The short answer: Osmo is great at hands-on tabletop learning — kids sit at the table and move physical pieces in front of a tablet. If you want learning games where kids get up and move their whole body instead, Hoppo plays camera-controlled active games free in your web browser during early access, with games that practice letters and math. For sit-down tablet learning without a kit, Khan Academy Kids is free.
What Osmo is — and why families like it
Osmo pairs physical game pieces with an iPad or Fire tablet. A small base holds the tablet upright and a reflector clips over the front camera, so the app can see what your kid is doing on the table — spelling with letter tiles, counting with number tiles, drawing, or building code sequences with blocks. At the time of writing, playosmo.com lists iPad starter kits from $62.99 to $89.99, with add-on games sold separately.
It's a clever, well-made product, and it gets kids handling real objects instead of only tapping glass. If it's working for your family, there's nothing to fix.
The trade-offs are practical: you need a compatible tablet, the pieces are easy to lose, each new subject is another kit, and kids play sitting down at a table.
Who should just stick with Osmo: if your kid loves the tabletop pieces, you already have a compatible iPad or Fire tablet, and sit-down hands-on learning is the goal, Osmo is a strong choice. The options below are for families who want something different.
The alternatives
1. Hoppo — learning games where kids move their whole body
Hoppo is screen time that earns its place — kids move their whole bodies to play, so active time and fun time are the same thing.
Like Osmo, Hoppo uses the device's camera — but it points at your kid, not the table. Their hands and body are the controller: catching falling numbers to solve math problems, tracing letters in the air with a fingertip, popping bubbles and dodging hazards. There are no pieces to buy or lose, and it runs in the browser on a laptop, tablet or phone you already own. It's free during early access, built for ages 5-8, and video never leaves the device — all tracking happens locally in your browser.
2. Khan Academy Kids — free tablet learning, no kit
Khan Academy Kids is a free learning app for young kids, with reading, math and social-emotional activities. It's tap-and-swipe on a tablet rather than physical pieces or movement, but if you mainly want Osmo-style early learning without buying a kit, it's an easy place to start.
3. Plain physical toys — the no-screen route
Part of Osmo's appeal is that kids handle real objects. Magnetic letters, pattern blocks and number tiles give much of that hands-on learning with no screen at all, and they're cheap.
Comparison at a glance
Prices below are at the time of writing — check each product's site for current pricing.
| Osmo | Hoppo | Khan Academy Kids | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Starter kits $62.99-$89.99; add-on games extra | Free during early access | Free |
| Hardware needed | Compatible iPad or Fire tablet + Osmo base and pieces | A laptop, tablet or phone with a camera | A phone or tablet |
| How kids play | Sitting at a table, moving physical pieces | Standing up, moving hands and whole body | Tapping and swiping on screen |
| Learning content | Spelling, math, drawing, coding (varies by kit) | Letters and math practice inside active games | Reading, math, social-emotional skills |
| Ages | Kits range from 3-5 up to 5-12 (per Osmo) | 5-8 | Young kids (per Khan Academy) |
| Pieces to keep track of | Yes | None | None |
Who should pick what
- Stick with Osmo if your kid loves the tabletop pieces and you already own a compatible tablet.
- Pick Hoppo if your kid is 5-8 and learns best when they're up and moving — it's free during early access and runs on a device you already have.
- Pick Khan Academy Kids if you want free, sit-down tablet learning with no kit to buy.
- Pick plain physical toys if hands-on is the point and you'd rather skip the screen.
Why active screen time matters
Health experts recommend kids ages 5-8 get at least 60 minutes of active play every day — right now only about 1 in 5 kids gets it. Hoppo won't replace a trip to the park, but every game requires real body movement, so the time your child spends in front of Hoppo is time their body is actually working.