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No Wi-Fi, no ads, no surprises

The best offline toddler apps for travel (2026)

“Works offline” usually means “works offline if you downloaded it at home.” Here are the five toddler apps we trust in airplane mode, what each needs before you leave, and an honest word about which one actually gets you through a long flight.

By the parents who make Their First Words · October 2026 · 5 min read

The illustration on the “Are we there yet?” phrase card

We make Their First Words, so this is our own comparison — written by the two parents who build it, not by a reviewer. The facts about every other app were checked on October 2, 2026 against their store listings and websites, and the sources are listed at the end. Prices are US prices and change. Where another app is the better choice for your family, this page says so.

The short answer

If you only read this part.

  • For hours of varied play on a flight: Khan Academy Kids or PBS KIDS Games — free, ad-free, and offline for whatever you downloaded at home. Honestly better than any flashcard app for that job.
  • For the quiet minutes — the gate, the car seat, the hotel breakfast: Their First Words. Everything is inside the app from the first install; nothing to download, in eight languages, $9.99 once or free to start.
  • For a one-year-old’s first tap: Peekaboo Barn, $3.99 once, offline.
  • For a preschooler who likes letters: Endless Alphabet, $8.99 once — but open it at home first.

The picks at a glance

Who each one is for.

AppBest forPriceWorks on
Their First WordsTheir First WordsoursThe quiet minutes, in eight languages, with nothing to download$9.99 once for everything; no subscriptioniPhone, iPad, Android
Khan Academy KidsKhan Academy KidsA long flight, freeFree — no ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchasesiPhone, iPad (iOS 13+), Android, Amazon Fire
PBS KIDS GamesPBS KIDS GamesFree games with characters they know, offlineFree — no in-app purchasesiPhone, iPad, Android
Peekaboo BarnPeekaboo BarnA one-year-old in a car seat$3.99 onceiPhone, iPad; Android
Endless AlphabetEndless AlphabetA preschooler who likes letters, with one rule$8.99 once; Family Sharing on AppleiPhone, iPad, Mac; Android

Prices are US store prices on the day they were checked (October 2, 2026); the store is the authority for today’s price.

How we chose

The yardstick, out loud.

  • Really offline, with a clear rule for what must be downloaded first.
  • No ads and no pop-ups that need a connection, so nothing breaks in airplane mode.
  • A calm screen, because the AAP’s advice to use media together and keep it conversational doesn’t pause at 30,000 feet.1
  • Honest pricing — and no subscription that silently needs the internet to confirm itself.

We rank by fit for the family in the title, not by who made the app. Their First Words is on this list because it belongs here for some of these families and not for others, and the page says which.

The picks

One at a time, honestly.

1 of 5

Their First Wordsours

Best for: The quiet minutes, in eight languages, with nothing to download

Price $9.99 once for everything; no subscriptionWorks on iPhone, iPad, AndroidAges 0–5, in three parent-chosen stages (phrases are not split by stage)Languages English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Korean and Russian on every card (the app’s own screens are in English)

Every one of 1,000+ words and 500+ phrases, every picture, and all 24,000+ voice clips ship inside the app, so it works in airplane mode from the first install — on the free tier too. It is a picture book you narrate: a card, a native voice, your voice, the next card. Lock keeps a toddler’s taps from skipping ahead; Auto Play, if you want it on a long drive, turns the cards for you and is off otherwise.

Free to start with 75 words and 35 phrases, no account; $9.99 once for everything.

Worth knowing: We make it, and it is not an entertainment app: it will not hold a three-year-old for an hour, and it was not built to. It is a 556 MB download — install it on home Wi-Fi.

2 of 5

Khan Academy Kids

Best for: A long flight, free

Price Free — no ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchasesWorks on iPhone, iPad (iOS 13+), Android, Amazon FireAges 2–8, as the maker statesLanguages English, with a section of books translated into Spanish

Thousands of games, books and videos for ages 2 to 8, free, no ads, from a nonprofit. Its listing says to download books and games for learning on the go, and that is the rule: pick them while you are online, and they play offline.

Worth knowing: English, and it needs an adult account and Wi-Fi to set up — do that at home. Download the specific books and games before the airport; the rest of the library needs a connection.

3 of 5

PBS KIDS Games

Best for: Free games with characters they know, offline

Price Free — no in-app purchasesWorks on iPhone, iPad, AndroidAges 2–8, as the maker statesLanguages English, with 50+ games playable in Spanish

Hundreds of games with Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts and the rest, free with no purchases, for ages 2 to 8, and 50+ of them playable in Spanish. Its listing says you can download games to play offline with no connection needed.

Worth knowing: Download the games you want first; games you have not downloaded need Wi-Fi.

