About us

Yes, absolutely! All learning games, educational tools, and resources on kidmedia.net are completely free to access and use. We've made this fundamental commitment because we believe that every child, especially those with learning difficulties and special needs, deserves access to quality educational materials regardless of their family's financial circumstances.

Our journey began when two special education teachers in Greece discovered that quality educational software for children with special needs either didn't exist locally or was prohibitively expensive internationally. In the current market, individual licences cost €50-€200+ while complete systems can cost thousands of euros, creating significant barriers for families and schools. We're determined to change this.

What's included completely free:

• All interactive learning games and applications
• Educational materials and printable resources
• Scanning-enabled applications for children with motor difficulties
• The complete Erasmus+ "Using Euros" programme (19 interactive applications)
• Multi-language content and future translations
• Detailed usage instructions and educational guidance
• Regular updates and new content development

Our transition to completely free access:

We've deliberately transitioned from our previous subscription model (€3-€6/month) to ensure that financial barriers never prevent children from accessing the specialised learning tools they need. This transformation reflects our commitment to becoming "the PhET of special education" – a global, free, research-based platform for children with special needs.

How we sustain our free model:

As a non-profit association, we maintain our completely free services through diverse funding sources:

• Voluntary donations from families, educators, and supporters who value our work
• Crowdfunding campaigns for specific projects and platform improvements
• Erasmus+ programme funding for educational development, research, and international collaboration
• Educational seminars and training programmes delivered through Erasmus+ KA122 "Invite an Expert" or direct organisational funding
• Support from kidmedia.gr – our established Greek platform, where 20% of subscription revenue directly supports the maintenance and content development for kidmedia.net

Our unwavering commitments:

We will never introduce advertisements on our platform, as these can be particularly distracting and inappropriate for children with special needs. Our commitment to remaining completely free and ad-free is permanent. Every feature, every game, every resource will always be accessible without cost, registration fees, or hidden charges.

How you can support our mission:

If our work has helped your child or students, we invite you to consider supporting us through a voluntary donation. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us continue developing and maintaining these essential educational resources.

Can't donate? Sharing is caring! If financial support isn't possible, you can still make a tremendous difference by helping us reach more families who need these resources. Share our website on social media, mention us in parent groups, present our tools to colleagues at schools or therapy centres, send an email to friends who work with children with special needs, or simply tell other parents about us. Word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted sources like yourself are invaluable in helping us connect with families who could benefit from our free educational tools. Every share, every mention, every recommendation helps us build a stronger community dedicated to supporting children with learning difficulties and special needs.

Our vision is ambitious: to ensure that no child with special needs is denied access to quality educational tools due to cost. With your support – whether financial or through sharing our mission – we can make this vision a reality for families worldwide.

There are many meaningful ways to support our mission of providing free educational tools for children with special needs. Every action, no matter how small, helps us reach more families and continue developing quality resources.

1. Financial Support

Direct Donations (Available Soon):
We're establishing our non-profit association and will soon offer direct donation options through PayPal and Stripe at kidmedia.net/donate. Every contribution, regardless of amount, directly supports our free platform and content development.

Support Through kidmedia.gr:
For Greek speakers or families learning Greek, you can support our work by subscribing to our established Greek educational platform at kidmedia.gr/register. We commit 20% of kidmedia.gr revenue to support kidmedia.net's maintenance and content development. Learn more about subscription options at kidmedia.gr/payment-options. We provide annual updates on our impact and funding allocation to ensure transparency.

