In the age of digital learning, many schools are adopting technology platforms to engage kids and make learning fun. One such platform, Prodigy, has exploded in popularity in recent years.
Marketed as a “free, curriculum-aligned math and reading game,” Prodigy has gained traction in classrooms across North America. But behind the colorful graphics, animated battles, and magical creatures lies a concerning reality that more parents and educators are starting to question: is Prodigy good or bad for kids?
When Prodigy entered my home
“Dad, can I play Prodigy on your computer?” asks my 6-year-old daughter
“What is Prodigy?” I respond.
“It’s a game we play at school.”
“I’ll take a look.”
*Later that evening*
“Honey, I love you. We are not going to be able to play Prodigy at home, it would cost us about $130 a year. You don’t have that much money saved.”
This was the conversation that I know many elementary school parents end up having at some point. Some parents will buy it and others won’t, leading to kids talking about it in the classroom and on the playground.
A few days later, after this conversation, my daughter was moody and irritable. We sat her down to ask what was going on, and she finally opened up, and the tears started flowing. She had done something she knew was wrong and was carrying around the weight of it…
She told us that she tried to buy a Prodigy paid membership while on her school computer. She was just so mad that she couldn’t level up her pets in the game like her friends. She knew that we had a parent bank account set up to pay for school lunches, and she thought that she might be able to buy the membership with that lunch account, and we wouldn’t notice.
It didn’t work, but she felt horrible about trying. Meanwhile, she was still in class every day alongside other kids getting to play the full game of Prodigy during free time, while she hit pay wall after pay wall… All as a 6-year-old.
This caused me to look much deeper into the game and initiate a conversation with my school. Read until the end to find out how that went. In this article, we will explore what Prodigy is, its objectives, pros and cons, and—most importantly—why many consider it a predatory tool disguised as an educational resource.
Is Prodigy good or bad for kids?
Prodigy is an online role-playing game (RPG) that wraps math and reading practice in a Pokémon-style adventure format. Players (students) answer questions to cast spells, defeat monsters, and collect gear.
On the surface, it sounds like an innovative way to encourage academic engagement, especially in younger students who may otherwise struggle with traditional worksheets. However, what many parents don’t see is the extreme pay walls (pay to keep playing the normal game), FOMO (fear of missing out), and other tactics Prodigy uses.
While the game is technically “free” for schools to adopt, its core structure revolves around encouraging students to request paid subscriptions from their parents. As a result, children are frequently exposed to in-game advertising and limitations that make the free version frustrating and incomplete.
A player is always shown this tab with a red dot that they can’t remove. They think they can get this pet, but on clicking “Collect them all!” they will be told to “Ask your parents to let you play at home”.
Objective of the Game
According to Prodigy’s marketing, the game’s primary goal is to “make learning fun.” But once you dive into the actual game design, a different picture emerges. The primary objective seems less about educational value and more about long-term engagement and upselling.
The gameplay is engineered to create a loop of reward and restriction.
Initially, kids are showered with coins, pets, and upgrades. As they progress, many of these features become gated—available only to those with a paid membership.
These design choices place children in a position where they feel compelled to ask parents for access to the full game, confusing the boundary between educational tool and commercial product.
Every child is shown images and taught at school how to ask their parents at home to buy an account so they can play with the same account that they have in school. This is not what schools should teach.
Pros and Cons of the Game
Pros:
- Engagement: Kids may be slightly more likely to practice math/reading due to the game-like interface.
- Adaptive Learning: The questions adjust in difficulty based on the student’s performance, but start off multiple grades below the student’s level.
- Teacher Tools: Educators can track progress and assign skill-specific questions.
Cons:
- Paywall Pressure: Non-paying users face constant reminders of what they’re missing, leading to stress and FOMO (fear of missing out). Subscriptions are $120+ per year.
- Superficial Learning: Educational content takes a complete back seat to game mechanics, with repetition and shallow question design.
- Predatory Marketing: Membership ads appear mid-game, interrupting learning and encouraging kids to pressure parents.
- Inequity: Students whose families cannot afford subscriptions are left at a disadvantage, turning an educational tool into a status symbol.
- Data Privacy: There are concerns about how Prodigy collects and uses student data for commercial purposes.
- Negative Reviews: Thousands of negative reviews from parents and students online.
Kids are shown ads like this at school each time they play the game. Daily pressure to “Become a Member!” at school, with no idea in Kindergarten what a dollar is and that this costs $130/year.
Better Solutions
There are excellent alternatives to Prodigy that offer high-quality, genuinely free educational content without aggressive monetization:
These platforms prioritize education first, not sales, and promote equity by ensuring all students receive the same experience regardless of income.
Does Your School Use Prodigy?
You might be surprised to learn that your child’s school already uses Prodigy in the classroom. Here’s how to find out:
Advocate
If your school uses Prodigy, and you’re concerned about its impact, you’re not alone.
Many parents are beginning to raise their voices. We’ve created a free, customizable email template you can use to voice your concerns to your child’s school or district.
It’s clear, respectful, and backed by the experiences of educators and parents who’ve faced similar challenges. I wrote this template and personally used it to get Prodigy removed from my child’s entire school within 2 weeks.
Download our free template to advocate for its removal from your school.
We can make a difference
Advocate for educational technology that empowers learning without exploiting children. Share this article with someone you care about who has young kids in the public school system.
We’re all in this together.
Authored by: Ian McCready
Ian McCready is the Founder of Selfctrl. As a former video game addict, he now enjoys focusing on being a husband and father while seeking selfctrl in all aspects related to his tech use and encouraging others to do likewise!
