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To find out about more great digital media for children, visit the page for ALSC's Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award.

This list represents the titles selected by the committee for 2023-2024.

GLOBE Observer. App: iOS & Android. Middle, Older. Science, Nature, Environment.

This citizen science app is available in more than 120 countries. It allows users to make environmental observations that complement NASA satellite observations, helping scientists study Earth and the global environment. By using the GLOBE Observer app, you can contribute important scientific data to NASA and GLOBE, your local community, and students and scientists worldwide. (Available in numerous languages. See app for list.)

Goally. App: iOS, Amazon, Android, and tablets. Younger, Middle, Older. Cost : starting at $15/mo.

Provides neurodiverse children with the tools to build life and language skills needed to reach their potential. These include visual schedules, interactive video classes, emotional regulation games, and augmentative and alternative communication. Available in English.

Google Arts and Culture. Website/App: iOS & Android. Older, Educators, Parents. Arts, Visual Arts.

Google Arts & Culture is a non-commercial initiative that works with cultural institutions and artists from around the world. There are various topics to aid students in projects with excellent visuals for a heightened experience. Available in English.

Katoa. App: iOS & Android. Middle, Older. Science, Nature, Environment.

This mobile farm-sim game incorporates strategy and environmental awareness as players build, nurture, and defend virtual ocean habitats from pollution. Players collect fauna and attract flora in a series of biomes, unlocking real photos of and facts about the species and locations depicted in the game's high-quality art. Additional reading and learning components come from short quest storylines and scripted conversations with fish and marine mammals. Game play points count toward real world donations from the developer and their sponsors to conservation organizations; players select their preferred organizations from a curated list. Available in English.

OctoStudio. App: iOS and Android. Elementary, Middle. Coding.

This mobile coding app was created by the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at MIT, the same people who created Scratch. Children learn logic and develop programming skills by using block coding to create stories and games. Once it's downloaded, the app is able to function offline, which means that children with limited or no access to internet connectivity can enjoy it. OctoStudio is available in over 20 languages and is compatible with screen readers.

Seek by iNaturalist. App: iOS and Android. Younger, Middle. Nature.

Citizen scientists, ages four and up, can snap photos of wildlife, plants, and fungi in order to have them identified. App users are able to take on challenges and unlock badges for photographing different organisms and species in their neighborhoods. Available in English, Afrikaans, Arabic, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Singhalese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, and Ukrainian.

SkySci for Kids. Website. Younger, Middle. Science, Weather, Climate.

This website allows children ages 5-10 to explore weather wonders, stuff in the sky, and climate change in fun and interactive ways using short articles, games, storybooks, and videos. The materials are designed to allow kids to explore either independently or with a parent or caregiver. Available in English.

Starfall. Website/App: iOS & Android. Younger, Parents/Caregivers. Language Arts, Math, Music.

This resource, for Prek-Grade 5, provides exploration, play, and positive reinforcement for children as they learn and practice reading and math skills through interactive and multisensory games and music. A Parent-Teacher Center provides additional resources such as worksheets, books, projectables, music, and curriculum to help parents extend learning. Available in English

Notable Children's Digital Media Committee

Melanie A. Lyttle, Chair, Madison Public Library, Madison, OH
Dr. Danilo M. Baylen, Co-Chair, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA
Lauren E. Antolino, Cranford Public Library, Cranford, NJ
Kirsten Caldwell, Onalaska, WI
Angelica Candelaria, Bloomington, IN
Jaclyn C. Fulwood, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN
Elizabeth M. Gray, Yolo County Library, Woodland, CA
Bethni King, Georgetown, TX
Trina C. Smith, Saint John the Baptist Parish Library, Laplace, LA
Erin Warnick, NCDM Administrative Assistant, Pleasant Grove, UT