Apps that make kids learn before they play
Updated
Some apps keep games and other apps locked until a child has done some learning first - reading, math practice or educational videos - and turn the time spent learning into time to play. The approach works best when the deal is simple, the learning is worth doing, and the rules are the same every day.
Here is how these apps work, what parents like about them, what to watch out for, and how to set one up so it feels fair.
How “learn first, then play” works
Instead of a fixed daily allowance, play time is earned. A parent chooses which apps are locked and which activities count as learning. When the child reads or practices, the app adds play time; when that time is used up, the games lock again. On iPhone and iPad, apps like this use Apple’s Screen Time to do the locking.
Why parents like it
- The limit is tied to something positive, so “no” becomes “not yet”.
- The routine is built in: learning first, then play, every day.
- Children have a clear way to get more time, which leaves less to bargain over.
- It nudges them toward reading and practice they might otherwise skip.
What to watch out for
- Learning can start to feel like a chore if earning is too stingy. Keep the rate generous enough to feel fair.
- Not every minute of play has to be earned. Some families keep weekends or family movie night separate.
- Pick learning that is worth the time, not anything that simply fills minutes.
- Check what a child could switch off on their own, and close the gaps you can.
How to set it up fairly
- Agree on the rules with your child before you switch it on.
- Start with a small amount of daily learning, and adjust once you see how it goes.
- Lock the apps that cause the most arguments, not everything.
- Keep the apps your child needs for school and for reaching you outside the lock.
- Look at the deal again as your child grows.
How Emetli helps
Emetli is built around this idea: learn first, then play. You pick the apps or whole categories to lock with Apple’s Screen Time, choose which activities earn play time, and set a daily minimum. Emetli itself is never locked.
- Books and STEM articles: every minute of reading adds a minute of play.
- Fifteen math games, from counting and fractions to shapes, time and angles: each level earns the minutes on its coin.
- Language videos: 2 minutes of watching for 1 minute of play, or 1 for 1 if you change it. They are in English for now, with Spanish on the way.
- A daily minimum for each activity, off or 5 to 120 minutes, before the apps unlock. It resets at midnight.
- Saved play time only runs down while a locked app is in use, and you can add bonus time whenever you like.
- Free, with no ads, no in-app purchases and no accounts for kids. The list of locked apps never leaves the device.