4 of 5

Peekaboo Barn

Best for: A one-year-old in a car seat

Price $3.99 onceWorks on iPhone, iPad; AndroidAges Toddlers; Apple rates it 4+Languages Animal names in eight-plus languages, including Spanish, German, French, Mandarin, Hindi and Japanese

Tap the barn, an animal says its name, in eight-plus languages. $3.99 once, no ads, no purchases, and its listing says offline play means no surprises. A minute at a time, which is the right length at one.

Worth knowing: One idea, done well. It will not last a flight.

5 of 5

Endless Alphabet

Best for: A preschooler who likes letters, with one rule

Price $8.99 once; Family Sharing on AppleWorks on iPhone, iPad, Mac; AndroidAges Apple’s “Made for Ages 0–5” band; best known as a preschool appLanguages English

100 big English words acted out by monsters while the child drags letters into place; $8.99 once, Family Sharing on Apple, no purchases inside. After the first run it plays anywhere.

Worth knowing: Its listing says you must be online, with disk space to spare, the first time you open it so that every word downloads. Open it at home. It showed no update since August 2022 when we checked.

In fairness

Where Their First Words falls short for this family.

  • It is not entertainment. For a six-hour flight with a three-year-old, Khan Kids or PBS KIDS Games is honestly the better install, and both are free.
  • A 556 MB download — the price of needing nothing later.
  • No videos or games; nothing a child does alone for long.

What to do

This week.

  1. Install everything on home Wi-Fi, then open each app once to finish any first-run download.
  2. In Khan Kids and PBS KIDS Games, download the specific books and games you want; the library is not the download.
  3. Turn on airplane mode at home and open every app. Whatever fails at the kitchen table fails at the gate.
  4. Pack headphones that fit, and a paper backup: our printable cards need no battery.
  5. Set the plan before takeoff: the flashcards for the quiet stretches, the library for the long one, and a book when the screen comes down.1

Questions

What parents ask.

Does Khan Academy Kids work offline?

For books and games you downloaded while online, yes. The rest of the library needs a connection, and setting up the account needs Wi-Fi the first time.

Does Lingokids work offline?

On its paid Plus tier, yes; the free Basic tier does not play offline, per its help center.

How do I know an app will really work on the plane?

Airplane mode at home, the night before. Open every app, play one thing in each. It is a two-minute test that saves a two-hour problem.

How much storage will this take?

Their First Words is 556 MB; Khan Kids about 210 MB plus whatever you download; Endless Alphabet downloads its words on first run. Check Settings for free space before you start.

Head to head: Their First Words vs Khan Academy Kids.

What this is based on

Sources

  1. American Academy of Pediatrics (2026). Helping kids thrive in a digital world: the AAP policy explained — infants under 18 months learn best from real-world interaction; watch and play alongside your child; favor conversation over designs that prolong engagement; video chat with family is relationship time. healthychildren.org
  2. Apple App Store, Khan Academy Kids — free, no ads, ages 2–8, 5,000+ activities, offline downloads, privacy label. apps.apple.com
  3. Khan Academy Kids, official page — subjects, standards, teacher tools. khanacademy.org/kids
  4. Khan Academy Kids, Privacy policy — account requirement, what is collected, no advertising. khanacademy.org
  5. Khan Academy support — the app is English-only; Spanish books in the Library. support.khanacademy.org
  6. Apple App Store, PBS KIDS Games — free, no in-app purchases, ages 2–8, download games to play offline. apps.apple.com
  7. PBS KIDS, PBS KIDS Games app page. pbskids.org
  8. Apple App Store, Peekaboo Barn — price, languages, ad-free, offline, last update shown as June 2025. apps.apple.com
  9. Apple App Store, Endless Alphabet — price, 100 words, first-run download, Family Sharing, last update shown as August 2022. apps.apple.com
  10. Apple App Store, Lingokids: Games & Shows — in-app purchase prices, ages, Basic tier, offline play, profiles, privacy label. apps.apple.com
  11. Lingokids, Privacy policy (updated September 18, 2026) — kidSAFE certification, what is collected about a child. lingokids.com
  12. Lingokids, press release (February 26, 2026) — content partners and the AI-assisted production program. lingokids.com/press
  13. Lingokids help center, Lingokids Basic (Free Version) and Can I use Lingokids offline? help.lingokids.com
  14. Their First Words, FAQ — price, free set, languages, offline use, accounts. theirfirstwords.org/faq

Facts about other apps were checked on October 2, 2026 against the sources above. Store prices are US prices on that day; they change, and the store is the authority for today’s price.

More guides

Other families.

Simple Words, Special Moments

Start with one word.

75 words and 35 phrases are free, forever, with both voices. One $9.99 purchase opens the rest of the 1,000+ words and 500+ phrases, in all eight languages at once. No subscription, nothing renews.

Download on the App Store — Their First Words Get it on Google Play — Their First Words
No ads, ever Private by design Works offline No account needed Up to 4 children