Welcome, Mom’s Choice readers! Today we were able to speak with Cristobal Viedma, CEO and founder of Lingokids, which has as its motto “Play today, learn for life.” This early learning system nurtures not only academic skills but life skills, as well, for children ages 2 to 8. However, because not every child’s needs are the same, Lingokids’ content is tailored to support different developmental stages within this age group, ensuring that both preschoolers and early elementary school children can benefit from the app. Read on to see why Lingokids has 78 million users around the world.

MCA: Cristobal, thanks so much for speaking with us today. To start off, why don’t you tell us about yourself?

I’m a seasoned consumer technology leader with a deep passion for education, language learning, and cross-cultural communication. My journey into entrepreneurship began with the founding of Bluewalks, a mobile platform designed for travel enthusiasts, which ignited my drive to create impactful, user-centered solutions. From there, I took on various leadership roles in mobile product research and media distribution before launching Lingokids in 2016, driven by a strong belief in the transformative power of education.

I hold a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S. in Engineering. Now, as a father of two, I’m deeply committed to creating enriching educational experiences, both through Lingokids and in my personal life. Weekends often find me exploring activities with my children that inspire curiosity and learning—whether we’re enjoying nature, reading books, or discovering new subjects together. My role as both a father and founder has been instrumental in shaping Lingokids’ mission to empower families globally with the best educational resources.

MCA: Please tell us about the creation of the company and Cristobal’s current role.

In 2016, while searching for an educational tool to help my 2-year-old niece at that moment learn English, I realized there was a gap in the market. Existing tools lacked the innovation and engagement required for young children to truly enjoy the learning experience. This inspired me to create Lingokids: an app initially designed to teach English through a unique combination of play and learning.

As the company grew, we transitioned into a comprehensive educational platform. Today, we help children across all countries develop their academic and modern life skills through over 1,700 interactive and engaging activities.

I continue to lead the company with the same passion that sparked the creation of Lingokids, ensuring we remain at the forefront of early childhood education.

MCA: What needs were you trying to fill when Lingokids was created?

When I founded Lingokids, I was responding to a gap in early childhood education technology. I saw the need for a learning tool that could engage children at an early age, fostering a love for learning through interactive and playful experiences. Many tools at the time focused on outdated or rigid teaching methods, which didn’t cater to the curiosity and short attention spans of young children.

By blending play with learning, Lingokids was designed to make the educational experience fun, effective, and easily accessible to families around the world. Additionally, I wanted to provide a safe and ad-free environment for children to explore and learn, which is why Lingokids emphasizes privacy and security as core values. Proof of the latter is securing so far highly relevant international seals that approve our safety and privacy policies, such as kidSAFE and astroSAFE, and following the COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule) in every step we make.

MCA: Please tell us about the research that went behind the product’s unique features, and describe these features.

Lingokids is rooted in evidence-based research on early childhood development. To ensure that our curriculum is both comprehensive and engaging, we collaborate with experts from leading educational institutions, including Oxford University Press and our own Educational Board. From the outset, our mission has been to create a learning app that nurtures not only academic skills but also life skills such as empathy, problem-solving, communication, logical thinking, and resilience.

Within the Lingokids Universe—which extends beyond the app to include music, videos, podcasts, and a merchandise shop—children can access over 1,700 interactive activities like games, digital books, puzzles, and quizzes. These activities are designed to engage children in playful learning experiences. The app also includes features like a Progress Center for parents to monitor their child’s development, multi-child profiles, offline play, and personalized learning paths tailored to each child’s progress.

Among our latest innovations is our “Lessons” feature: a series of mini-guided courses designed to help children build foundational skills in Math, Literacy, Socio-Emotional Learning, English as a Secondary Language, and recently, Space. Each Lesson guides children through a complete learning cycle, starting with a diagnostic assessment, progressing through engaging units of videos and games, and concluding with a revision unit and summative assessment. This structured approach has shown that 90% of children worldwide who use Lessons demonstrate measurable skill improvement, underscoring their effectiveness.

