Screen time that teaches
If the screen is going on anyway, make it count: Peabody's free games ask a short reading or math question as a child plays, at the grade they pick, with no ads, no chat and no sign-up. Start with Rainbow Hop, Pet Hatch and Build World, then stories and typing.
Games that practise reading or math
Rainbow Hop
Build a Fun Park ride by ride; every question is said aloud.
- counting
- making ten
- first sounds
Pet Hatch
Hatch, feed and ride pets, paid for with coins that carry a sum or a word.
- making ten
- adding
- first sounds
Build World
Build a world block by block, with a question to earn new blocks.
- counting
- making ten
- first sounds
Wake the Dragon
Run out of the dragon's tunnels with a pet helper beside you.
- counting
- making ten
- first sounds
| Game | What kind | What a child does | Practises |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Hop | Preschool | Build a Fun Park ride by ride; every question is said aloud. | counting, making ten, first sounds, rhymes and more |
| Pet Hatch | Virtual pet | Hatch, feed and ride pets, paid for with coins that carry a sum or a word. | making ten, adding, first sounds, rhymes and more |
| Build World | Building | Build a world block by block, with a question to earn new blocks. | counting, making ten, first sounds, rhymes and more |
| Wake the Dragon | Runner | Run out of the dragon's tunnels with a pet helper beside you. | counting, making ten, first sounds, rhymes and more |
Every Peabody game quietly asks a short reading or math question as a child plays, at the grade they pick, and the questions climb by themselves when the answers are right. A Just play mode turns them off. There are no ads, no chat and no in-game purchases, and coins can never be bought with money.
Screen time that is not a game
| Activity | What kind | What a child does | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| The library | Read | Free stories by reading level, to read together or alone, with no account. | 3 and up |
| Peabody TV | Read | The library's books as read-along shows. | 3 to 7 |
| Typing games | Play | Learn the keyboard with races and lessons. | 6 and up |
| Animals: compare two | Explore | Pick any two animals and see which is bigger, faster or lives longer. | 5 and up |
| Space | Explore | The planets in order, and what each world is like. | 6 and up |
| The Body | Explore | Tap the skin, muscles, bones, heart and organs to see what each does. | 6 and up |
| Chess | Play | A daily puzzle, a game to play and the openings explained. | 7 and up |
| Music | Music | Song sheets in any key, the Chord Finder, Beat Buddies and the sing-along. | 5 and up |
How to make screen time count
- Sit with them for the first five minutes. Say the answers out loud together; it turns a game into a conversation.
- Pick the game before the screen goes on, so the choosing is not part of the screen time.
- Use a timer the child can see. The picture timers show the time running out, which makes stopping easier.
- Follow it with something off the screen. A story from the library printed or read aloud, or one of the indoor activities.
- Under 3, less is better. The World Health Organization advises no sedentary screen time for 1-year-olds, and no more than an hour for 2-year-olds.
For more on screens and families, the grown-ups' guide is screen time on Peabody Parents. Everything here is free through the end of 2026, with no ads, no sign-up and nothing to download.
Questions parents ask
What is good screen time for kids?
Screen time where a child is doing something: reading a story, answering questions in a game at their level, building, or learning to type. Watching together and talking about it helps more than any one app.
Are these educational games really free?
Yes, through the end of 2026, with no ads and no sign-up. An account is never needed to play.
Can I set a time limit?
With a free Peabody family account you can set time limits from the parent console. Without one, a picture timer works on any device.
Is my child's data safe?
Nothing a child does is shared, and the games have no chat. A visitor's saves stay in the browser on that device.
Play one now
Teacher? Share this page to Google Classroom. Children open it with no sign-up.
Checked against how Peabody works on 6 November 2026. Written with help from AI, from Peabody's own code and library. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: if you're worried about your child's learning, talk to their teacher. How Peabody's pages are made.