16 best science games and simulations for kids

Over 100 free simulations for physics, chemistry, biology and math, from building circuits to balancing chemical equations. Many work on tablets. Each sim has teacher activities, and many are translated.

Free space and Earth science games, quizzes and hands-on projects for younger kids. Each game links to a short article on the real science, written at an upper elementary reading level.

Build rockets and fly them with real orbital physics. Kids learn why going sideways fast is what keeps you in orbit. ESRB: Everyone. Teachers have used it to teach real physics.

Watch for: Hard at first; tutorials help. Buy the original, not Kerbal Space Program 2.

Smash planets, add a second sun, or watch the Moon drift away. A gravity and climate sandbox that feels like playing with the solar system.

Watch for: Needs a decent computer with a graphics card.

A free 2D physics sandbox. Kids draw shapes, add motors, water and springs, then hit play to see what happens. It is great for testing ideas like friction and buoyancy.

Watch for: Older software; works best on Windows.

Design bridges on a budget and watch cars cross, or collapse. Teaches tension, compression and engineering tradeoffs. Levels start easy and kids can share designs with friends.

A real science puzzle game: fold proteins into shapes, and the best solutions help researchers. Players have contributed to published studies. Teens can join a real research team.

Watch for: Complex; best for curious teens.

Real citizen science: sort animal camera photos, spot galaxies or transcribe old weather logs for working scientists. Many projects take just a few minutes per task.

Watch for: Not a game; kids under 13 should join with a parent.

A reverse city builder: turn a wasteland into a healthy ecosystem, then remove every trace of your machines. It teaches how ecosystems recover in steps.

A clicker game that walks from the first cell to modern technology, with short science notes at each step. Many kids learn the order of life's history this way.

Watch for: Free with in-app purchases; idle games can eat time.

Free interactive physics simulations for motion, waves, light and electricity, made by a physics teacher. Teens can change one value at a time and watch the graph change, which makes formulas feel real.

Watch for: Pitched at high school level; younger kids need help.

Scuba dive and scan hundreds of real sea creatures, each with a fact card. Calm and violence-free. ESRB: Everyone. Families can dive together online, and no animals are ever harmed.

Watch for: Slow pace and repetitive goals.

The new zoo builder, released October 2026. Players design habitats that meet each animal's real needs. ESRB: Everyone 10+. Each animal profile has real facts.

Watch for: Brand new, so expect patches; paid add-on packs.

A screen-free marble puzzle: build towers so a marble drops to the target. Spatial thinking and simple physics. Sixty challenge cards climb from beginner to expert.

A marble-powered mechanical computer. Kids solve puzzle-book challenges and learn how logic gates work. The puzzle book tells a comic-book story that pulls kids through the challenges one at a time.

Free experiments that show sound waves, harmonics and rhythm. A gentle intro to the science of sound. The Spectrogram and Oscillators experiments are favorites for older kids.