In a groundbreaking milestone, the recently launched Space Lessons have been possible thanks to a collaboration with NASA. This content introduces children to the wonders of the universe, exploring topics like the sun, moon, and planets while fostering a strong foundation in science and astronomy. These lessons represent our commitment to inspiring the next generation of space explorers, aligned with NASA’s mission to empower the Artemis generation. Moreover, to make this content accessible to all, we are offering it for free, reflecting our shared goal with NASA of democratizing early STEM education.

Through this collaboration with NASA, Lingokids has reached a new level of innovation in its educational offerings, merging play-based learning with the exploration of the infinite possibilities of space—a testament to our mission to transform early education into an adventure of discovery.

MCA: Your NASA collaboration—that is truly impressive. What other learning advantages does Lingokids offer?

Lingokids fills an important gap in the early education space by combining academic learning with modern life skills development. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, children need more than traditional educational content; they need tools that help them become well-rounded, curious, and confident learners.

Lingokids offers a holistic approach to learning, providing children with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Furthermore, as a part of our value of encouraging healthy screen habits in every child, the app ensures a balance between screen time and productive learning, empowering parents to feel confident and get rid of their screen-time guilt once they know their children are benefiting from their time spent online.

MCA: What kind of feedback have you received about your product?

Feedback from our users has been overwhelmingly positive, with parents frequently praising Lingokids for its fun, engaging content that keeps children motivated to learn. Kids love the playful characters and interactive games, while parents value the educational impact and the app’s safe, ad-free environment.

One aspect many parents highlight is how Lingokids enables them to balance their own tasks more effectively. As shown in our “Navigating the Rise in Children’s Time on Tablets” study, 70% of parents agree that their child’s tech use with Lingokids helps them focus on work or personal responsibilities, making the app a practical solution for busy families.

Another central point of appreciation is the progress parents see over time in their children’s learning. They often mention their satisfaction in watching their kids improve in areas like vocabulary, math, and socio-emotional skills. These benefits make many parents feel confident about investing in Lingokids, knowing their children are actively learning and developing.

To stay aligned with families’ evolving needs, we routinely conduct studies and interviews with randomly selected Lingokids parents. This user-centered approach allows us to stay attuned to their feedback, ensuring that Lingokids remains a trusted, evolving tool that delivers valuable learning experiences tailored to real family dynamics.

MCA: Can you share with us what’s next for you and your product line?

At Lingokids, we are constantly evolving to make learning both fun and educational for kids while ensuring a safe environment for families. Most recently, we launched a series of exclusive Blippi-themed games in collaboration with Moonbug Entertainment. This marks the first time we’ve introduced external intellectual property to our platform. By combining Blippi’s engaging world with our proven educational methodology, we’re creating unique experiences that teach essential skills like vocabulary, logic, creativity, and emotional intelligence to children aged 2-8. These games are already live in the app, delighting kids worldwide while keeping parents assured of their quality and educational value.

Looking ahead, we’re expanding our offerings with exciting partnerships and features. For example, our new “Playtogether” games allow families to engage in collaborative play and learning, strengthening family bonds while teaching teamwork and problem-solving. We are also extending our structured “Lessons” into more subjects like Science, with many more to come.

Another major focus for us this new year is addressing the concerns many parents have about screen time. While technology, when used well, can deliver enormous benefits—such as personalized learning, engagement, and skill-building—parents often feel judged for allowing their children to use educational content. At Lingokids, we are committed to spreading the message that safe, ad-free, and educational platforms like ours provide the best guilt-free screen time option, empowering parents to support their children’s development confidently.

Additionally, in response to growing demand, we’re enhancing our platform with features like “Video Mode,” a carefully curated, ad-free video experience with personalized recommendations and parental controls, designed to make screen time both enriching and manageable.

As we plan for the future, we’re also exploring ways to bring our Playlearning™ methodology into classrooms, offering resources for educators and creating partnerships to integrate Lingokids into formal education systems. All of this is supported by our dedicated multidisciplinary team—educators, musicians, designers, and engineers—ensuring everything we create is thoughtfully developed for children’s growth. Importantly, we remain committed to producing high-quality, human-crafted content, rather than relying on AI-generated materials.

By staying at the forefront of innovation and keeping families at the heart of everything we do, Lingokids is poised to continue leading the way in EdTech, making learning a joyful and impactful journey for children everywhere.

MCA: Cristobal, we so appreciate your joining us today and discussing your remarkable products. Our very best to you.