Learning Games for Kindergarten and 1st Grade
By Forge Learning · Updated October 2026
These are learning games your 5 to 7 year old can play in a web browser on a computer or laptop, with no app to install. The free section has game sites that are free to use, some with ads. The paid section has programs that need a subscription for regular use. Some sites have both a free and a paid option, so each card says what you get for free. What's free can change, so check before you sign up.
Free web games
Free to play in a web browser. Some show ads, and a few also sell an optional upgrade (marked Free + paid). Check the age range on each card.
Free games and videos from favorite PBS shows across subjects.
Free or paid: Free games with PBS KIDS characters, played right in the browser.
Ages 2-8ReadingMathScienceFree online math, reading, art, and music games and virtual manipulatives designed for kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Free or paid: Entirely free. Math, reading, art and music games made for kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Ages 5-8MathReadingArtMusicABCya (opens a new tab)
Free + paidEducational games for PreK-6 organized by grade and subject; free on desktop, subscription unlocks mobile.
Free or paid: The game library is free on a computer, with ads. A paid Premium plan removes ads and adds the mobile app.
Ages 4-8ReadingMathTeach Your Monster to Read (opens a new tab)
Free + paidPhonics game that takes kids from letter sounds to reading sentences.
Free or paid: All Teach Your Monster games are free to play on a desktop or laptop through their website (free account). The mobile apps are paid.
Ages 3-6ReadingFree educational games, books, and videos for grades Pre-K-8.
Free or paid: Free with ads, and no account needed.
Ages 4-8MathReadingFree K-6 math games, logic puzzles, and word problems, with pages for kindergarten and 1st grade; supported by ads.
Free or paid: Free with ads. Has kindergarten and 1st grade math pages. An ad-free option is offered.
Ages 5-8MathFree online learning games for kids, including word games for grammar, spelling, and sight words, plus math games.
Free or paid: Free, with no sign-up or account needed.
Ages 5-8ReadingMathHundreds of free online learning games, including a preschool and kindergarten section for numbers, shapes, colors, the alphabet, and animals.
Free or paid: Free. Start with the Preschool and Kindergarten section.
Ages 4-8MathReadingScienceFree math games for practicing addition, subtraction, and more.
Free or paid: Free with ads. Many games are for older kids, so stick to the addition, subtraction and ten-frame games.
Ages 5-8MathStarfall (opens a new tab)
Free + paidClassic phonics and early math site; much free, membership unlocks more.
Free or paid: The ABCs and the Learn to Read phonics series are free. A paid membership unlocks hundreds more activities.
Ages 3-8ReadingMathTurtle Diary (opens a new tab)
Free + paidFree games, worksheets, and quizzes for PreK-5 across math, language arts, and science.
Free or paid: Free account with ads. Paid memberships are ad-free and add the Turtle Diary app.
Ages 4-8ReadingMathScienceProdigy Math (opens a new tab)
Free + paidAdventure-style math game aligned to grade-level skills.
Free or paid: The math game and its questions are free. An optional membership adds extras. Starts at 1st grade.
Ages 6-8Math
Paid web games
These need a subscription or membership for regular use, and all of them play in a web browser on a computer. Night Zookeeper starts at age 6.
Guided online reading lessons and games for early readers.
Free or paid: Subscription. Works in a web browser on a computer as well as in the app.
Ages 2-8ReadingSubscription early-learning curriculum app covering reading, math, science, and art.
Free or paid: Subscription. Plays in Chrome, Firefox or Edge on a Windows or Mac computer. A free Basic option has limited access.
Ages 2-8ReadingMathScienceArtSplashLearn (opens a new tab)
Free + paidGame-based math and English learning program for Pre-K to grade 5, with free and paid plans.
Free or paid: Full access at home needs a paid membership. Free home access only comes through a teacher's class.
Ages 4-8MathReadingEducation.com Games (opens a new tab)
Free + paidHuge library of worksheets, games, and lesson plans by grade.
Free or paid: A free Basic account gets 3 resources a month, games included. Premium gives unlimited games.
Ages 3-8ReadingMathScienceWritingGamified creative-writing program where kids draw magical animals and write stories, with tutor feedback.
Free or paid: Subscription reading and writing program for ages 6 and up. Works in a web browser on a PC or laptop.
Ages 6-8WritingReading
Screen-free games
For a break from the computer: quick learning games you can play with paper, a die or a deck of cards.
- I Spy Sounds (Beginning sounds): Say "I spy something that starts with /b/" and let your child hunt around the room. Use the letter sound, not the letter name. Then swap: your child picks the sound and you guess.
- Rhyme or Not? (Rhyming): Say two words, like cat and hat, or cat and dog. Thumbs up if they rhyme, thumbs down if they don't. Then ask your child to make up a rhyme. Silly made-up words count.
- Robot Talk (Blending sounds): Talk like a robot and say a short word one sound at a time: "c-a-t." Your child blends the sounds and says the word. Take turns being the robot.
- Sticky-Note Word Hunt (Sight words): Write a few sight words on sticky notes and hide them around a room. Your child reads each word they find. Keep the ones they read easily, and swap in a new word.
- Roll and Move (Counting and number recognition): Roll one die, say the number, then do that many jumps, claps or hops. For 1st grade, roll two dice and add them first.
- Card War: Bigger or Smaller (Comparing numbers): Take the face cards out of a deck (an ace is 1). Each player flips a card, and the bigger number wins both cards. Switch to "smaller wins" to keep it fresh. For 1st grade, each player flips two cards and adds them.
- Make 10 (Number bonds to 10 (1st grade)): Lay out ace-to-9 cards face up. Take turns finding two cards that add up to 10, like 3 and 7 or 4 and 6, and say the sum out loud.
- Simon Says Shapes (Listening, shapes and position words): Play Simon Says with learning words: "Simon says draw a circle in the air," "Simon says put your hand under your chin." Words like above, under, next to and behind are great practice.
- Keep it short. Five to ten minutes is plenty, and it's best to stop while your child still wants to play.
- Practice one skill at a time, like one sound, one sight word list or one number range.
- Let your child be the teacher sometimes. Giving you the clue is practice too.
- Repeat favorites. Kids don't mind playing the same game all week, and the repetition is what builds the skill.
Guides with more game ideas
- Free Sight Word Games for Kindergarten
Free sight word games, songs and practice for kindergarteners.
- Free Sight Word Worksheets for Kindergarten
A free PDF plus five hands-on sight word games to play alongside it.
- Free Homeschool Math Resources for 1st Grade
Free math games, videos, apps and worksheets for age 6.
- Best Free Phonics Apps for Kindergarten
Free and free-tier phonics apps, including phonics games.
Frequently asked questions
- What are good free learning games for kindergarten on a computer?
- PBS KIDS Games, Toy Theater, Funbrain and Math Playground are free to play in a web browser. ABCya's game library is free on a computer, with ads. Teach Your Monster to Read is free to play on a computer through its website, while its mobile apps are paid.
- Which learning game sites need a subscription?
- Reading Eggs, ABCmouse and Night Zookeeper are subscription programs. SplashLearn needs a paid membership for full access at home, and Education.com gives free accounts 3 resources a month, with unlimited games on Premium.
- Do kids need to download anything to play these games?
- No. Every site on this page plays in a web browser on a computer or laptop. Some need a free or paid account, such as Teach Your Monster to Read and ABCmouse.
- How long should a learning game last for a 5 or 6 year old?
- Keep it to about five to ten minutes and stop while your child is still having fun.
Free and paid details were checked against each site in October 2026 and can change. Links go to independent sites and are not affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure.