Websites That Take the Work out of Learning

By Kimberly Blaker

Fun educational websites you won't want your kids to miss!

> SPACE IS A BLAST
At NASA’s Star Child there’s plenty to discover. Do fun activities, and learn which orbit each planet belongs to, match planets to their descriptions, and even calculate what is your own weight and age on each planet. Teens, also, can click on a link to NASA’s teen site and explore web pages to solve problems.
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html

> POP, DONG, KERPLUNK
This site will keep you busy for hours. Brain Pop is a fun site dedicated to health, science, and technology. Thrill at the awesome background sounds, and find experiments, activities, cartoons, quizzes, and animated movies.
http://www.brainpop.com

> ENERGIZE ME
Whiz over to Energy Quest and learn about fossil fuels, alternative fuel vehicles, and more by playing games, doings experiments and projects, and entering an art contest.
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/index.html

> PRESIDENTIAL PROBE
There’s plenty to learn at The American Presidency—even for parents. Do activities and read fun facts about the campaign trail, life in the White House, and assassinations. Then, take a poll, and share your thoughts.
http://americanhistory.si.edu/presidency/home.html

> WEATHER WONDERS
At Franklin’s Forecast, budding meteorologists learn how to make a barometer, rain gauge, weather vane, a tornado exhibit, and do other fun activities and projects.
http://sln.fi.edu/weather/index.html

> GROSS ME OUT!
Do you love gross stuff? Learn how to make it all at The Yuckiest Site on the Internet. Find “Yucky Experiments,” make “Creepy Crafts,” take a “Gross Out Quiz,” and listen to an interview with Eddie the Worm.
http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/flash/index.html

> MICROBE MANIA
Infection Detection Protection by the American Museum of Natural History offers information about bacteria and infection. Play fun games to learn about these almost invisible organisms, and even solve a microbe mystery.
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/infection/index.html

> ANIMAL EXPLORERS
Meet Zoo Atlanta's pandas, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, watch them on the live cam, and learn about panda conservation projects.
www.zooatlanta.org

> SLEUTHEN’ FOR JUSTICE
At Justice for Kids and Youth, there’s plenty to do. Enjoy a sliding tile puzzle, learn gun safety, and meet some of the FBI’s working dogs. Preteens and teens, you’ll learn about civil rights, how to help prevent crime, and access information to the FBI’s ten most wanted fugitives.
http://www.usdoj.gov/kidspage/

> BASICS & BEYOND
FunBrain.com offers all levels educational games in every subject. Play Grammar Gorillas, connect the dots by ones, fives, and even backward, or take the Brain Bowl quiz. There are even parent-kid challenges and parent quizzes. Click ‘search for games’, and discover many more awesome activities.
http://funbrain.com

> IQ BUILDERS
At Zeeks, have tons of fun testing your mental skills with plenty of mind-boggling games. Draw mosaic patterns, play chess against the computer or a friend, improve memory skills, do a jigsaw puzzle, or feed your brain with lots of cool information.
http://www.zeeks.com

> SENSATIONAL ANIMAL SOUNDS
Kids Planet by Defenders of the Wild is an animal sound delight. Calls from the wild welcome you while you choose between taking an animal quiz, touring the “Web of Life,” learning how to defend the environment, or playing a game of “Who Am I?”
http://www.kidsplanet.org

> MEDICINE MADNESS
At PBS’s A Science Odyssey, take an interactive visit to the doctor, play a game show called “That’s My Theory,” read comic stories about scientists, and learn about the discovery of penicillin.
www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/

> MATH, MONEY, & MORE
Math has never been so cool as at Coolmath4Kids.com. Do brain benders, jigsaw puzzles, and play the lemon-aid stand game to improve your math and money skills.
www.coolmath4kids.com

> FOREST FIRE FACTS
Visit Smokey Bear and get the “Bear Facts.” Then play “River Rage in Smokey Valley,” learn fire safety, and help Smokey to put out a fire.
http://www.smokeybear.com

> ONLINE ADVENTURES
Take a journey to The Greatest Places, and visit the Amazon, Tibet, Greenland, and other fascinating countries. Learn neat facts, watch videos, send postcards, play games, and find great activities to do at home.
www.greatestplaces.org

> ROAD SAFETY FUN
Are you going on a trip? Then visit The Otto Club for some great travel games. Print out cards for a game of License Plate Bingo to learn what road signs mean, and find links to other neat sites.
http://csaa.ottoclub.org/index.taf?id=29

> ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
At this Think Quest site, budding young artists learn to draw animals, flowers, aliens, and more. Here, you can take a quiz, do a crossword, and enjoy background music to get your creativity flowing.
http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/5794/

> STONES & BONES
Head off to an adventure at Geo Mysteries to solve geology mysteries, view a geologic time line, and more.
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/geomysteries/mysteries.html