2. Spread the Word - Sharing is Caring!

Social Media Sharing:
Share our website and resources on your social media platforms using hashtags like:

#kidmedia #specialeducation #learningdisabilities
#freeeducation #specialneeds #inclusiveeducation #educationforall
#accessiblelearning #learninggames #educationalsoftware

Quick sharing templates:

• "Found amazing free educational games for children with special needs at kidmedia.net! No ads, completely free, designed by special education teachers. 🎓✨ #kidmedia #specialeducation"
• "Teachers and parents: kidmedia.net offers free learning games with scanning features for children with motor difficulties. Created by educators, for educators! #freeeducation #inclusiveeducation"
• "Supporting free education for ALL children! Check out kidmedia.net - quality learning tools that don't cost families anything. #educationforall #learninggames"

Professional Networks:

• Present our tools to colleagues at schools, therapy centres, or educational institutions
• Mention us in parent support groups and special needs communities
• Share with speech therapists, occupational therapists, and special education professionals
• Include our resources in educational newsletters or professional communications

3. Professional Collaboration

Erasmus+ Partnerships:
We actively seek educational organisations for Erasmus+ KA210 and KA220 programme collaborations, particularly for projects related to special education, interactive learning activities, or educational software development. We're also open to projects involving education for adults, elderly learners, or broader inclusive education initiatives.

Content Development:
We welcome partnerships with parent associations, educational institutions, speech therapy centres, occupational therapy centres, and early childhood education professionals for collaborative content creation and research projects.

To explore collaboration opportunities, contact us at:
Email: info@kidmedia.net
Contact form: kidmedia.net/contact

4. Educational Seminars and Training

We offer educational seminars on programme usage and educational material creation (both digital and print) through Erasmus+ KA122 "Invite an Expert" funding or direct organisational support. These sessions help educators maximise the effectiveness of our tools whilst generating sustainable funding for platform development.

5. Translation and Localisation

Help us reach more families by supporting translation efforts into additional languages. Our materials currently support Greek, English, Spanish and Portuguese, and we're ready to work on translating the "Using Euros" programme into any language with funding that can be arranged through crowdfunding, Erasmus+ programmes, or directly from other organisations (such as parent associations or teacher groups from the country requesting the translation).

Why Your Support Matters

Your support directly enables us to maintain our commitment to completely free, ad-free educational resources. Every donation, share, collaboration, or mention helps us continue our mission of ensuring that no child with special needs is denied access to quality educational tools due to cost. Together, we're building a global community dedicated to inclusive, accessible education for all children.

Thank you for being part of our mission to make quality special education resources freely available worldwide!

Our educational games are specifically designed for children with special needs, drawing from over 20 years of classroom experience and research-based methodology. Here's what sets them apart:

Expert Foundation

Our platform was created by qualified special education teachers Pagratis Pavlidis and Christos Bitsis, who identified the lack of quality materials for children with special needs. Every application reflects decades of hands-on experience working with children who have learning difficulties and disabilities.

Comprehensive Customisation Features

Every interactive application features detailed customisation screens that allow teachers and parents to adapt learning tools to each child's individual needs. Our philosophy is simple: the game adapts to the child, not the other way around.

Users can modify various game elements including:

• Level of assistance: Adjustable help and guidance systems
• Time limits: From timed challenges to infinite time options
• Difficulty parameters: Mathematical operations, number ranges, and complexity levels
• Content selection: Choose specific coins, banknotes, products, or learning elements
• Visual and audio settings: Tailored to individual sensory needs
• Interaction methods: Multiple ways to engage with the content

Future Commitment: Every application we publish from now on will include comprehensive customisation options, ensuring that learning tools can be precisely tailored to each child's capabilities and learning style.

Specialised Design Features

• Minimal verbal communication: Games rely primarily on visual and interactive elements, reducing language barriers
• Clear visual feedback: Simple, uncluttered interfaces that won't overwhelm or confuse
• No advertisements: We maintain a distraction-free environment essential for children with special needs

Accessibility Technologies

• Scanning functions: Switch-operated applications specifically designed for children with motor difficulties
• Help levels: Built-in support systems for children with serious learning difficulties
• Multiple interaction options: Accommodating various physical and cognitive capabilities

Real-World Tested

Every game is tested in actual classrooms with real students before publication, ensuring practical effectiveness rather than theoretical design. This classroom-to-digital approach guarantees that our applications work in real educational settings.

Comprehensive Coverage

Our games address the full spectrum of special educational needs, from children with mild learning difficulties to those with significant disabilities, covering early learning stages from preschool through primary education.

