Teach Your Kids Online:
40 Incredible Educational Resources for Kids!
...plus four that are just plain fun
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Remember when you bought that family computer? You had the best intentions, didn't you?
You thought you'd be bringing your kids into the 21st century. You pictured them downloading information about the animals of the Serengeti and getting straight A's on all their homework assignments.
But you soon discovered that finding safe, reliable educational resources for your children on the internet isn't as easy as pressing the "educate" button on your keyboard. Nope, it's hard work.
Well, we did all the hard work for you! Here you'll find the 40 Best Educational Internet Resources for your kids (plus four extras just for fun).
So put those computer games away and check out all of the fun and neat ways your kids can learn about the world through your computer. It's time to take your children's education into your own hands... 21st-century-style!
- ABC Teach:
This is one of the best educational sites on the internet. Flashcards, coloring pages, book report forms, and other fun tools to keep your kids interested in learning. - School Express:
Fun activity worksheets you can download and print for free. PLus online jigsaw puzzles, flash cards, awards, and math help. - Dosity.com:
A collection of downloadable worksheets and fun educational games that you can play directly on the site. Our favorite is the Antonyms Memory Game where you have to match words with opposite meanings to reveal a fun picture under the cards. - Ed By Design:
Fun educational games. Learn to write your own story (and publish it online!), play problem solving puzzles, try the Harry Potter trivia, or play number puzzles. (Also known as math problems, but don't tell your kids that!) - Learning Planet:
Play trivia, wordseach, or other educational games or search their activity database by grade level or subject. - Primary Games:
Great for unit studies. Pick a topic (like holidays, seasons, or planets) and you'll find tons of games and activities to keep your kids entertained while they learn!
- Word Central:
Sponsored by Merriam Webster, this site is a great place to learn new words and play word games. Check out their Build Your Own Dictionary page where kids can make up new words and share them with the world. - Kiddie Records Weekly:
Listen to real recordings of classic children's story records from the 40's and 50's. From Robin Hood to Peter and the Wolf, these timeless classics will entertain kids of all ages. - FindSounds:
Search the internet for any type of sounds, from recorded animal sounds to Christmas sleigh bells. So the next time your kid asks, "What does a train really sound like," you can go find out! - Book Adventure:
Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. - Classic Reader:
You can read, search, and even add your own annotations, to any of a number of classic books. A selection of author biographies and portraits are also made available.
- Serengeti National Park:
Official website for the Serengeti National Park. Check out amazing photos and information about the animals in the park, view their web cam, or play their fun animal sounds game. See, you really can learn about the animals of the Serengeti on the internet! - The SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Animal Sounds Library:
Check out this site to listen to real recorded animal sounds from the zoo library. - Switcheroo Zoo:
At Switcheroo Zoo you can make new animals, play games, solve jigsaw puzzles, learn about animals, join a zoo quest, watch movies, and more!
- Cool Math for Kids:
Fun math problems from critical thinking and word problems to fractions and division. Designed to keep kids engaged and geared to kids of all ages. - The Money Factory:
A government sponsored website designed to teach kids about currency. learn how money is made, how they decide on new designs, or visit the Fun and Games page where you can design your own bill or play Treasury Trivia. (Note: Since this a government site it may take a while to load, but it is worth the wait.) - A+ Math:
Fun online math games, like Matho (a combination of math and Bingo), Hidden Picture, and Concentration, and Planet Blaster. Fun games with a math twist! - Chess Kids:
Learn to play chess. Interactive chess lessons, quizzes, games, and puzzles, or just play chess against the computer.
- National Geographic Kids:
Videos, stories, and activities about wildlife and wild places. Fun games too! - Greenland Iceberg Paradise:
Learn about Greenland! On these pages you will find spectacular images of icebergs, dog sledding, and the wonderful scenery of Greenland.
- Windows to the Universe:
From our planet, to our solar system, to our universe, learn about geology, space, and physics. Articles, games, puzzles, a blog, and more! - PBS: The Savage Earth:
Learn about earth's destructive powers through earthquakes, volcanos, and tsunamis. Watch great educational animations, too. - Earthquakes for Kids:
Brought to you by the U.S. Geological Survey, this site teaches young kids about earthquakes in a way that's fun and accessible. Learn about the science behind earthquakes, play puzzles and games, watch animations, and even find great ideas for science fair projects. - The Virtual Fossil Museum:
Learn about fossils, geological time, and evolution. Read the latest news on fossil finds or browse their large collection of fossil pictures. - Prehistoric Planet:
Very fun interactive site about fossils, evolution, and dinosaurs. Visit their volcano simulator or watch videos about paleontology. - NOVA: Where to Dig:
Learn about different types of rocks and which are most likely to contain dinosaur fossils. Then grab your tools and look for dinosaurs in your own back yard!
- Wild Weather:
Learn about the weather and storms through stories, games, and quizzes. - KidStorm:
Learn about tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, and storm chasing. Probably their most useful section is on Lightning Safety. Teach your kids how to stay safe in a storm! - Global Warming Facts & Our Future:
Learn what's happening to the earth by investigating the facts. Decide if you think people are the cause and what can be done about it. - Air Info Now:
Play games designed to teach kids about air quality and air pollution, learn about easy experiments you can do at home, and find out what you can do to keep the air clean.
- The Why Files:
This is a very interesting site which takes headlines from the daily news (from politics to weather) and explains the facts and science behind the stories. - TIME for Kids:
A current events site for kids sponsored by TIME magazine. Kids can read about what's going on in the world or even play games or take trivia quizzes. - Scholastic News:
Learn about what's going on in the world from this kid-friendly site. They even have kid polls and kid reviews, so your kids can share their views, too!
- Make-Stuff:
Step-by-step guides on how to make all sorts of kid's crafts, from origami to silly putty. Includes video tutorials! - Inside Art:
A fun interactive adventure story where your child is sucked into classic paintings and taken on a tour of the style and theme of the artist. - Cartoonster:
A free online tutorial that takes you step-by-step through the process of creating your own animated cartoon. - Better Photo:
Free online photography lessons for kids! Follow their Photo Assignments or read their tips on how to take photos of people, animals, or landscapes. Turn good photos into great ones.
- Songs for Teaching:
A great site where you can look up lyrics to popular kids songs, buy the CD, or even download the song to your computer. Songs are categorized by subject, from math to reading and everything in between. - DSO Kids:
Fun animated site where you can learn all you need to know about the orchestra. The best part is the Instrument Encyclopedia where you can hear samples of over thirty different orchestra instruments. - Nancy Music:
A fun and comprehensive music site. Our favorites are the Music Activities page and the Homemade Instruments page.
- GirlsGoGames:
Fun games for girls. Dress up dolls, design your room, or even play food mahjong. - GameVance:
Simple, fun, free games for kids of all ages. - Barney & Friends:
Play fun interactive games with Barney and friends! Great, simple site for small children just learning how to use a computer. - Games Kids Play:
A huge list of traditional children's games (like four corners, kick the can, and marco polo) and rules on how to play them.