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Algodoo
By Algoryx Simulation AB. Visit Algodoo
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A 2D physics sandbox from Sweden, the successor to the student project Phun. Kids draw shapes, add gears, motors, springs, water and lasers, then press play to watch gravity, friction and light behave. It suits free play and class experiments on forces and optics, and users can share scenes on the Algobox site and a forum. The desktop version is now a free download; the iPad and Mac App Store versions are paid.
Our take: A great creative sandbox for curious kids and science classes; parents should supervise use of the public sharing site and forum.
| Ages it suits | about 8 and up |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Not stated in terms; the license agreement sets no age. The iPad app is rated 9+ on the App Store. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free download for Windows and Mac; iPad app $7.99 on the App Store (Oct 2026). Donations welcome. |
| Works on | Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Free on Windows and Mac
- Open-ended, playful way to explore forces and light
- No ads or in-app purchases
- Used and studied by physics educators
Watch for
- Public sharing site and forum with open posting
- Privacy policy says nothing about children
- Desktop install needed; no web or Android version
- Older software; app reviews mention crashes
Data and privacy
The privacy policy covers the website, contact emails and cookies (analytics and embedded YouTube) under GDPR; it says nothing about children or about data inside the app. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
Independent education researchers have studied it, for example a 2020 Physics Education paper on how university physics students used it; the maker links to more on Google Scholar. No study on young children found.
In the Big Index
- On the list 16 best science games and simulations for kids
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Where these facts come from
- https://www.algodoo.com/
- https://www.algodoo.com/download/
- https://www.algodoo.com/what-is-it/
- https://www.algodoo.com/license-agreement/
- https://www.algodoo.com/privacy-policy/
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/algodoo/id616064935
- https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6552/ab83e7/meta
- https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.1621
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.