Research-Based Approach (Using Euros Programme)

Our crown jewel "Using Euros" Erasmus+ programme follows established special education principles and methodologies, ensuring that play-based learning supports genuine educational progress for children with diverse learning needs.

The Erasmus+ "Using Euros" programme is a comprehensive educational project funded under Key Action 2 of the Erasmus+ Programme and approved by the Institute for European Programs Management (IDEP) - Lifelong Learning, Cyprus.

Project Overview

This innovative project (official EU project number: 2023-1-CY01-KA210-SCH-000161037) was coordinated by Sesat Ltd Cyprus in partnership with the Kidmedia Creative Team and several educational institutions across Europe, including schools from Greece, Spain, and Portugal, as well as organisations supporting children with disabilities.

Project Objectives

The programme was designed to achieve several key educational goals:

• Development of online applications, games, and teaching tools to help teachers and children learn about using the euro in everyday life
• Creation of printed exercises and teaching aids for knowledge consolidation
• Development of identical applications for Windows, Android, and iOS platforms
• Conducting extensive research on the effectiveness of digital teaching tools for euro education
• Dissemination of results through European Union public repositories and participating countries' Ministries of Education

Special Focus on Accessibility

A cornerstone of this programme is its comprehensive support for students with special needs. All interactive applications and curriculum materials have been specifically designed to be accessible for children with special learning needs and mobility disabilities. Eleven applications include scanning functionality to facilitate use by people with motor difficulties, whilst each application features customisation screens allowing teachers and parents to adapt learning tools to individual children's needs.

Programme Content

The programme produced 19 interactive learning games and teaching tools covering all aspects of Euro currency education, from basic symbol recognition to complex payment and change-giving scenarios. The applications include multi-level difficulty settings, comprehensive curriculum coverage, and accessibility features such as scanning functions and infinite time options for children with serious difficulties.

Availability and Access

All materials are freely available at kidmedia.net, including detailed usage instructions, printable exercises, teaching suggestions, and lesson plans. The programme represents Kidmedia's commitment to providing high-quality, accessible educational content for children with special needs whilst demonstrating the effectiveness of European collaborative educational initiatives.

We absolutely plan to expand our language offerings, particularly for the "Using Euros" project, as long as we can secure the necessary funding to maintain our high-quality educational standards.

The Reality of Quality Language Expansion

Adding each new language requires a comprehensive localization process that goes far beyond simple translation. For our "Using Euros" project specifically, each language addition costs approximately €10,000. This investment covers:

• Complete re-programming of all 19 interactive applications for multiple platforms (HTML5, Windows, Android, iOS)
• Professional audio localization with native speaker voice-over for all educational content
• Translation and cultural adaptation of all educational content, instructional materials, and user interface elements
• Recreation of instructional materials, Google Slides presentations, and screenshots
• Extensive beta testing across all platforms and quality assurance
• UI adaptation to accommodate different text lengths and cultural preferences

Collaborative Funding Approach

We believe in making this expansion sustainable through community partnership. Our strategy involves:

• Partnering with educational organisations, parent associations, and institutions from countries interested in localization
• Launching dedicated crowdfunding campaigns for each target language
• Working with local partners who can help promote and support the funding goals within their communities
• Ensuring that organisations supporting a language expansion have input into the cultural adaptation process

Priority and Timeline

Language additions will be prioritised based on demonstrated community interest and successful completion of the €10,000 funding goal for each language. We're committed to working with any organisation or community that shows genuine commitment to bringing quality special education resources to their region.

Current Foundation

The "Using Euros" project is already available in Greek, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, providing a solid foundation that demonstrates our commitment to multilingual accessibility. Each existing language version has undergone rigorous testing in real classroom environments.

How You Can Help

If you represent an organisation interested in bringing the "Using Euros" project to your language community, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us here to explore funding strategies, partnership opportunities, and ensure that children with special needs worldwide have access to quality educational tools in their native languages.

This approach ensures that every language addition maintains the same high standards of educational effectiveness and accessibility that define all Kidmedia projects, whilst building sustainable community partnerships for long-term support.

