TOP PICKS | 21 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.
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 The subscription price is $1000 per year for a single-use (one classroom/one school counselor) license. It offers the full curriculum, professional development, the parent zone, an educator support community, an implementation guide, and tech support.
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 an approachable daily practice for kids and adults, alike.
Grades: 5–12
Price: 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
