As a New Zealand parent navigating the digital learning landscape for young children, finding quality educational apps that are both engaging and aligned with our learning values can be challenging. Khan Academy Kids has emerged as one of the most talked-about free educational apps globally, but how does it stack up for Kiwi families? After extensively testing this app with my own children and researching its features, curriculum alignment, and user experiences across New Zealand, I’m providing you with an honest, comprehensive review of Khan Academy Kids from a distinctly New Zealand perspective.
What is Khan Academy Kids?
Khan Academy Kids is a completely free educational app designed for children aged 2-8 years, covering preschool through to Year 2-3 in the New Zealand education system. Developed by the renowned Khan Academy organisation in collaboration with early learning experts from Duck Duck Moose (who previously created 22 award-winning preschool games), this app promises to deliver world-class education without any cost, advertisements, or subscription fees.
The app features Kodi the Bear and her friends at the Kids’ Club, providing a safe, child-friendly environment where young learners can explore thousands of educational activities, books, and games. What sets Khan Academy Kids apart from many other educational apps is its comprehensive approach – rather than focusing on a single subject area, it covers reading, mathematics, social-emotional learning, and even includes content about creative arts and logic skills. 
Key Features of Khan Academy Kids
Comprehensive Learning Library
The app boasts an impressive collection of over 5,000 lessons and educational activities, including:
- Reading and Literacy: Phonics games, sight word practice, alphabet activities, and story comprehension
- Mathematics: Counting, number recognition, basic addition and subtraction, shapes, patterns, and measurement
- Books: Thousands of digital books including fiction, non-fiction, and early readers
- Creative Activities: Drawing, colouring, and storytelling tools
- Social-Emotional Learning: Activities focused on friendship, empathy, and emotional regulation
Adaptive Learning Technology
One of Khan Academy Kids’ strongest features is its adaptive learning system. The app adjusts to your child’s learning level and pace, creating a personalised learning path that grows with them. This means whether your child is just starting to recognise letters or is already reading simple sentences, the app will provide appropriate challenges.
Offline Accessibility
A crucial feature for New Zealand families, especially those in rural areas or with limited data, is the offline functionality. Once content is downloaded, children can access dozens of books and games without an internet connection – perfect for long car trips around New Zealand or when the WiFi is playing up!
Parent and Teacher Tools
The 2025 update introduced enhanced parent dashboard features, allowing Kiwi parents to:
- Track their child’s learning progress in real-time
- View completed lessons and time spent learning
- Assign specific activities or practice areas
- Monitor skill mastery across different subject areas
How Does Khan Academy Kids Align with New Zealand Curriculum?
This is perhaps the most important question for New Zealand families. Khan Academy Kids is primarily designed around the US Common Core Standards and Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework. However, after extensive use and comparison with New Zealand’s early learning goals, I’ve found significant overlap in several key areas:
Mathematics Alignment
The mathematics content aligns well with New Zealand’s Early Numeracy expectations:
- Number Knowledge: Counting, number recognition, and basic number operations match our curriculum well
- Measurement and Geometry: Shape recognition, spatial awareness, and basic measurement concepts translate effectively
- Statistics: Simple data collection and pattern recognition activities are curriculum-appropriate
Literacy Alignment
The reading and writing components show good alignment with New Zealand literacy expectations:
- Phonological Awareness: Sound recognition and phonics instruction follows similar patterns to New Zealand approaches
- Reading Comprehension: Story understanding and prediction skills align well with our literacy goals
- Writing Preparation: Letter formation and early writing skills are universally applicable
Areas of Divergence
Some content areas reflect American cultural contexts that may not resonate with New Zealand children:
- References to American holidays and traditions
- Some measurement units (though metric options are available)
- Cultural references in stories and activities
Khan Academy Kids Review: The New Zealand Experience
What Works Well for Kiwi Kids
Engaging Character Design: New Zealand children respond well to Kodi the Bear and her friends. The characters are culturally neutral enough to appeal to our diverse population, and the animation quality keeps children engaged.
Progressive Difficulty: The app’s ability to adjust difficulty levels suits New Zealand’s inclusive education approach, ensuring no child is left behind while still challenging those ready to advance.
Screen Time Quality: For New Zealand parents concerned about screen time, Khan Academy Kids offers genuinely educational content rather than passive entertainment, making it easier to feel good about digital learning time.