Absolutely yes! Our educational materials are specifically designed for classroom use and have been successfully implemented by teachers across Europe. Teachers are already actively using our work both in the "Using Euros" Erasmus+ programme, where research has shown high satisfaction and effectiveness, and through our Greek platform kidmedia.gr.

Research-Proven Effectiveness

Comprehensive research conducted with 79 participants on our "Using Euros" project revealed outstanding results, with mean satisfaction scores above 4.6 out of 5.0 across all 24 evaluation dimensions. The research specifically highlighted that:

• Applications can be integrated into the curriculum (4.82/5.0)
• Sample lesson plans are useful (4.68/5.0)
• Teachers can easily assess students' progress (4.77/5.0)
• Teachers/parents can easily adapt activities to user's needs (4.87/5.0)
• Skills acquired are important life skills (4.89/5.0)

What Teachers Are Saying

Here's what educators who have used our materials report:

"All Kidmedia programmes are excellent!!! So well-designed, children learn while having fun without worrying about making mistakes! I have used them with children with special needs, as well as in my classroom as a teacher, for example in road safety education programmes, and I recommend them unreservedly!"

"The website is amazing. The programmes are created with love for children by recognised and specialised educators. They provide significant help to the children who use them. Congratulations on your excellent work."

"Excellent educational software! An amazing company creating useful educational material for kids and providing a great learning tool to teachers and parents."

Practical Classroom Implementation

Each application includes detailed lesson plans and teaching ideas. Here are some examples of how teachers can use our materials:

• Mathematics Skills: Start with simple calculations using €1, €2 coins and €5, €10 banknotes for children learning basic maths
• Real-world Application: Simulate shopping scenarios to practice money handling and change-giving
• Decimal and Mixed Numbers Teaching: Use euro currency to explain decimal conversions (e.g., 50c = 0.50€)
• Group Activities: Create teams to find different ways of giving change, encouraging collaborative problem-solving
• Role-playing Games: Use printable materials to set up classroom shops where students alternate as cashiers and customers
• Individual Support: Customize difficulty levels and enable scanning functions for students with special needs
• Assessment Tools: Monitor student progress through built-in feedback systems

Schools Already Using Our Materials

Educational institutions across Europe are successfully implementing our programmes, including:

• Korinos Primary School, Pieria, Greece
• Special Primary School of Veria, Greece
• Escola Básica do 1º com Pré-escolar da Cruz de Carvalho, Portugal
• Agalia Elpidas Pancyprian Organization for cerebral palsy and other disabilities, Cyprus
• Trip and Learn, Spain

The Ministry of Education of Moldova has even purchased licences for all schools in the country to use our commercial "Ensfhinomata 1" and "Kykloforo me ton Taxaki" programmes (available through kidmedia.gr).

Special Education Focus

Our materials are particularly effective in special education settings, featuring:

• Scanning functions for children with motor difficulties
• Customisable difficulty levels
• Minimal verbal communication requirements
• Clear visual feedback
• Self-paced learning options

Our kidmedia.net applications are completely free to use, include comprehensive printable materials, and come with detailed usage instructions. We hope to see our materials being used throughout Europe very soon!

Scanning features are specialised accessibility tools designed to help children with motor disabilities access our educational applications using only a single switch or button.

What Are Scanning Features?

Scanning features allow children who can only interact by pressing one switch to use educational software. The system automatically highlights different elements on the screen in a cyclical pattern, and users press their switch when the desired element is highlighted to make a selection.

Which Applications Include Scanning?

Eleven of our "Using Euros" applications include scanning functionality, specifically designed to support children with motor difficulties who cannot use traditional mouse or touch interactions:

• Euro Symbol 01
• Euro Symbol 02
• Paying with euros
• The euro forest
• Euros in Space
• Euros in bubbles
• Click and make the euro coins and notes
• Euro Train
• Giant Bee
• Giving Change in Euros
• Alien Market

How Does the Technology Work?

The scanning system shows users a set of parameters and automatically scans them cyclically, highlighting each one individually. When a child sees the element they want to select highlighted, they press their switch to make the selection.

