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Toca Boca World is a massive open-ended play space where kids create characters, decorate homes, run shops, explore locations, and make up their own stories. No goals, no scores, no "right way" to play. Free download with some locations. Subscription or location packs unlock more. Ages 4-9. Over 100M downloads. The digital equivalent of an infinite playset.

GarageBand comes free on every Apple device. Smart Instruments let kids play guitar, drums, keyboards, and strings without knowing how. 1,000+ loops to build songs by stacking. Full multi-track recording for when they get serious. No subscription, no in-app purchases. The catch: Apple only. If your family uses Android, this doesn't exist for you.

ScratchJr teaches coding basics to kids ages 5-7 through visual programming blocks. Snap blocks together to make characters move, dance, sing, and tell stories. No reading required. From MIT and Tufts University - the younger version of Scratch, which millions of older kids use. Completely free, no ads, no data collection. Available on iPad, Android tablets, and Chromebooks.