BEST Kids Websites

When I set out to find the best websites for kids, I wanted to make sure the sites had real educational value and were easy to use. I didn’t want sites asking for information, not even an email address, to be included. Websites that had too much advertising were avoided. And finally, I wanted the sites to be free or very low cost.

I always advise parents to look at any site before sharing it with their children so they know exactly what is on each site.

So with that in mind, here are my options:

meteor shower

Starfall is a website that helps children learn to read. It has everything from learning the alphabet to reading books. The graphics are colorful, attractive and easy to click. The audio is clear and easy to understand. Best of all it’s a jump and go site. No login and nothing to click to get started. They also offer free printable worksheets to practice writing. And it’s all FREE. Starfall can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. The site is listed for kids in kindergarten through second grade, but preschoolers enjoy learning the letters and struggling readers might as well.

PBS Kids

PBS Kids is a wonderful site that has many familiar characters that children love: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur, Maya and Miguel, and Sesame Street, just to name a few. The visuals are bright and attractive and the audio is excellent. For older children, ZOOM is the favorite. They have games to play and free printable worksheets. PBS Kids is also a jump-and-run website. No login and nothing to click to get started.

One of the best things about PBS Kids is that some of the areas of the site are complementary to the TV shows you watch on PBS. Among the Lions, Reading Rainbow, Maya and Miguel are all represented on the website. Once again, this site is FREE. PBS Kids is recommended for children from preschool to elementary school.

If this wasn’t enough, they have great parenting pages!

The Literacy Center

This website is much smaller than the others; However, I like it because it is easy for preschoolers and preschoolers to navigate. They have cute online games in English/Spanish/German/French for kids to learn colors, letters, numbers, and shapes. This is a great place for ESL (English as a Second Language) to start saying the words in English. Some children may enjoy learning Spanish, German, or French words for fun. The audio is very clear. This is also a jumping and running site. And it’s free.

guys read

Jon Scieczka, a famous children’s author, created the Guys Read website to promote children’s literacy. It is an established fact that children do not always like to read. I have seen this in my own classroom and studies have been done on this very subject. So how can we encourage children to read more? One way is to provide children with books and other reading materials they enjoy. Guys Read website was created to give guys (young and old) a place where they can find interesting books. There’s also a forum called Readerville where you can talk to other kids about the books they’re reading.

scholastic, inc.

You may be familiar with the name Scholastic. They are a publishing house that has been serving the educational community for years. They have school book fairs, book clubs, and offer online lessons for a fee. But lucky for us, there are plenty of free activities your child will enjoy. Scholastic is the home of the Magic School Bus and the famous Miss Frizzle! You’ll also find Clifford the Big Red Dog and other favorites. Younger children will need help navigating the website at first. There are lots of activities to do and they also have pages for parents.

Clifford’s Interactive Storybooks
This area of ​​the Scholastic website is located within the teacher pages. Children can listen to the stories and practice reading. It is fun!

national zoo

The National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The website is excellent. If you have a child who likes animals, you must visit this site. The site is jump and go, which means you can start exploring right away. Young children will need help searching. Live animal cams are very popular! The photo gallery also has great images. There is so much information available that you really need some time to explore and even then you will always find something new to discover on subsequent visits.

The San Diego Zoo also has a great website.

DelightedLearning

This website is HUGE and covers everything from the alphabet to zoology. The information on this website (more than 20,000 pages) is available to everyone for FREE. You can simply view or view and print the pages. This website does not offer interactive games; however, if I had to pick just one website to make available to my students, this would be it. I said students, instead of children for a reason. The information on this site is so extensive that even college students could use it for basic research. (Yes). I’m not kidding. You have to see this for yourself.

Like I said, all the information is free, but they do offer a membership. Members can print all pages without ads being displayed.

I can’t believe so many people have never heard of Enchanted Learning. I would expect a membership to this site to cost at least $50/year, if not more, but no, and it’s not $40 or $30 either. For just $20/year, your whole family can benefit from this BEST educational website! (and remember: if you don’t want to become a member, you can still enjoy all the benefits for free)

BookPALS history online

BookPALS is presented by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Celebrities read children’s books aloud. The site also features activities for children. The audio is great and it has a lot of great visuals. It’s a fast site but you need a fast computer otherwise it can take a long time to load and the buffer won’t take it without pauses.

abcdeach

abcteach is the best! This is the teachers’ favorite website. There are so many things you can print out and use, from coloring pages to reading comprehension practice. They also have a fabulous math section. The website has now introduced an area for high school students. To be fully functional, the membership fee is $35/year; however, more than 5,000 pages are available for free. In addition to the great reading activities on abcteach, you can find flashcards, puzzles, mazes, clip art, report covers, and much more. This is a great place to find great printables. Parents will have to choose and print the activities for the younger children.

Surf for fun!