If you have more than one child, you've probably seen this. Your second grader needs to practice times tables. Your three-year-old wants the tablet for coloring. They open the same app, and the older one scrolls past a dozen toddler games to find their lesson, while the younger one taps into a kanji screen by accident, stares at it for a moment, and wanders off.

Most kids' learning apps show every child the same menu. This post is about the opposite approach: a separate menu for each child, where you decide what they see. Why it matters, how to choose by age, and how to set it up in Dino Kids.

Why each child should have their own menu

Little kids do better with fewer choices

Three- and four-year-olds can't read activity names yet. They choose by picture, and every picture on the screen is an invitation to tap. With twelve tiles, a young child hops from one to the next and gives each a few seconds. With four or five, they're more likely to pick something they love and stay with it. Fewer choices isn't a loss; it helps them focus.

Older kids need to get straight to it

School-age kids often have a clear goal: learn the times tables, review kanji, try harder logic puzzles. When the home screen is full of a sibling's games, the real task gets buried under more tempting options. The cleaner the screen, the easier it is for them to start on their own, without a reminder from you.

The right level builds confidence

Too hard and kids get discouraged. Too easy and they get bored. A child who already writes numbers well but keeps getting number-tracing practice may decide the whole app is a chore. Hiding what they've outgrown, or aren't ready for yet, is the simplest way to keep lessons at the right level.

Choosing by age: a starting point

There's no rule that fits every child, and you know yours best. Treat these as a place to start, then adjust:

  • Around 3–4: coloring, free drawing, an alphabet with audio, stories, a few simple games. Anything that needs reading or mental math can wait.
  • Around 5–6: add letter tracing, phonics, counting and comparing, and first logic puzzles. This is the run-up to first grade.
  • Elementary school: focus on what they're learning at school or want to go deeper in, like times tables, harder math, or a second language. Switch off what they've already mastered.

One thing worth keeping at every age: the creative side. Coloring, drawing and music give kids a break between lessons, and they're often what brings them back.

In Dino Kids: turn subjects and activities on or off for each child

Dino Kids gives every child profile its own "Learning & play" list. Every child starts with everything on, so you only change what you want to.

Where to find it

Open "Settings" (behind a grown-up math question, so kids can't get in on their own), go to "Family account" → "Your children", and tap your child's card. That child's settings screen brings everything about them into one place: profile, learning content, daily goal, screen time and bedtime. When you add a new child, the form also has a "Learning & play" row right under the language choice.

Three levels of control

  • Whole subjects: Art, Math, Music and Playtime each have a switch. Turn one off and that subject's tile disappears from your child's home screen.
  • Single activities: tap a subject to open its list and uncheck what doesn't fit yet. In Math, for example, keep only "Thinking math", "More math" and "Times Tables".
  • Languages: English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese each have their own switch and their own list. An older child learning Japanese might keep just "Kanji" and "Words & grammar".

Changes save the moment you make them. There's no Save button.

One family, two setups

Picture a family with Leo, 3, and Mia, in second grade, sharing one iPad:

  • Leo's profile keeps Art, Music and Playtime. In English, only the ABC chart, word cards and stories. Math is off entirely. His home screen shows a few big tiles, all things he can play by himself.
  • Mia's profile turns off "Math" and "Write numbers", which she's already mastered, and keeps thinking math, harder math and times tables. She also learns Japanese. When she opens the app, today's practice is right there.

Kids switch profiles by tapping their own picture, no grown-up needed.

Questions parents ask

  • Does turning something off erase my child's progress? No. Stars and progress are kept, and your child picks up where they left off when you turn it back on.
  • Can my child turn things back on? No. The list sits behind the parental gate.
  • What about new content added later? New activities turn on automatically for every child. Switch them off if they don't fit.
  • We use both a phone and a tablet. With a Dino Kids account, each child's settings sync to every device in your family. Set it once on your phone and the iPad at home follows.
  • Is there anything I can't turn off? Your child's art room always stays open. The pictures they colored belong to them; it's not a lesson.
  • Does the daily plan follow these settings? Yes. "Three things today" only picks from activities that are on for that child.

Simpler isn't less

Choosing content for each child isn't about limiting them. It's about making sure that every time they pick up the device, they find what fits them right now. As they grow, turn a few more things on. Dino Kids is available on iPhone, iPad and Android, with no ads and no in-app purchases.

Still comparing apps? Our checklist for choosing a learning app for toddlers may help. Worried about how long is too long? Read how much screen time is right for a 3-year-old.