Accessibility Features: The app includes good accessibility options, which aligns with New Zealand’s commitment to inclusive education for children with diverse learning needs.
Challenges for New Zealand Users
Cultural Context: Some content feels distinctly American. For example, books about Thanksgiving or American historical figures may not resonate with New Zealand children who are learning about Waitangi Day and New Zealand history.
Language Variations: While the app uses English, it occasionally uses American spelling and terminology (color vs colour, sidewalk vs footpath) which might confuse young New Zealand learners.
Assessment Alignment: The app’s progress tracking doesn’t directly map to New Zealand’s assessment frameworks, making it harder for parents and teachers to connect app progress with school-based learning goals.
Pricing and Value Proposition
Perhaps Khan Academy Kids’ strongest selling point is its price: absolutely free. In New Zealand’s expensive educational resource market, where quality learning apps can cost $10-30+ per month, this represents exceptional value. The app contains no advertisements, no in-app purchases, and no subscription fees – it’s genuinely free forever.
For New Zealand families on tight budgets, this is transformative. Quality early childhood education resources can be expensive, but Khan Academy Kids provides thousands of hours of educational content at no cost. This democratises access to quality learning resources across all socioeconomic levels in New Zealand.
Comparison with New Zealand Educational Apps
Compared to other educational apps available in New Zealand:
vs. Reading Eggs/Mathseeds
- Cost: Khan Academy Kids wins (free vs $60-120+ annually)
- NZ Curriculum Alignment: Reading Eggs/Mathseeds better aligned with NZ curriculum
- Content Volume: Khan Academy Kids offers broader subject coverage
- Cultural Relevance: Reading Eggs includes more Australian/NZ content
vs. ABCmouse
- Cost: Khan Academy Kids wins (free vs $15+ monthly)
- Age Range: Similar coverage (2-8 years)
- Content Quality: Both high quality, Khan Academy Kids more educational focus
- Offline Access: Khan Academy Kids superior offline functionality
Real New Zealand Family Experiences
Based on conversations with other New Zealand parents and online reviews from Kiwi families, here are common experiences:
Positive Feedback
- “Perfect for our long drives around the South Island” – The offline functionality is repeatedly praised by travelling families
- “My child’s reading improved dramatically” – Many parents report significant literacy gains
- “Finally, an app that doesn’t cost a fortune” – The free nature is consistently appreciated
- “Great for homeschooling during COVID” – Proved valuable during lockdowns and remote learning periods
Common Concerns
- “Some content feels too American” – Cultural relevance issues noted by several families
- “Hard to track progress against NCEA pathways” – Assessment alignment concerns
- “My child got frustrated with the American accent” – Some children prefer local accents and pronunciation
Khan Academy Kids for New Zealand Educators
New Zealand teachers and early childhood educators can benefit from Khan Academy Kids in several ways:
Classroom Integration
- Differentiated Learning: Teachers can assign different activities to students based on their individual needs
- Progress Monitoring: The teacher dashboard allows monitoring of multiple students’ progress
- Homework Assignments: Can assign specific activities for home practice
- Intervention Support: Useful for students needing additional practice in specific areas
Professional Development
Khan Academy offers free teacher training and certification programs, which New Zealand educators can access to better integrate the tool into their teaching practice.
