The Benefits of Free Educational Websites for Kids
With many kids and parents being fully introduced to online learning during the COVID quarantine (you can also read our tips for using Zoom), perhaps everyone is appreciating educational websites a little bit more now. Especially when they are completely free! While they say nothing can replace an actual parent or educator working with each child, these free educational websites for kids are awfully close. Here are eight much needed free educational websites for kids that will help prepare them for the upcoming school year and beyond.
World Geography Games
Take it from an educator that has worked with children of all ages from kindergarten to high school: students struggle mightily with maps in general. I have witnessed high school students not being able to find Canada or Mexico on North American maps. If you ask a student in junior high to list a few countries, there is an awfully good chance they will have some states or cities on that list, too. Because of this fact, I would recommend using the World Geography Games website for students of all ages. It covers states, countries, continents, oceans and more.
As a parent, if you are thinking your kid is pretty solid on maps, have them attempt to play a few games on the site and witness how they do firsthand. You may just be surprised!
Grammar Gorillas
More for children that are ranging in age from eight to twelve years old, the Grammar Gorillas website will quickly help kids distinguish the difference between nouns, verbs, adjectives and prepositions. Knowing the parts of speech is an important skill for all children to learn. It almost seems like being able to diagram a sentence is a bit of a lost art.
TypingClub
Teachers are introducing typing skills to students in primary grades nowadays. I remember back in the day, I didn’t take typing until I was in high school. And even then, it was on an old word processor! But students need to master their typing skills at a much earlier age now since much of learning is done entirely online. As an example, I have my third-grade students complete all of their essays through Google Docs and they even make presentations through Google Slides. TypingClub is an entirely free website that will systematically and sequentially teach your child how to type. Plus, it is fun! Sometimes I still hop on there just to see how many words I can type a minute.
Starfall
Starfall is one of the very best websites for young children that are learning their ABCs, figuring out how to count, wanting to work on their reading skills, starting on simple math, and much more. From toddlers to seconds graders, they could benefit greatly from spending a little time each day on Starfall. And not only is it educational, but it is also fun! There is plenty of animation and music to keep them entertained.
Math Flash Cards Online
It takes repetition to learn math facts. It does not matter if it is addition, subtraction, multiplication or division; drill and repeat works for instant recall. Back in the day, you had to have a partner to do flash cards with. Now, you just go to Math-Drills and you can practice everything from simple math to fractions. For younger kids, just 15 minutes a day of practicing these math flash cards will pay off immensely once school begins.
Freerice
Who doesn’t like multiple choice trivia games and the ability to contribute to a good cause in the process? Freerice works with the United Nations World Food Programme and donates ten grains of rice for every question that is answered correctly. My students usually chose Vocabulary as the subject they liked most to play on Freerice, as they were trying to better their use of words. However, there are also a few other subjects to choose from as well. Knowing that you are feeding hungry people with every question answered correctly usually motivates kids of all ages to try their best. Before long, you will find your kids going to this website without even having to ask.
Scholastic Learn at Home
Scholastic just keeps on putting out more and more great educational content for kids of all ages. Of course, everyone knows about Scholastic Books, but they provide above and beyond just offering books for kids. The Scholastic Learn at Home website gives children, parents and educators ready to go lessons for every subject level. Created for pre-k into high school, kids will be able to tackle online projects that are interesting and educational!
InspirARTion
Kids love art; they enjoy being able to create something from nothing. InspirArtion is for kids that enjoy drawing, coloring or making really cool designs. Art is often a forgotten subject when discussing online learning. Let your kids explore this site and see what they can come up with!