• Automatic highlighting: Elements on the screen are highlighted one by one in a continuous cycle
• Switch activation: Children press their switch when their desired choice is highlighted
• Customisable speed: The scanning speed can be adjusted to match each child's reaction time and abilities
• Saved preferences: Settings are saved locally on the device, whether using our web browser applications, Windows, Android, or iOS versions, so children don't need to reconfigure each time

Setting Up Scanning Features

In each of the eleven applications with scanning capability:

• Users can enable scanning by turning the feature "ON" in the initial screen
• Scanning speed can be selected and customised
• Settings are automatically saved across all platforms - web browser, Windows, Android, and iOS versions
• The scanning function can be turned off at any time from the application's main screen

Who Benefits from Scanning Features?

Scanning features are particularly beneficial for children with severe physical disabilities, including those with quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and other motor impairments who may only have reliable control of one part of their body.

Technical Compatibility

Our scanning features work with various types of switches, including:

• Button switches that can be pressed with hands, feet, or head
• Sip-and-puff switches activated by breathing
• Eye-blink switches
• Any adaptive switch that can connect to a computer or tablet

Important note: Scanning features are not available in drag-and-drop applications due to the nature of these interactions requiring continuous movement rather than single selections.

Our long-term vision is ambitious yet achievable: to become "the PhET of special education" – a global, free, research-based platform of interactive learning games and printable materials for children with special needs.

Filling a Critical Gap

The special education software market is valued at €4.1 billion (2024) and expected to reach €5.2 billion by 2030, yet quality tools cost €50-€200+ per licence, whilst comprehensive systems cost thousands of euros. There is a significant gap in free, interactive, quality material for children with special needs – and that's exactly the gap we aim to fill.

Our Comprehensive Vision

We are redesigning kidmedia.net as a comprehensive platform offering:

• Free online learning games and educational tools specialising in children with learning difficulties, special needs and disabilities
• Research-based methodology drawn from over 20 years of real classroom experience
• Accessibility features including scanning functions for children with motor difficulties
• Comprehensive customisation screens allowing teachers and parents to adapt each learning tool to individual children's needs, modifying game elements such as level of assistance, time limits, difficulty parameters, and available options
• Multi-language support to serve a global audience
• Printable materials and detailed usage instructions for teachers and parents

Proven Track Record

Our vision isn't just wishful thinking – we have the expertise, dedication, and proven results to make it reality. Since 2005, we have built an impressive track record of educational excellence:

• Two decades of recognition: Multiple awards including recognition from the Municipality of Veria (2007), the Panhellenic Association of Special Educators (2008), and the Ministry of Education of Greece for "Excellence and Innovation in Education" (2010)
• Successful Greek platform: kidmedia.gr has operated successfully for years as a subscription-based service (€3-€6/month), proving our ability to create content that educators and families value and trust
• International adoption: Our software was selected by the Ministry of Education of Moldova and purchased for all schools in the country – a testament to our quality and effectiveness
• EU recognition: Our recent Erasmus+ "Using Euros" programme showcases our ability to create world-class educational content that meets European standards
• Comprehensive portfolio: We have created extensive Windows software packages translated into multiple languages (English, German, Spanish, Arabic, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian)
• Real classroom testing: All our software is tested in real classrooms before release, ensuring practical effectiveness based on over 20 years of special education experience

The Path Forward

With appropriate funding through donations, crowdfunding, Erasmus+ programmes, and partnerships, we can transform this vision into reality. Our team possesses both the technical knowledge and educational expertise needed, and our two decades of work prove our commitment to this cause.

Our ambition extends beyond our current team: with sufficient funding, we aim to recruit young teachers passionate about special education and pass on our expertise in designing interactive educational games and teaching tools suitable for children with learning difficulties and other special needs. We want to grow our team as much as necessary to achieve this ambitious vision – everything will depend on the support of those we reach out to.

This may seem "Too Big to Handle," but it is a big idea that can inspire greatly – and we believe the children who need these resources deserve nothing less than our most ambitious efforts.