10 Online Educational Sites for Kids

This is a guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about for OnlineClasses.org.

10 Online Educational Sites for Kids

Educational websites are a great way to engage students in learning. The average site is set up so that kids are able to have fun while they improve their skills and boost their IQ. Here are ten free online educational sites that you can introduce to the children in your life.



- This Parents' Choice recommended site from National Geographic hosts educational videos, games, photos, stories, and other activities for kids. The site also has regular contests and other interactive prompts to keep youngsters excited.



- Big Universe is an award-winning literacy site for grades K-8. Offerings include a free library of books to read online and tools that can be used to create and share books with other Big Universe users.



- The Stacks is a Scholastic website for children who enjoy reading. Site visitors can create a profile, get book recommendations, write and read book reviews, and chat about books on a secure message board.



- Children who can't make it to the National Zoo can still see many of the zoo's different residents through animal web cams. Some of the animals kids can view on demand include otters, cheetahs, leopards, ferrets, flamingos, lions, tigers, gorillas, pandas, and fish.



- Part of the Kids Know It Network, this astronomy site is an excellent resource for kids who have an interest in outer space. The site provides games, activities, fun facts, and an astronomy dictionary. Kids can also take a free astronomy course online and receive a certificate of completion when they are finished.



- The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. provides an NGA site just for kids. The website is a great place for kids to learn more about art and try their hand at various online art projects, such as digital photography, image editing, painting, and collage.



- Math Playground is a math website for elementary and middle school children who want to improve their math skills and have fun at the same time. While on the site, kids can watch videos, play math games, and complete word problems and logic puzzles.



- Whyville is a free virtual city and social networking site for kids. Members of Whyville can communicate with each other in a safe and secure environment while they learn about science, math, art, civics, economics, and other topics.



- Created for kids in grades K-8, this educational website makes learning fun through web books, comics, movies, arcade games, blogs, and other online activities. Some of the subjects site visitors can learn about include math, language arts, history, science, geography, art, and music.



- The mission of this teacher-created network is to provide children with a fun and educational online resource. The network offers several education sites on topics like astronomy, biology, math, geography, geology, and spelling. Other resources include free educational music, movies, videos, and podcasts.


Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about for OnlineClasses.org.