In addition to textbooks and binders, kids consider Gmail, Google Docs, and even YouTube essential for school. So it’s an easy transition to Google Classroom, the classroom-management tool integrated into Google’s Workspace for Education Fundamentals, which Google provides free to schools. Classroom allows students to see what’s due, complete assignments, post messages, and more in virtual classes set up by their teachers. The fact that it’s paperless and offers built-in opportunities for kids to practice responsible digital skills are great

If you have tweens or teens, you know about Snapchat. And if you can’t figure out how it works, you’re like many parents. One of the most popular social media apps out there, Snapchat gives kids and teens what they really want: a simple way to share everyday moments while simultaneously making them look awesome. And unlike Facebook and Twitter, which record and broadcast everything you do, Snapchat uses messages that are meant to disappear (learn more about how they

One of the best-selling independently developed and published video games, Minecraft immerses kids in creative thinking, geometry, and even a little geology as they build and explore worlds of imaginative block structures. Its open-ended style allows players to construct anything they want — making it easy to while away the hours (as every parent of a Minecraft fan knows all too well). If your kid gets hooked, expect a flood of related content, including YouTube videos, books, downloadable add-ons, and

You may never have heard of half the folks your kids watch on YouTube. But YouTubers are super influential on kids, garnering millions (and, in the case of disgraced Swedish gamer PewDiePie, billions) of views. And unfortunately, information about YouTube channels — the content, quality, and age-appropriateness, for example — isn’t easy for parents to find. It would be great to be able to just download YouTube Kids and have your kids watch something hopefully more age-appropriate than regular YouTube.

When you see a teen taking a selfie, chances are that picture will end up on social media. Often, that means Instagram, one of the most popular social image-sharing platforms in the world. What’s all the fuss about? Teens love Instagram for a lot of reasons, but most importantly, that’s where their friends are. They can also keep tabs on their favorite celebrities, follow accounts that align with their interests, and, of course, maintain their own profile (or profiles) that

With a zippy name and cool features, Zoom has been the video-meeting software of choice for many businesses since it launched in 2013. Though its collaboration features were designed to connect remote office workers, they translate amazingly well to online learning. When the coronavirus pandemic caused global shutdowns in 2020, over 90,000 schools in over 20 countries all started “zooming” practically overnight. Many families were thrown into Zoom world before thoroughly understanding its value as an educational tool or its

With so many social networks to keep track of, it’s not surprising if your kid’s obsession with the TikTok app leaves you scratching your head. So what is it exactly? TikTok is a free social media app that lets you watch, create, and share videos — often to a soundtrack of the top hits in music — right from your phone. With more than 100 million users in the United States alone, TikTok has innovative video-editing features, viral dances, and