TOP PICKS | 23 TOOLS
Emotional Intelligence Apps and Games
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Bouncy the People Trainer
Thorough, thoughtful multimedia social-emotional learning experience
Bottom line: Important info for all kids is especially helpful for at-risk students.
Grades: Pre-K–1
Price: Free
Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame
Sesame Street winner teaches kids how to keep calm and carry on
Bottom line: Highly effective tool for whole-class instruction or one-on-one intervention.
Grades: Pre-K–1
Price: Free
Calm
Relaxing and serene app helps incorporate peace into daily life
Bottom line: If you're looking for a captivating app to teach relaxation and calming skills to students, Calm is an essential tool to add to your toolbox.
Grades: Pre-K–12
Price: Free, Free to try, Paid Free teacher subscriptions are offered through https://www.calm.com/schools. Regular subscriptions run from $9.99 for an additional subscription to $299.99 for a lifetime subscription.
Touch and Learn - Emotions
Free app helps kids identify emotions, recognize body language
Bottom line: Bridges the gap between feeling or witnessing emotions and using words to describe them.
Grades: K–2
Price: $1.99 $1.99
Social Adventures
Expert-approved activities nurture students' social skills
Bottom line: A treasure chest of social-skills-building activities created by speech and language pros that are worth the high price and need for facilitation.
Grades: K–3
Price: $7.99
Wisdom - Kingdom of Anger
Quirky game helps kids recognize and regulate anger in self and others
Bottom line: If they can get through the confusing bits, students will be able to identify, label, and perhaps manage strong feelings of anger or frustration.
Grades: K–3
Price: Free to try, Paid There's a free trial. Contact the developer for pricing.
Mindful Powers
Care for a cute creature to practice mindfulness and self-control
Bottom line: Meditation lessons and visual timers act as decent supplemental activities for introducing SEL skills.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free to try, Paid Free to try; $4.99 for the full app.
Peekapak
Complete social-emotional learning units in a neat and tidy package
Bottom line: These 10 SEL units provide teachers with almost everything they'll need to spark positive character development in their students.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free, Paid
Zoo U
Research-based social game has terrific assessment potential
Bottom line: A powerful and focused social problem-solving game designed to reach kids who need direct instruction.
Grades: K–5
Price: Free to try, Paid There's a free trial for one student. Licenses are $10 per student; classroom, school, and district licenses are also available.
Mind Yeti - Mindfulness for Kids and Their Adults
Calming app with cute characters helps center kids
Bottom line: If you're someone who needs mindfulness-based approaches, Mind Yeti's characters could be the right fit.
Grades: K–8
Price: Free, Paid Free for a basic subscription, then $9.99 per month or $71.99 per year.
7 Mindsets
Thought-provoking structured program simplifies SEL skills
Bottom line: If teachers take advantage of the extension activities, students can get great in-depth instruction and practice in SEL skills needed for life.
Grades: K–12
Price: Paid A single-use (one-classroom/one-school counselor) license is $1,000 per year. It offers the full curriculum, professional development, the parent zone, an educator support community, an implementation guide, and tech support.
Mightifier
Compact process for positive praise builds classroom community
Bottom line: Great for a quick bonding activity when led by a positive instructor.
Grades: 1–8
Price: Free to try, Paid After a free trial, there's a fee per student; contact for pricing.
Me: A Kid's Diary
Unique take on self-exploration relies on prompts to guide reflection
Bottom line: With plenty of ways to express and document their thoughts and more, this app can help students learn something new about themselves.
Grades: 2–5
Price: $2.99
Plotagon Education
Create animated movies with customized characters and actions
Bottom line: A fun way to show understanding of any subject matter, especially for those who enjoy making movies.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Plotagon Story (for individual users) is free with in-app purchases. There's a free trial of Plotagon Education, and then pricing ranges from one user ($39 per year) to 1,000 users ($2,990 per year) with multiple options in between.
Hall of Heroes
Responsive game helps students prepare for transition to middle school
Bottom line: Wonderful and fun social-interaction game designed to teach cooperation and friendship skills needed for middle school and beyond.
Grades: 5–8
Price: Free to try, Paid Free trial for up to three students. There is a one-time license fee of $7 per student.
Stop, Breathe & Think
Appealing app guides meditation, promotes compassion
Bottom line: An accessible, well-designed tool for making meditation a daily practice for both students and teachers.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free, Paid $9.99 to $70.99 for a yearly subscription; educators can qualify for a lifetime license for free.
Character Playbook
Realistic comic book-style stories help build healthy relationships
Bottom line: A valuable series of modules to get kids thinking about how their choices help build strong character.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
The Mood Meter
Well-designed tool encourages kids to reflect on and manage emotions
Bottom line: Appealing, thought-provoking tool builds emotional intelligence.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $0.99
Pairin
Robust personality survey for students results in real-world insights
Bottom line: For educators who have the time, drive, and buy-in, this program is a great data-analysis and character-development tool.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free to try, Paid Pairin offers discounts to educational organizations, and a more robust program is included in the subscription price. The educational subscription includes discounts for multiple users, training for staff, student and teacher tips, a curriculum focused on 55 social skills, teacher professional development, and at-risk analysis.
Smiling Mind
Quick and easy meditation practice for busy classroom lives
Bottom line: This easy-to-follow meditation program can help reduce stress and support social and emotional learning.
Grades: 8–12
Price: Free
Mitra - track what matters most
Insightful, minimalist app gets students tracking emotions and values
Bottom line: A practical tool to use in combination with discussion about emotional intelligence and character development.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free
Please Knock on My Door
Effective and affecting game about dealing with depression
Bottom line: A slow-paced SEL game for helping students understand the nuances of managing mental health.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Paid $12.99
Florence
Incredibly relatable story about navigating adult love and life
Bottom line: This heartwarming game helps kids empathize with the highs and lows of romantic relationships.
Grades: 10–12
Price: Paid $2.99
