up while the word still means something.

KidNation is for kids 5 to 8 and has zero ads. It also includes a hand-picked video and music library with songs by our co-founder, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Its Storyteller reads your kid a new story they helped invent.

The app is freemium. A new version is coming, so join the waitlist.

2. Wonster Words

Monsters, phonics and spelling. The App Store listing quotes a parent whose 3rd grader used it to prepare for weekly spelling tests. It has no ads, works offline and uses a subscription you can cancel anytime.

3. Spelling Shed

Built for school. Kids play spelling games from word lists, online or offline.

The app costs money up front. The full curriculum requires a subscription through the Spelling Shed website. If your kid’s school already uses it, start here.

4. Starfall

Starfall offers free phonics basics with no ads, including for free users. A subscription adds more content. It covers pre-K to grade 5 and needs an internet connection.

5. Khan Academy Kids

Free. No ads or subscription.

Spelling isn’t the main event, but its reading and phonics games serve kids ages 2 to 8.

6. Duolingo ABC

Duolingo ABC has more than 700 free lessons for preschool through 2nd grade. It has no ads or in-app purchases and works well for kids who are still sounding out words.

One concern: its last App Store update was in August 2023.

7. Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs is a subscription reading course with programs for ages 2 to 13. Its main program, for ages 3 to 7, covers phonics, sight words, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension.

8. Teach Your Monster to Read

This one-time paid app is for ages 3 to 6, with no ads or in-app purchases. Your kid builds a monster and teaches it letter sounds.

It suits kids at the youngest end of the 5-to-8 range. Older kids may find it too easy.

How we picked

Each app had to teach spelling, phonics or vocabulary to children in or near the 5-to-8 age range. When an App Store listing didn’t mention ads, we wrote “not stated.” We didn’t guess.

Questions parents ask

How can I help my 6-year-old learn spelling words?

Short, regular practice usually works better than long, occasional sessions. Five minutes a day is easier to maintain than one large session on Sunday.

Words also tend to stick when they mean something to the child. That’s why Word Ninja uses words from videos they picked.

Are there free spelling apps without ads?

Yes. Khan Academy Kids and Duolingo ABC are free with no ads. Starfall’s free section has no ads too.

What age should kids start spelling apps?

Several apps here begin around preschool with letter sounds. Spelling practice usually suits kids ages 5 and up.

Join the KidNation waitlist for spelling practice based on videos your kid already loves.

For a YouTube Kids alternative with no ads, look at KidNation, Khan Academy Kids, Lingokids or Vooks. PBS KIDS Video is free, though short sponsor messages run before some episodes. Kidoodle.TV and Sensical are also free, but expect ads on both.

Heads-up: KidNation is our app. We checked every other app’s App Store page on November 5, 2026. We asked one question of every listing: will a kid see ads?

First, does YouTube Kids have ads?

Yes. Google’s help pages say YouTube Kids shows a limited amount of paid advertising marked “Ad” or “Sponsored”. YouTube Premium removes those paid ads. It doesn’t remove promotions that creators include in their own videos, such as brand shout-outs.

If paid ads are your only problem, Premium removes them. If you want a smaller, hand-picked library too, read on.

Quick picks

See all 7 apps side by side in our comparison sheet.

The list

1. KidNation (our app)

KidNation is a zero-ad video app for kids ages 5 to 8. Its hand-picked library includes music and music videos made by our co-founder, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges.

YouTube Kids can’t do this. After a video, Word Ninja takes words from what your kid just watched and turns spelling into a game. And the Storyteller lets kids choose characters and story details, then reads them a new illustrated story.

KidNation is freemium. Some content is open. A subscription opens the premium library. A new version is coming, so join the waitlist to hear first.

2. PBS KIDS Video

PBS KIDS offers free shows, offline downloads and live PBS KIDS TV from your local station. There’s no subscription. The App Store listing says brief corporate sponsor messages play at the start of select full-length episodes. They’re short, but they’re there.

3. Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy Kids is a learning app first, with sing-along and dance videos built in. It’s completely free for ages 2 to 8, with no ads or subscription.

4. Lingokids

Lingokids offers more than 4,000 activities, including games and shows. It’s 100% ad-free, runs on a subscription and works offline. It skews young. A 7- or 8-year-old may find parts of it too young.

5. Vooks

Vooks turns picture books into narrated animations with words on screen. It’s ad-free and subscription-only. The pace is deliberately slow. Good for bedtime.

6. Kidoodle.TV

Kidoodle.TV is free and requires no subscription or credit card. It uses an ad-supported plan, so your kid will see ads. It also needs an internet connection.

