Back to school means something different depending on where you sit. As a parent of two elementary school kids, my browser tabs are already full of school supplies, new sneakers, and back-to-school doctor visits I’m trying to squeeze in before the first bell. My kids’ teachers are getting ready to meet new students and families and are gearing up to have those tricky conversations about supply lists and screen time. Meanwhile, their school and district admins are probably opening their first budget without ESSER relief funding in it.
No matter where you sit, Khan Academy Kids is here to help you navigate your way through the school year. Below, you’ll find seven free resources for PreK and elementary back-to-school 2026—a free learning app, resources for navigating screen time conversations, a district budget playbook, two fun (and free!) printables, and a free multiyear pilot opportunity for publicly funded PreK programs. Here’s what each one does and who it’s for:
Jump to a resource:
- Khan Academy Kids app
- Managing Screen Time Together toolkit
- Beyond Screen Time guide
- Post-ESSER Playbook for Elementary Administrators
- “First Day of School” printable
- “All About Me” printable
- Free Khan Academy Kids for Schools eligibility offer for PreK programs
1. Khan Academy Kids—a free app for PreK–2nd grade
Best for: PreK and elementary families and teachers | Also available for: schools and districts
Khan Academy Kids is a free educational app for children ages 2 to 8 in PreK through early elementary school. It has more than 4,000 standards-aligned activities in literacy, math, and social-emotional learning, plus a library featuring 400+ read-aloud eBooks. It’s ad-free and free to use at home, in a single PreK or elementary classroom, or across a whole school or district.
For schools and districts implementing at scale, Khan Academy Kids for Schools adds tools to make multi-classroom implementation easier: a web-based teacher dashboard, cross-classroom and district-level reporting, and implementation support—all at just $5 per student. See below for a free pilot opportunity too.
Why this matters: You don’t have to choose between “free” and “built for scale.” Pilot the free app in a classroom or two, see if it works for your kids, then decide what’s worth paying for as you grow.
2. The Managing Screen Time Together toolkit
Best for: PreK and elementary teachers
The Managing Screen Time Together toolkit gives PreK–2nd grade teachers a ready-to-use way to talk with families about screen time without a “screens are bad” lecture. It includes a 10-minute Back-to-School Night talk, a full 45–60 minute Parent Engagement Night curriculum, and a family-ready “Our Screen Plan” worksheet.
Every piece uses the same framework, so a family hears the same message whether they’re at a school event or they’re reading a take-home flyer: the Three-Question Screen Check (content, context, crowd-out) and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 5 C’s.
Why this matters: Consistency is what makes a framework stick. A family that hears the same three questions at back-to-school night, in a parent conference, and on a printable checklist is far more likely to actually use it.
3. The Beyond Screen Time guide
Best for: PreK and elementary families and teachers
The Beyond Screen Time guide is Khan Academy Kids’ deeper explainer on what “quality” screen time looks like for young children. It reframes the question. Instead of “How much screen time?” it’s “What, how, and what’s missing?”
Why this matters: It’s the resource you give a family who wants the reasoning as well, not just the worksheet.
4. The Post-ESSER Playbook for Elementary Administrators
Best for: PreK and elementary school and district administrators
The Post-ESSER Playbook for Elementary Administrators is a free guide for schools and districts that are working from a budget without ESSER relief funding. Including Khan Academy Kids, it profiles nine programs that were never dependent on that funding in the first place, summarizes the independent research behind each program, and lays out the questions worth asking before you scale any tool district-wide. For example, can it scale past one classroom? Will the price stay the same? What’s the real lift to implement?
It also includes a fill-in worksheet for taking stock of your current edtech stack, including what’s working, which programs were only there because of relief money, and a list of funding sources you haven’t tapped yet.
Why this matters: The ESSER cliff doesn’t have to mean cutting quality. It means choosing tools that are built to last without the cushioning of a grant behind them.
5. “First Day of School” printable
Best for: PreK and elementary families and teachers
The “First Day of School” printable is a free, downloadable page kids can fill out (and color in) on day one—information like their age, their teacher’s name, what they want to be when they grow up, and what they love. It works as a quiet first-morning activity at home or a simple classroom keepsake.
6. “All About Me” printable
Best for: PreK and elementary families and teachers
The “All About Me” printable is a companion getting-to-know-you page that includes a favorite color, a favorite food, a favorite animal, and a spot for a family photo. It’s a good fit for a first-week classroom activity or a fun family activity at home.
7. Free Pilot for Publicly Funded Programs with PreK
Best for: PreK program directors and administrators at publicly funded schools and districts
Publicly funded programs with PreK classrooms can get Khan Academy Kids for Schools completely free for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years, with resources and support included. It’s normally $5 per student. That’s the full, at-scale package: the web-based teacher dashboard, cross-classroom and district-level reporting, and implementation support—all at no cost for two full school years.
Why this matters: If your district has been holding off on Khan Academy Kids for Schools because of cost, this removes that barrier entirely for eligible PreK programs for two years; it’s not just a semester-long trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khan Academy Kids really free?
Yes. The Khan Academy Kids mobile app is free for every family and teacher, with no ads and no hidden paywall. Schools and districts that want a web-based dashboard, cross-classroom reporting, and implementation support can add Khan Academy Kids for Schools starting at $5 per student.
What is the Managing Screen Time Together toolkit?
It’s a set of free resources that help PreK–2nd grade teachers talk with families about healthy screen time, including a back-to-school night script, a full parent-engagement night curriculum, and take-home worksheets built around the Three-Question Screen Check and the AAP’s 5 C’s framework.
What does the Post-ESSER Playbook for Elementary Administrators cover?
It profiles nine education programs that don’t depend on ESSER or other relief funding, summarizes the independent research behind each one, and offers a framework of questions to ask before adopting or scaling any tool district-wide.
Are the back-to-school printables free to download?
Yes. The” First Day of School” and “All About Me” printables are both free downloads from Khan Academy Kids.
Is Khan Academy Kids for Schools really free for PreK programs?
For publicly funded programs with PreK classrooms with 200+ students, yes. Normally $5 per student, Khan Academy Kids for Schools is free for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years, resources and support included. Districts should confirm their own eligibility since this offer is specifically scoped to publicly funded PreK programs.
Who are these back-to-school resources for?
PreK and elementary families, PreK–2nd grade teachers, and elementary school or district administrators. Each resource notes for whom it’s best suited since a parent, a classroom teacher, and a district administrator are usually solving different types of problems during this time of year.
Whichever seat you’re in this season, we hope at least one of these helpful resources makes your first few weeks a little lighter. For more free tools throughout the year, visit Khan Academy Kids.
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