Online Fun with Kids

It's official: My kids and I are home from school and work, respectively, for a minimum of two weeks. We'll definitely be doing some homeschooling, but I've been researching some fun "enrichment" activities that we can do online. Here are some great websites worth spending some time exploring with your kids while you're trapped at home. And thanks to the many online friends who have also been sharing great website ideas!

The National Gallery of Art: Virtual Tours - Exactly what it says: there are multiple links that take you on virtual tours of many of their collections, including not only high-resolution photographs of the various masterpieces, but descriptions and backgrounds of the artists and the importance of each work. Check out this article for links to other museums around the world with virtual tours.

The Great Plant Escape - Geared toward 4th and 5th graders and designed by the University of Illinois Extension, users help "Detective LaPlant" solve the mystery of plant life! Kids read a "Case Brief" to explain what they need to learn and figure out, review the "Facts of the Case" which give them the clues they need to solve the problem, then answer the questions to solve the mystery. After solving all 6 cases, kids will have learned the basics of plants science and how we grow food. The "Green Links" section at the end links to other gardening- and plant-related websites, including how to plant and care for your own backyard garden, collecting seeds, and all about a career in botany.

Amazing Space - Explore space-related topics like our solar system, galaxies, black holes, space telescopes and more. This non-game site is geared for older students (or younger science nerds - and I mean that in the most positive way possible) who love to dive into facts and figures. Expect to have many of those facts spouted back to you over the following days and weeks.

Time for Kids - Time Magazine posts age-appropriate news articles for kids, organized by grade level. Articles cover everything from current events (there are currently a number of helpful articles about COVID-19 and its impact), to the economy, to business and technology, to community issues, to the arts, to fun activities and games, and more.

Animal Diversity Web - Got an animal lover in your house? This site, hosted by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, allows users to explore photographs and information about any kind of animal imaginable. A delight for science nerds.

Go Noodle - A great weapon against cabin fever, these great videos get kids up and moving while they're learning. My kids' school uses them for "brain breaks," or what I would call a "wiggle break." For parents of a certain age, this is the Schoolhouse Rock of the current generation. Their songs are quick and memorable and teach fun mnemonics, concise grammar lessons, etc.

Scholastic Learn at Home - Divided by grade level (pre-k/kindergarten, grades 1 and 2, grades 3-5, and grades 6+), this site has daily lessons and projects covering a multitude of topics. They have a great kid-oriented spin, especially including stories about or by kids.


Happy web surfing!