Learning games for 3 year olds

Two calm things for a 3 year old: spell a picture with letter tiles, or watch a gentle learning video. Both run in the browser, with nothing to install and no sign-in.

Play Spell the Picture, age 3 Watch calm videos

The age 3 cards: First words

The age 3 deck, First words, has 100 picture cards: short a, e, i, o and u words like cat, bed, pig, dog and sun, then a few 4-letter words and everyday words like owl and bee. Start on Easy: the letters come in order and faint letters in the tray show where each one goes, so your child matches shapes and hears each letter's name. A round is 5 words, then the game stops on "All done".

Pick how hard: Easy gives the letters in order and shows faint letters in the tray. Mix mixes the letters up. Tricky hides the word and adds two extra letters, so your child sounds it out from the picture.

Playing together at 3

Sit together for the first rounds. Say each letter after the voice.
Point at the picture and stretch the word out slowly: c-a-t.
Stop when the round ends. Five words is plenty at 3.
Turn on the Child lock (top right) before you hand over the phone.
Watch is there for a calmer moment: one video, then it stops.

Other ages

Questions parents ask

Can a 3 year old spell?

Not on their own, and that is fine. On Easy the letters come in order and the tray shows faint letters, so your child matches each tile to its place and hears its name. That builds letter knowledge, an early step toward reading.

How long should a 3 year old play?

One round of 5 words takes a few minutes, then the game stops by itself. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests no more than 1 hour a day of high-quality screen time for children 2 to 5, with a grown-up playing or watching along.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no sign-in, nothing to download and nothing to buy inside the games. It runs in the web browser on phones, tablets and computers.