LitZone

What it is

A fantasy sports game for kids 8 to 13 that turns their love of sports into reading and math practice. James Kelly is a Brooklyn teacher who kept reaching his students through sports and found almost nothing built for kids who love them, so he built it himself. Kids create a team, draft real players and play their friends in stat-powered matchups, with daily learning tasks that unlock upgrades along the way. Football is live, basketball is set for October and baseball for spring 2027. The game is free. The learning layer is the paid part: grade-level reading and math challenges plus a parent progress dashboard, at $13.99 a month, $74.99 a year or $44.99 for a football season pass, after a 7-day free trial, with sponsored access set aside for families who can't cover the cost. Teachers get it free on school-day mornings, 7 a.m. to noon, for up to 30 students; all-day access is $149 a year for a small group of 12 (football only) or $249 for a class of 30 (all sports), with a teacher dashboard, reading-level differentiation and printable texts. Its promise to parents: ad-free, no chat, no direct messages.

Fantasy play is free — reading and math plans from $13.99 a month

Image: LitZone.