Best Offline Apps for Toddlers: 9 Tested in Airplane Mode
"Works offline" sounds simple until you're already on a plane and discover that the app needed an account, a subscription, or ten individual downloads before takeoff.
So we tested nine popular toddler apps ourselves.
First, we downloaded each app and opened it with no internet at all. Then we gave it one normal online setup, disconnected again, force-quit the app, and checked what was actually available.
The differences were much bigger than we expected. Some apps were ready immediately. Some needed an internet connection just to get through setup. Others worked offline only for games or exercises we'd remembered to download beforehand.
If you're loading an iPad before a flight, this is the part that actually matters.
Offline toddler app comparison
| App | Fresh install, no internet | Offline after one online setup, no subscription | Before your flight | Free offline content | Works well muted? | Low stimulation? | Enough offline content for 10-30 minutes? | Price when tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Denny's Maze Our pick for zero-prep offline use | ✅ 3 complete mazes available immediately | ✅ Same 3 mazes available | 🟢 Just download | 3 complete mazes | ◐ Narration is used | 8.8/10 calm score | ✅ Yes with full access | $7.99 lifetime |
 Sago Mini World | ❌ Nothing available without setup | ✅ Around 4 games available without subscribing or manually downloading them first | 🟢 A few games work after setup; more content requires paid access/downloads | Around 4 games in our test | ✅ Yes | 6.5/10 calm score | ✅ Yes | $79.99/year or $7.99/month · 1-week trial |
 Pok Pok | ⚠️ Setup worked, but no activities were available without a subscription. Initial setup took approximately 2 minutes in our test. | ❌ Nothing usable | 🔴 Internet + subscription required for meaningful access | None | ✅ Yes | 7/10 calm score | ✅ Yes if subscribed | $59.99/year with 1-week trial or $9.99/month |
 Khan Academy Kids | ❌ Could not complete initial setup | 🟡 Dedicated offline section available | 🟡 Complete initial setup online first | Some | ◐ Narration is used | 7/10 calm score | ✅ Yes | Free |
 PBS KIDS Games | ❌ Nothing available | ✅ Everything we manually downloaded was available | 🟠 Manually download each game you want before leaving Wi-Fi | Potentially substantial, but only games downloaded beforehand | ◐ Narration is used | 5.8/10 calm score | ✅ Yes, but needs to be downloaded | Free |
 Thinkrolls | ❌ Crashed during our test | ❌ Nothing usable in the tested free state | 🔴 Internet + paid access required | None in our test | ✅ Yes | 3.5/10 calm score | ✅ Yes if subscribed and downloaded | $69.99/year or $9.99/month · 1-week trial |
 Lingokids | ❌ Stayed in an endless loading state during our test | ❌ Nothing usable | 🔴 Subscription required; download content after purchase | None in our test | ◐ Narration is used | 4.5/10 calm score | ✅ Yes if purchased and downloaded | $89.99/year or $14.99/month · 1-week trial |
 Montessori Preschool | ⚠️ Setup worked, and some free content was visible, but activities were not usable offline | 🟡 Exercises that had previously been opened/downloaded remained available | 🟠 Open/download individual sections and exercises online first | Some, if prepared beforehand | ◐ Narration is used | 6.8/10 calm score | ✅ Yes if subscribed and downloaded | $59.99/year or $9.99/month · 1-week trial |
 Bimi Boo Learning Games | ❌ Nothing usable without purchase | ❌ Nothing usable in the tested free state | 🔴 Internet + purchase + manually download each game | None | ◐ Narration is used | 4.5/10 calm score | ✅ Yes if subscribed and downloaded | $59.99/year or $8.99/month |
- Our pick for zero-prep offline use
- Fresh install, no internet
- ✅ 3 complete mazes available immediately
- Offline after setup
- ✅ Same 3 mazes available
- Before your flight
- 🟢 Just download
- Free offline content
- 3 complete mazes
- Muted?
- ◐ Narration is used
- Low stimulation?
- 8.8/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes with full access
- Price when tested
- $7.99 lifetime
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ❌ Nothing available without setup
- Offline after setup
- ✅ Around 4 games available without subscribing or manually downloading them first
- Before your flight
- 🟢 A few games work after setup; more content requires paid access/downloads
- Free offline content
- Around 4 games in our test
- Muted?
