This Post: 12 Crazy Cool Apps for Teens (So They Can Learn Something New!)
Most teens spend a ton of time on their phones scrolling through Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. But I wonder if they realize how many beyond-cool apps exist that are actually fun, interesting, and (Shhh… don’t tell them) educational?
In this digital age, learning something new and finding a new hobby has never been easier for teens!
Learn about the planets, constellations, and stars? Check!
Learn to play an instrument or sing? Check!
Learn how to cook and follow a recipe? Check!
We rounded up a bunch of super cool and interesting apps to help your teen explore their interests, expand their knowledge, or just have fun right from their smartphone or tablet. So… why wait?
Pass along these 12 crazy cool apps for teens that might just pull them away from social media (ahem… at least for a little while).
12 Crazy Cool Apps for Teens (So They Can Learn Something NEW!)
1. Astronomy: Stellarium Mobile – Star Map
Stellarium Mobile is a planetarium app that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars. With this cool app, your teen can identify stars, constellations, planets, comets, satellites (such as the ISS), and other deep sky objects in real-time in the sky above in just a few seconds, just by pointing their phone at the sky!
Because this app is so easy to use, it’s considered one of the best astronomical applications for adults and kids who want to explore the night sky. Plus, it’s fun! (Oh, and educational… but don’t tell your kids that).
FREE iPhone/Google Play
2. Space: NASA App
The official app from NASA provides users with a wealth of information about space exploration, missions, and the latest discoveries. For teens with a deep interest in space exploration, (and even for teens who are just curious!) the NASA app is a treasure trove of information.
It offers access to live feeds from the International Space Station, the latest images from space telescopes, and news about ongoing missions. The app also includes videos, podcasts, and educational resources, making it a comprehensive tool for staying up-to-date with the latest in astronomy and space science.
FREE iPhone, iPad, Apple TV
3. Art & Drawing: Sketchbook
Sketchbook is an award-winning sketching, painting, and drawing app for anyone who loves to draw. With more than 100M downloads, your aspiring artist will have a blast with this app because it’s highly customizable and allows them to express their ideas and creativity in a fun way!
FREE iPhone/Google Play
4. Music: Yousician
Yousician is a cool app that becomes your teen’s personal music teacher for guitar, singing, and bass. They can learn to play thousands of songs on their instrument with clear, instant feedback making sure they hit the right chords and notes. Designed by expert music teachers, Yousician helps musicians of all levels improve, whether they’re beginners or have been playing the instrument for years. They’ll be amazed at how quickly their skills advance!
FREE iPhone/iPad
5. Cooking: Tasty
The perfect app for budding chefs, Tasty will help your teen sharpen their culinary skills. With thousands of recipes, complete with step-by-step instructions and video tutorials, they’re bound to learn the art of cooking in a fun and easy-to-learn way!
FREE iPhone/Google Play
6. Photography: Lightroom Photo & Video Editor
For all budding photographers, Lightroom is a must-have. Your teen can easily edit photos, remove objects/distractions from photos, and blur backgrounds. Plus it has presets and filters offering tons of options that will make their photographs look professional. (Image: lightroom)
FREE iPhone/Google Play
7. Chess: Chess – Play & Learn
Does your teen love chess? Or have they always wanted to learn but couldn’t find the time? Well, now they can learn the art of chess in their spare time at their own pace with a few taps on their phone. Chess is the number one app for chess enthusiasts and teens interested in learning. With this app, they can:
- Play live chess with more than 70 million members.
- Get better at strategy and tactics with more than 150,000 puzzles to train and hone their skills.
- Make new friends who are also into chess.
- Watch instructive video lessons.
FREE iPhone/Google Play
8. Learning (Ahem, pretty much anything!): TED
Chances are you’re familiar with the incredible TED talks that provide amazing perspectives from some of the most brilliant, inspirational, and influential minds of today. The TED app puts all those amazing resources right at your teen’s fingertips. Whether your teen is interested in learning more about Egyptian tombs, how to predict the next financial crisis, or a myriad of other topics, the TED app will help cure their curiosity about, well… pretty much any subject!
The app offers thousands of talks in over 100 languages with topics ranging from technology and self-help to productivity and science – it’s all there! Your teen might just get lost learning so much about so much!
FREE Apple/Google Play
9. Knowledge: Daily Random Facts
Knowledge is power. With this app, your teen can expand their knowledge (and surprise everyone) with a huge range of cool random facts! They can explore thousands of facts and interesting content in categories such as history and dates, animals, life hacks, science, sports, general trivia, and more! We all know your teen is smart, but with this app, everyone will think they’re even smarter!
FREE Apple/Google Play
10. Brain Training: Luminosity
The Lumosity Brain Training website motto is “Discover what your brain can do,” and let me tell you, they aren’t kidding! This crazy cool app will help your teen by training their attention span, memory, reasoning, speed, problem-solving, and more. Used by over 100 million people worldwide, Luminosity’s program consists of games designed to keep your brain fit! Begin with a free 10-minute Fit Test to set your baseline scores and see how you compare with others your age.
FREE (upgrades start at $11.99) Apple/Google Play
11. Brain Puzzles: New York Times Word Games & Sudoku
Talk about exercising your brain muscles. The NYT Word Games app is just what your teen needs to get them thinking. They can test their knowledge with mini puzzles daily, track their performance, and even see how they perform against friends on leaderboards. They can choose from a variety of fun games including Wordle, Crossword Puzzles, Sudoku, and Spelling Bee which tests how many words they can make with seven letters.
FREE (upgrades start at $6.99) Apple/Google Play
12. Learn Career Skills: Coursera
With more than 8,000 courses, hands-on projects, certificate programs, and degrees, your teen can learn or expand their knowledge in almost any area of interest. And, the best part is, they can learn at their own pace in the comfort of their own home. Popular courses include:
- Computer Science: Programming, Mobile and Web Development, Python
- Data Science: Machine Learning, Probability and Statistics, Data Analysis
- Business: Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Business Strategy, E-commerce, UX, Design
- Information Technology: Cloud Computing, Support and Operations, Data Management, Security
FREE Apple/Google Play
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