Technical Performance in New Zealand
The app performs well on New Zealand internet infrastructure:
- Loading Times: Generally fast on both fibre and standard broadband connections
- Data Usage: Reasonable data consumption when streaming, excellent offline options reduce ongoing data needs
- Device Compatibility: Works well on both iOS and Android devices commonly used in New Zealand
- Updates: Regular updates install smoothly without issues
Privacy and Safety Considerations
For New Zealand parents concerned about digital privacy (and we should all be concerned), Khan Academy Kids performs well:
- COPPA Compliant: Meets international child privacy standards
- No Advertising: Children aren’t exposed to commercial content
- Safe Content: All content is curated and age-appropriate
- No Social Features: No chat or social interaction features that could pose risks
Pros and Cons: Khan Academy Kids New Zealand Review
Pros
- Completely free with no hidden costs or advertisements
- High-quality educational content developed by learning experts
- Excellent offline functionality perfect for New Zealand’s geography
- Adaptive learning technology that adjusts to individual children
- Comprehensive subject coverage beyond just maths and reading
- Strong parent and teacher tools for monitoring progress
- Safe, child-friendly environment with robust privacy protections
- Regular updates and improvements keep content fresh and relevant
Cons
- American cultural context may not always resonate with NZ children
- US curriculum focus doesn’t perfectly align with NZ learning standards
- American spelling and terminology could confuse young New Zealand learners
- Limited local content about New Zealand history, culture, or geography
- Assessment tracking doesn’t map directly to New Zealand school assessments
- Requires device and internet access (though offline options help)
Best Practices for New Zealand Families
To maximise Khan Academy Kids’ effectiveness for New Zealand children:
For Parents
- Supplement with NZ Content: Balance app use with books and activities about New Zealand
- Discuss Cultural Differences: Use American content as opportunities to discuss different cultures
- Monitor Progress Regularly: Use the parent dashboard to stay engaged with your child’s learning
- Set Appropriate Screen Time Limits: Even educational screen time should be balanced with offline activities
For Teachers
- Align with NZ Curriculum: Map app activities to New Zealand learning outcomes
- Use for Differentiation: Assign different activities based on student needs
- Combine with Local Resources: Use alongside New Zealand-specific educational materials
- Share with Families: Encourage parents to continue learning at home
The Verdict: Is Khan Academy Kids Worth It for New Zealand Families?
After months of testing Khan Academy Kids with New Zealand children and comparing it to other available options, my verdict is a strong yes – with some important caveats.
For New Zealand families, Khan Academy Kids represents exceptional value. The completely free access to high-quality educational content is remarkable, especially in our expensive educational market. The app’s adaptive learning technology, comprehensive subject coverage, and excellent offline functionality make it genuinely useful for Kiwi kids.
However, New Zealand families should approach it as a supplement to, rather than replacement for, locally-relevant educational resources. The American cultural context and curriculum focus mean it works best when combined with New Zealand-specific learning materials.
Who Should Use Khan Academy Kids in New Zealand?
Ideal for:
- Families seeking free, high-quality educational screen time
- Parents homeschooling or supplementing school learning
- Children who enjoy gamified learning experiences
- Families with limited budgets for educational resources
- Rural families with limited access to educational programs
- Teachers seeking differentiated learning tools
Consider alternatives if:
- You prioritise strictly New Zealand curriculum alignment
- Cultural relevance is paramount for your family
- Your child strongly prefers local accents and references
- You need direct integration with New Zealand assessment systems
Final Recommendations
Khan Academy Kids deserves a place in most New Zealand families’ educational toolkit. Its combination of quality, comprehensiveness, and cost (free!) makes it an outstanding resource for supplementing your child’s learning journey.
My recommendation is to download it (it’s free, after all!) and test it with your children. Many New Zealand families find it becomes a valuable part of their learning routine, even if it’s not their only educational resource.
For the best results, use Khan Academy Kids as part of a balanced approach that includes:
- Reading physical books, especially those by New Zealand authors
- Outdoor exploration and play (we’re lucky to live in New Zealand!)
- Creative activities and hands-on learning
- Social interaction with other children
- Cultural learning about New Zealand and Māori heritage
In an educational landscape where quality resources often come with hefty price tags, Khan Academy Kids stands out as a genuinely valuable, completely free option that can enrich your child’s learning journey. While it may not be perfectly tailored to the New Zealand context, its educational value and accessibility make it worth considering for most Kiwi families.
Getting Started with Khan Academy Kids in New Zealand
Ready to try Khan Academy Kids with your New Zealand family? Here’s how to get started:
- Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
- Create a free account for progress tracking (optional but recommended)
- Set up child profiles with appropriate age levels
- Explore the Library to understand available content
- Try the adaptive learning path to see how the app adjusts to your child
- Download offline content for use during travel or internet outages
- Monitor progress through the parent dashboard
Remember, the app is completely free with no time limits, so you can take your time exploring all its features and determining how it fits into your family’s learning routine.
Khan Academy Kids may not be perfectly designed for New Zealand children, but it’s an impressive educational resource that offers tremendous value for Kiwi families willing to supplement it with locally relevant content. In a world where quality early childhood education is increasingly expensive, having access to a completely free, high-quality learning app is something to celebrate.