No parent wants their child to fall behind as the weather gets colder and school days get shorter. Once winter break rolls around, children want only to spend hours playing in the snow, watching television, and forgetting about the math and reading fundamentals they’ve spent the past few months mastering.

So how do we help kids retain information this holiday season while allowing them hours of fun and much-anticipated screen time?

Check out these eight holiday-themed apps. They’re fun, interactive, educational, and perfect for kids who love the holiday season.

1. Plume’s School — Saving Christmas: If you’ve got a smart toddler who’s ready for some early vocabulary lessons, introduce your tot to Plume’s School — Saving Christmas. The app features Christmas-themed vocabulary games, word games, memory games and ABC basics.
2. Elf on the Shelf: Fans of the popular children’s book won’t be able to resist the app version! Elf on the Shelf features memory and matching games that become increasingly difficult as users progress. Keep your kids sharp with Elf on the Shelf mind exercises while rekindling their love for the beloved story and their passion for reading.
3. Brainzy: Brainzy has math games and reading review wrapped in a holiday-themed blanket where kids can alternate between educational activities and fun seasonal games. Kids will learn about the seasons, read stories, sing songs, review concepts that build on each other and test themselves with skill mastery assessments. In between the grind of digital homework, kids will ski lightening fast down snowy mountains and create customized hot chocolate recipes. Virtually, that is.
4. Santa’s Merry Band: If your kid’s got a knack for music, this app lets young users experiment with the sounds of different instruments while teaching them songwriting basics. The app is ad-free, social media-free, and allows children to create their own melodies. Kids’ universal love for Christmas music is sure to elicit their inner musician.
5. Tacky’s Christmas: It can be hard to peel kids from a television set or gaming console come holiday season. Tacky’s Christmas keeps kids glued to a screen while reading a fun story that comes to life and keeps kids engaged. They’ll read and watch as Tacky, and his penguin friends save the holiday while riding out silly adventures along the way. Who said you can’t learn new vocabulary and discover the joy of reading all from a portable tablet?
6. Wubbzy’s The Night Before Christmas: Many parents want to feel included in their child’s online educational experience, especially when it’s the holiday time and family bonding feels natural. If you’re looking for an interactive experience with your child, Wubbzy’s The Night Before Christmas inspires kids to read while presenting users with a ‘Parents Corner’ to prompt thoughtful parent-child conversation post-story.
7. Santa’s Postman: Inspire kids to write cute letters to Santa. This app brings Christmas to life while helping kids craft digital messages. Help your young learners brush up on their writing skills while knocking off a Christmas tradition. The app also provides users with colored pencils so they can write and fine-tune their artistic abilities.
8. Hanukkah: The Festival of Light StoryChimes: Instead of retelling stories to your kids, let them read for themselves. If your child is too young for independent reading, this app narrates each sentence to improve their vocabulary. If your learners read all by themselves, let them work through each sentence independently as they sift through colorful illustrations and important Holiday history.

The months of November and December don’t have to mean mindless fun and empty hours. If your kid needs a break from snowball fights, ice skating, and gingerbread, whip out the iPad and suggest a few fun and educational games. Help your kids stay sharp this holiday season with the touch of a button and some digital snowflakes that happen to be shaped like the alphabet. 😉