7. Sensical

Sensical is free and sorts videos into Preschool (2 to 4), Little Kids (5 to 7) and Big Kids (8 to 10). Its listing says it follows “kid-safe advertising standards”, so expect ads.

How we picked

Each app had to be made for kids and include videos. We used each App Store listing’s own language about ads instead of guessing. Prices change, so check the store before paying.

Questions parents ask

Is there a YouTube Kids with no ads?

A YouTube Premium membership removes paid ads from YouTube Kids. Outside YouTube, KidNation, Khan Academy Kids, Lingokids and Vooks say they’re ad-free.

Is PBS KIDS Video ad-free?

Not completely. The app is free, but its listing says brief sponsor messages play before some full-length episodes.

What’s a safe video app for a 6-year-old?

Look for a closed, hand-picked library with no open comments or chat. That’s how we built KidNation for kids ages 5 to 8.

Want videos that lead into a spelling game and a story made for your kid? Join the KidNation waitlist.

The best ad-free apps for kids 5 to 8 in 2027 include KidNation, Khan Academy Kids, Duolingo ABC, Teach Your Monster to Read, Lingokids, Starfall, Vooks, Wonster Words and Moshi Kids. None of them shows ads to your kid. Khan Academy Kids and Duolingo ABC are fully free. The others charge for some or all of the app, by subscription or a one-time price.

Heads-up: KidNation is our app, so it’s on this list. We’d tell a friend about the other 8 picks too. We checked every app’s App Store page on November 2, 2026. We’ll check them again in January.

Quick picks

Want the details in one place? Here’s our comparison sheet.

The list

1. KidNation (our app)

KidNation is for kids 5 to 8, with zero ads. Kids watch hand-picked videos and music videos, including songs by our co-founder, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Word Ninja then takes words from the video they just watched and turns spelling them into a game.

Then there’s the Storyteller. Your kid chooses a hero, a villain and story details. The app creates a new illustrated story and reads it aloud. Kids tap set options. There’s no open text box and no chatbot.

Each kid gets a profile, an avatar and saved progress. KidNation is freemium. Part of it is open to everyone, and a subscription adds the premium library. A new version is coming, and you can join the waitlist.

2. Khan Academy Kids

Free. Really free. Khan Academy is a nonprofit, and its app has no ads or subscription. It covers ages 2 to 8 with reading and math, plus sing-alongs and “Read To Me” storybooks in English or Spanish. It works offline too. That can save a car trip.

3. Duolingo ABC

Duolingo ABC is a free reading app with no ads or in-app purchases. It covers preschool through 2nd grade with more than 700 short lessons and works offline. One catch: its last App Store update was in August 2023.

4. Teach Your Monster to Read

Your kid builds a monster and teaches it letter sounds. It’s a one-time paid app for ages 3 to 6, and the listing says there are no in-app purchases, hidden costs or in-game adverts. Best for kids at the start of the 5 to 8 range.

5. Lingokids

Lingokids calls itself 100% ad-free and offers more than 4,000 activities, including games, movement songs and shows through a subscription. It targets toddlers through elementary school. Kids near age 8 may find parts of it too young. It works online or offline.

6. Starfall

Starfall has taught phonics for a long time. The basics are free, while a subscription opens the full library. Both versions have no ads. It covers pre-K through grade 5 and requires an internet connection.

7. Vooks

Vooks pairs animated storybooks with read-aloud narration and words on screen. It’s slow and gentle on purpose, which helps right before bed. Vooks requires a subscription and has no ads.

8. Wonster Words

Wonster Words teaches spelling and phonics through vocabulary activities with silly monsters. It’s ad-free, works offline and requires a subscription that you can cancel anytime.

9. Moshi Kids

Moshi Kids offers sleep stories and calm music, plus short meditations. Its listing says it’s 100% ad-free. A subscription is required. It’s for winding down, not learning letters.

How we picked

Each of the other 8 apps had to state on its App Store listing that kids won’t see ads. We excluded apps that show ads, including good ones. That’s why YouTube Kids isn’t here. Prices and features change, so check the store before subscribing.

Questions parents ask

Are there ad-free apps for kids that are free?

Yes. Khan Academy Kids and Duolingo ABC are free, with no ads or in-app purchases. Starfall also has a free section with no ads.

Is YouTube Kids ad-free?

No. Google says YouTube Kids shows a limited number of paid ads. A YouTube Premium membership removes them.

What’s the best ad-free app for a 6-year-old who loves music?

We’re biased, but we built KidNation for that 6-year-old. Songs and music videos sit alongside Word Ninja and the Storyteller, all with zero ads.

A new version of KidNation is on the way. Join the waitlist and we’ll tell you the day it’s ready.

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