- ✅ Yes
- Low stimulation?
- 6.5/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes
- Price when tested
- $79.99/year or $7.99/month · 1-week trial
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ⚠️ Setup worked, but no activities were available without a subscription. Initial setup took approximately 2 minutes in our test.
- Offline after setup
- ❌ Nothing usable
- Before your flight
- 🔴 Internet + subscription required for meaningful access
- Free offline content
- None
- Muted?
- ✅ Yes
- Low stimulation?
- 7/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes if subscribed
- Price when tested
- $59.99/year with 1-week trial or $9.99/month
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ❌ Could not complete initial setup
- Offline after setup
- 🟡 Dedicated offline section available
- Before your flight
- 🟡 Complete initial setup online first
- Free offline content
- Some
- Muted?
- ◐ Narration is used
- Low stimulation?
- 7/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes
- Price when tested
- Free
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ❌ Nothing available
- Offline after setup
- ✅ Everything we manually downloaded was available
- Before your flight
- 🟠 Manually download each game you want before leaving Wi-Fi
- Free offline content
- Potentially substantial, but only games downloaded beforehand
- Muted?
- ◐ Narration is used
- Low stimulation?
- 5.8/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes, but needs to be downloaded
- Price when tested
- Free
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ❌ Crashed during our test
- Offline after setup
- ❌ Nothing usable in the tested free state
- Before your flight
- 🔴 Internet + paid access required
- Free offline content
- None in our test
- Muted?
- ✅ Yes
- Low stimulation?
- 3.5/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes if subscribed and downloaded
- Price when tested
- $69.99/year or $9.99/month · 1-week trial
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ❌ Stayed in an endless loading state during our test
- Offline after setup
- ❌ Nothing usable
- Before your flight
- 🔴 Subscription required; download content after purchase
- Free offline content
- None in our test
- Muted?
- ◐ Narration is used
- Low stimulation?
- 4.5/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes if purchased and downloaded
- Price when tested
- $89.99/year or $14.99/month · 1-week trial
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ⚠️ Setup worked, and some free content was visible, but activities were not usable offline
- Offline after setup
- 🟡 Exercises that had previously been opened/downloaded remained available
- Before your flight
- 🟠 Open/download individual sections and exercises online first
- Free offline content
- Some, if prepared beforehand
- Muted?
- ◐ Narration is used
- Low stimulation?
- 6.8/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes if subscribed and downloaded
- Price when tested
- $59.99/year or $9.99/month · 1-week trial
-
- Fresh install, no internet
- ❌ Nothing usable without purchase
- Offline after setup
- ❌ Nothing usable in the tested free state
- Before your flight
- 🔴 Internet + purchase + manually download each game
- Free offline content
- None
- Muted?
- ◐ Narration is used
- Low stimulation?
- 4.5/10 calm score
- 10-30 minutes?
- ✅ Yes if subscribed and downloaded
- Price when tested
- $59.99/year or $8.99/month
Prices shown are the USD prices we saw during our August 2026 testing. App Store prices can change and may vary by country.
How we rate stimulation → Our low-stimulation ratings come from a separate comparison looking at brightness, animation, rewards and sound.
How we tested
We weren't interested in whether an app technically describes itself as "offline." We wanted to know what happens in the situation parents actually face when traveling.
Fresh install, no internet
We downloaded each app, disconnected completely, and opened it for the first time. We recorded whether setup worked and whether any actual activities were available.
One normal online setup
Next, we connected to the internet and completed the app's initial setup. We recorded subscriptions, purchases, and any content that had to be downloaded manually.
Offline again
We disconnected, force-quit the app, reopened it, and tried to start activities.
We tested both Airplane Mode and having networking enabled with no usable internet connection.
In our tests the apps behaved the same in both offline states, so the comparison combines them into one "Offline after setup" result.
Sound
We also checked whether the core experience worked without sound, because that's useful on planes, restaurants and other shared spaces.
Prices are the USD prices we saw during our August 2026 testing. App Store prices can change and vary by country.
What works if you forget to prepare before the flight?
The biggest surprise wasn't whether apps had offline support. It was how much preparation "offline" sometimes required.
