Free preschool learning games for ages 3 to 5

At a glance

• Free through the end of 2026
• No sign-up, no download and no ads
• On a phone the games play sideways and fill the screen
• Word questions are said aloud, so a child who can't read yet can play

Preschool learning games to play now

These 6 games are made to start at preschool level. When a game asks what grade your child is in, tap Preschool. Every question has three big answers to tap, with no typing, and a miss only means the next question is a little easier.

Memory, Whack and Stack are Quick games: one tap starts a short round, which suits a preschooler's attention. Each game also has a Just play mode with no questions at all.

The arcade has 6 more games that start at preschool level: Color Block (falling blocks to turn and drop in place, which takes quick hands), Dino Dash (a runner that keeps moving), Temple Escape (a runner with a chase), Slice (fast swiping, with bombs to dodge), Cell Break (a jail-escape story) and Last Word (a night of zombies). They move faster or have stories made for older kids, so they are not on this list. Every game is on the games page.

For preschool games from other makers (PBS KIDS Games, Khan Academy Kids and Sesame Street Games), see our list of 18 learning games for preschoolers, with what each costs and what to watch for, and sites like PBS KIDS Games. Nobody paid to be on the list.

By age: 3, 4 and 5

What preschoolers learn in these games

At preschool level, Peabody's games ask counting to 20, making ten, first sounds and rhymes. These are early skills children build in the year or two before kindergarten.

• Letters and their sounds. A picture of the sun, a voice asking what sound sun starts with, and three letters to tap. One wrong letter sounds like the right one and one looks like it, so it is a real choice. A question answered right twice is not asked again.
• Rhymes. A picture of a cat and three more pictures: which one rhymes with cat? Nothing to read.
• Counting. How many? Count the things and tap the number. Then making ten: 7 and how many more make ten?
• Shapes and colours. The games don't quiz these. The Activity Book and the Art Studio below do, on paper or on the screen.

The questions follow a child: a right answer makes the next one a little harder, and a miss makes it easier. For more of each skill, see counting games, rhyming games and phonics games, or Pre-K math for what the math practice covers.

Preschool reading games and first books

The preschool reading games are the first-sound and rhyme questions above; Critter Farm asks the most of them. For books, Peabody starts a preschooler at reading level 0. Level 0 is the bottom of the ladder, for a child who cannot read yet: its books use eight letters and two little words, with a picture on every page. Read them aloud together, pointing under each word. Where a device can speak, each story page has a Read to me button that reads the page aloud.

All the free level 0 books and level 1 books are open to read with no account. More: beginning reader books, decodable readers, sight word stories and Peabody TV, where the library's books play as read-along shows.

Printables, colouring and the Art Studio

Not everything has to be a game. The Activity Book has sheets in four sizes, and most make a new one every day. The Easy size is for preschool to kindergarten, and it is where a sheet starts when no grade is picked. Read it aloud together.

The Art Studio has crayons, paint and colouring pages on the screen, and Trace letters, which starts with capital letters for a preschooler. The coloring pages print too.

How long should a preschooler play?

Not long. The World Health Organization's 2019 guidelines say that for children aged 3 and 4, sedentary screen time should be no more than one hour a day, and less is better. The American Academy of Pediatrics' 2016 statement advises about one hour a day of high-quality programs for children aged 2 to 5, with a grown-up watching or playing along, and its family guide (updated April 2024) puts the weight on what children see and on what screens replace: play, time outside, reading and talking.

In practice: a round or two of one game, then a book, a printable or something off the screen. A grown-up with a Peabody account can set time limits for the arcade from the parent console. For older children too, see the screen time guide by age.

Questions parents ask

Are these preschool games free?

Yes. They are free through the end of 2026, with no ads, no card and no sign-up to start playing.

What age are they for?

Ages 3 to 5, before kindergarten. Peabody never asks a child's age: pick Preschool when a game asks for a grade, and the questions start there. A 3-year-old will want a grown-up beside them.

Can my child play if they can't read yet?

Yes. Word questions are said aloud rather than printed, first sounds and rhymes use pictures, and counting uses things to count. The answers are three big boxes, so there is nothing to type.

Are the games safe for preschoolers?

There are no ads, nothing to buy and no typing to other people, and a child never needs a name or an email to play. What to check in any game, and what Peabody's do, is on safe games for kids.

Do they work on a tablet or phone?

Yes, in the web browser, with nothing to download. On a phone the games play sideways and fill the screen.

What about toddlers?

The World Health Organization advises no sedentary screen time for 1-year-olds, and no more than an hour for 2-year-olds, less being better. Books read aloud, songs and play suit this age far better than any game. The level 0 books make good first read-alouds.

Next step

Start with Critter Farm: tap Preschool, and plant the first crop together. When your child is ready for more, see games for 5 year olds and kindergarten learning games.