Six Fun, Educational Websites for Kids

Six Fun, Educational Websites for Children

Source: sxc.hu Photo: creactions

Summer will be here before you know it. Chances are, you are already looking for summer programs meant for your children. However, children won’t always be at programs, and they won’t always be outside playing. On top of that, you want to make sure that your child is doing something educational over the summer, so as not to lose an academic edge.

The good news is that there are plenty of fun, educational web sites for kids. Whether you are looking for something to keep them occupied for an hour or two on a rainy day, or whether you want them to have a solid learning base for the next school year, these six educational and fun web site may be just the thing.

1. PBS Kids

PBS Kids offers a number of great tools for learning. Videos, games and more provide a great deal of educational fun for young children. It is a great place for early childhood learning. If you are looking for content appropriate for children that are a little bit older, you can direct your kids to PBS Kids Go!, which offers games and other content aimed at a slightly older crowd. My son adores PBS Kids, but is just about ready to graduate to Go!

2. Starfall

If you want to help your children stay sharp with reading, you might consider Starfall. This program is meant for children in kindergarten to second grade. Includes helpful reading games for special education children as well. Find fun ideas related to the seasons and holidays. This web site is focused on helping kids learn to read phonically, as well as creating a fun atmosphere that encourages a love of reading. Even though my son is almost beyond Starfall, he still enjoys visiting the site on occasion to play some familiar games and review his skills.

3. NASA Kids Club

Want to get your kids interested in science? Then the NASA web site is the place to go. The NASA Kids’ Club. There are interesting games to play on this site that teach about space and science concepts. Additionally, children can see pictures taken from space, and also learn about recent space missions, and see pictures of the astronauts in action. There are also pictures from the International Space Station.

4. National Geographic Kids

Help you children learn about nature and animals. National Geographic Kids is full of interesting ideas, games and activities. It includes videos of different animals in their habitats. Learn about different critters, participate in contests, meet interesting people (like the Dalai Lama) from the world, and find fun, educational activities to do as a family. There are also interesting educational presentations on the earth’s processes and interiors, such as a great video on volcanoes.

5. SFS Kids

The San Francisco Symphony offers a great web site for music lovers. Learn about different instruments. This site will also teach your children about musical theory, and about the different attributes of music. If you want your child to develop an interest in music, SFS Kids can be a great place to hang out online. You do need the latest version of Flash in order to access the music lab, due to the high quality of the music site.

6. Metropolitan Museum of Art

If your children are interested in art, you can direct them to the web site of Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has a great “Explore & Learn” section. This web site has information on different famous painters, as well as games that use famous artwork to help children learn about color, shapes and more. Children learn about art history, and play a cool game that helps learn now different colors are created.