If you download an app at the airport and immediately lose internet, several popular options give you very little to work with.
Denny's Maze was usable immediately in our test, with three complete free mazes and no additional download.
Pok Pok let us complete its roughly two-minute setup offline, but no activities were available without subscribing.
Khan Academy Kids couldn't complete its initial setup without internet.
PBS KIDS Games had no games ready offline until we connected and manually downloaded them.
Montessori Preschool let us get through setup, but activities themselves weren't available offline until we'd opened/downloaded them online.
Thinkrolls crashed during our fresh-install offline test, while Lingokids remained on a loading screen during our test.
Before a flight, don't just download an app. Open it, turn on Airplane Mode, force-quit it, reopen it, and try the activities your child will actually use.
Best toddler apps for a plane, by situation
Our pick when you didn't prepare: Denny's Maze
Denny's Maze is our app, so we're obviously not a neutral party here.
What our test did show objectively is that the three free mazes worked directly after installation without an account, subscription or extra content download.
That makes Denny useful as a small, zero-prep travel backup rather than something you need to configure the night before.
Try Denny's Maze
3 mazes free. Works offline. No ads or subscription.
Best free option if you prepare ahead: PBS KIDS Games
PBS KIDS Games is much more generous than Denny in the sheer amount of free content available. The catch is preparation.
In our test, games had to be downloaded individually while online. Once downloaded, those games remained available offline.
If you remember to load several games before leaving home, PBS is one of the strongest free travel options we tested.
Best free learning option: Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids is free, but it isn't a "download it at the gate and forget about Wi-Fi" app.
Initial setup required internet in our test. After setup, Khan provides a dedicated offline section rather than making the entire library available offline.
If you're happy to prepare it beforehand, that still gives you useful free content for travel.
Good free mini-library after setup: Sago Mini World
Sago Mini World surprised us by leaving around four games available in our non-subscriber test without requiring us to manually download those games first.
That's enough to make it useful as another small travel option, although most of the larger library sits behind paid access.
Does each toddler app really work offline?
Does PBS KIDS Games work offline?
Yes, but you need to download the games you want first. In our test, downloaded games remained available after we disconnected and reopened the app.
Does Pok Pok work offline?
Not in the free state we tested. Pok Pok's setup worked without internet, but no activities were available without a subscription.
Does Khan Academy Kids work offline?
Partially. Initial setup required internet in our test, then a dedicated offline section became available.
Does Lingokids work offline?
We found no usable offline content in the non-subscriber state we tested. A fresh offline launch also remained stuck loading during our test.
Does Sago Mini World work offline?
Some content did. After online setup, around four games were available in our test without subscribing or manually downloading them individually.
"Works offline" can mean very different things
None of these categories is automatically good or bad. The point is knowing what has to happen before internet disappears.
1. Ready immediately
Useful content is bundled with the app and works after download. Example: Denny's Maze free mazes.
2. Online setup first
The app requires internet during initial setup but offers some offline functionality afterward. Example: Khan Academy Kids.
3. Download activities first
The app supports offline content, but parents must manually prepare individual games or exercises before leaving Wi-Fi. Examples: PBS KIDS Games and Montessori Preschool.
4. Payment required
There is little or no meaningful free offline experience in the tested state. Examples: Pok Pok, Thinkrolls, Lingokids, and Bimi Boo Learning Games.
Can you use them without sound?
This can matter on flights and in shared public places where you may not want an iPad making noise.
Work well muted
- Pok Pok
- Thinkrolls
- Sago Mini World
Narration/instructions are part of the experience
These apps may still be usable muted, but narration or spoken instructions may be lost.
- Denny's Maze
- Khan Academy Kids
- PBS KIDS Games
- Lingokids
- Montessori Preschool
- Bimi Boo Learning Games
Looking for non-app airplane activities too?
If you're planning the whole flight rather than just the iPad, we've also put together the activities that have actually worked for us while flying with a young child.
Read the broader guide: what actually works on a plane with a 3-year-old.
Denny's Maze is our own app, so we've clearly labelled it throughout the comparison and used the same testing process for it as every other app.
Try Denny's Maze
3 mazes free. Works offline. No ads or subscription.