Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers

These games are made for the youngest players: children turning three, and preschoolers up to about five. Nothing here needs reading, there is no timer and there is no way to lose. A wrong tap gets a gentle wiggle, not a game-over screen, and every right answer gets a cheer.

The skills are the ones nursery and preschool teachers work on: matching shapes and colours, telling big from small, counting a handful of objects, hearing the first sound of a word and tracing letters. Rounds are short, two or three minutes, because that is about how long a toddler's attention lasts. The buttons are large enough for small fingers on a phone or tablet. Sit with them for the first game or two; after that most children are happy to play on their own.