How to find an ad-free kids fitness app for iPad.

What does “ad-free” actually mean?

It can mean three different things, and it is worth knowing which one an app is promising. No ads shown on screen. No advertising code inside the app collecting data, even if nothing is shown. And no tracking, meaning nothing from the app is linked with data from other companies’ apps or websites for advertising. Look for an app that covers all three.

In-app purchases are a separate question. An app can have no ads and still sell things inside it, so check purchases as well (Ask to Buy, below, handles that).

How do I check an app for ads before downloading it?

Start with the App Privacy section on the app’s App Store page. Apple says it shows some of the data types an app may collect, and whether that data is linked to you or used to track you. Look for a “Data Used to Track You” section, and for Third-Party Advertising, Developer’s Advertising or Marketing, or Analytics listed as a purpose. Apple notes that this information is self-reported by the developer.

1. Read the App Privacy section. Apple says data used to track you is data from the app that is linked with your data collected from other companies’ apps, websites or offline properties, and used for ads or shared with a data broker.
2. Read the developer’s privacy policy for the words “advertising”, “ads”, “third-party” and “analytics”. A clear statement, such as an app not containing ads or third-party ad networks, is what you are looking for.
3. Check the category. Apple’s App Review Guidelines say apps in the Kids Category should not include third-party analytics or third-party advertising, with limited exceptions, and must not include links out of the app, purchasing opportunities or other distractions to kids unless they are behind a parental gate. Plenty of good apps for families aren’t in the Kids Category, so treat it as one signal, not the only one.
4. Try it yourself first. Use it for a few minutes before your child does, and watch for anything that asks them to buy, rate or share.

How do I stop surprise purchases and downloads on my child’s iPad?

Turn on Ask to Buy. It sends you a request whenever your child wants to download an app, buy an in-app purchase or make another eligible purchase; nothing downloads until you approve. Apple says it is on by default for children under 13, and that depending on the child’s state, country or region, it can’t be turned off for a child under 18.

1. On iOS 27 or iPadOS 27, from your own device (if every device in your Family Sharing group is on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 or visionOS 27 (whichever each device runs) and you have updated the group’s parental controls): open Settings, tap Family, tap your child’s name, tap Apps & Websites, tap Restrictions, tap Ask to Buy, then turn on Require Purchase Approval.
2. On iOS 18 to 26, or if any device in the group is on an earlier version, from your own device: go to Settings › Family, tap your child’s name, tap Ask To Buy, then tap Turn on Ask to Buy.

Apple says requests arrive as a notification and in Messages, and if you don’t answer within 24 hours your child has to send the request again. Our guide to Apple’s Screen Time tools covers the rest of the iPad’s parental controls.

What makes a good fitness app for a child?

Choice, short sessions, levels that move both ways, and nothing that makes a child feel bad. Exercise should be the good thing that unlocks the fun, never a punishment, and an app should leave weight and body shape out of it entirely.

• Adjustable difficulty, including easier versions and low-impact options, so a child who is tired or recovering can still take part.
• No streaks that punish a missed day, and no guilt messages.
• A way to say something hurt, and a clear rule that pain ends the activity.
• A safe setup. Prop the iPad somewhere stable, clear enough space to fall over without hitting anything, and avoid socks on a hard floor.
• No pressure to keep watching. The goal is a child who moves, not a child who stays on the iPad longer.

The NHS recommends that children and young people aged 5 to 18 aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day across the week. Most of that doesn’t need an app at all; our exercise guide lists activities that work at home with no equipment.

Where does MoveToPlay fit?

MoveToPlay is a screen time app for kids on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Children earn screen time by exercising and doing chores you approve. Minutes go into a bank that never expires, and on an iPhone or iPad you can lock the apps you choose until that time has been earned. It runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 18 or later), and there are no ads: in our privacy page’s words, “The app does not contain ads or third-party ad networks.”

• No advertising or analytics SDKs. It is built on Apple’s own frameworks, with no third-party SDKs: purchases go through Apple’s App Store only, and optional family iCloud sync is Apple’s. Its privacy manifests set tracking to false and don’t name any tracking domains, so it never asks for Apple’s tracking permission. The App Store privacy label lists Name, Health and Fitness as Data Linked to You, used for App Functionality.
• No account. There is no account and no sign-up; a parent sets a parent code on the device.
• How the exercise works. Each day the app picks three activities as Today’s Quest, from strength, cardio, mobility, balance and recovery, within the limits you set: difficulty, low-impact only, the equipment you have and the places you can exercise. Exercises get harder after repeated “Easy” ratings and ease off after repeated “Too hard” ratings, with easier versions like a chair-supported squat. If something hurt, your child can say so, and you’ll see it. Calm Mode turns off full-screen celebrations and celebration haptics. There are no streaks.

Some honest limits. MoveToPlay is not a library of follow-along workout videos: an exercise is marked done by tapping, and the reward is screen time your child earns. It is listed in the App Store under Health & Fitness, not the Kids Category. Locking apps is optional and works on iPhone and iPad only; Apple Watch and Mac can’t lock apps. There is no Android version. MoveToPlay by Duke & Duke is an Apple-only app and is not connected with the Android app at movetoplay.app. Free to download, and setup is free. To use the app, a parent starts the Annual or Monthly Family subscription (new subscribers get a 2-week free trial, then it renews unless cancelled in Settings) or buys Lifetime once for $19.99 (US price). Read how MoveToPlay works and the questions parents ask, or download it on the App Store.

Sources

Apple claims were checked against these pages on 25 October 2026. They change; if something differs, trust the current page over this guide.

• About privacy information on the App Store and the choices you have to control your data (what the App Privacy section shows, linked to you, used to track you, self-reported by the developer)
• Apple Developer: App privacy details on the App Store (purposes: Third-Party Advertising, Developer’s Advertising or Marketing, Analytics)
• Apple Developer: App Review Guidelines, 1.3 Kids Category (third-party analytics and advertising, purchasing opportunities and parental gates)
• Approve what your child can purchase and download with Ask to Buy (how Ask to Buy works, requests in Messages, 24-hour expiry, can’t be turned off under 18 in some regions)
• Set up parental controls to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad (iOS 27 steps for Ask to Buy; Ask to Buy on by default for children under 13), Use Screen Time to manage your child’s iPhone or iPad (which devices need the 27 releases for the new controls) and iPhone User Guide, iOS 18 and iOS 26: Set up parental controls with Family Sharing (iOS 18) and (iOS 26) (Ask to Buy on iOS 18 to 26)
• NHS: Physical activity guidelines for children and young people

Apple, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Screen Time and Family Sharing are trademarks of Apple Inc. Duke & Duke is not affiliated with Apple.