Having kids in the house for long periods of time can leave them feeling bored after a while. You may also be running out of board games and other entertainment ideas to keep them occupied. Try these online activities to help your child have fun at home while learning useful skills!
What are the best Online Activities for Kids:
Scholastic
Scholastic’s website is an unbelievable resource for kid’s educational materials. You may remember Scholastic as the publisher of school magazines, and it contains lots of articles and activities for kids that are age and grade-appropriate. Many a student has curled up in a classroom corner to page through Scholastic magazine. The website has material for every age group from kindergarten through high school. Go to Scholastic to check it out now.
PBS
We all remember watching PBS as kids. So many classic kid’s shows were on PBS, from Sesame Street to Arthur, and many still are! Literally tens of millions of Americans have grown up while watching PBS shows. All of the shows your children watch on PBS have their own pages on PBSKids.org. On those pages, you will be able to find lots of extra content for the shows, including sing-a-long songs, games, bonus videos, and much, much more!
CoolMath.com
CoolMath.com calls itself “an amusement park of math more.” They are not lying! Kids with a talent in math can go to this website and find math games that will hone their skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and other mathematical operations. CoolMath is great from kids from the age of three up to the age of twelve. Realistically, math is such an important life skill, and it doesn’t have to be the torture many people think it is. CoolMath.com is exactly what the name implies—it is a cool way for kids to learn how to do math.
National Geographic
National Geographic is one of the treasures of American culture. For decades it has brought pictures and videos of the beauty of the United States into our homes, and now it has a website especially for kids! Your children can log on and watch webcams of animals, read about giraffes, see photos of national parks, and much more! Go to kids.NationalGeographic.com to find out more! Your kids will forever and ever have a deep appreciation for the inherent beauty of their country, from sea to shining sea.
TheKidzPage.com
TheKidzPage.com is a great resource that has thousands and thousands of games and activities that will help your kids learn. These include, but are not limited to, online coloring books, jigsaw puzzles, and word games. More than that, all of the holidays have their own specific pages where you and your kids can go to get into the swing of each holiday season. Whether it’s Christmas or Labor Day, this website will have you celebrating good, clean fun.
Nick, Jr.
Nick Jr is a mainstay of everyone’s childhood. All of the classic cartoons are on Nick Jr, and it’s something that we’ve all known and loved. Now you can experience that whole world on NickJr.com! You will be able to navigate page after page of famed cartoons and the associated characters. The games will encourage your kids to dress up, be creative, work on puzzles, and loads of other exciting activities!
Disney Jr. Games
No list of online kid’s activities would be complete without Disney! No matter where or when you grew up, your childhood was touched by the likes of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Lady and the Tramp. If your kids are like most kids and are obsessed with Disney, you should introduce them to Disney Jr. Games. This website will give them access to pages and pages of pictures, videos, and activities featuring their favorite Disney characters. From Mickey Mouse to Moana, Disney Jr will occupy your kid’s imagination for hours and hours!
Ken Burns
Though perhaps not as widely consumed, Ken Burns is as much a cultural icon as Walt Disney. His documentaries of American life, from the Civil War to Vietnam, have inspired and educated generations of Americans. And now he has his own page on PBS’s website, where your kids can go to get educated on the history of their country. It is so important, now more than ever, for the young generation to be educated on the history of the United States. Go here to find out more!
Brains On!
If your kids are more audio types, there are many podcasts that they might love, and Brains On! is one of them. It’s an award-winning science podcast for kids (and even curious adults!) from American Public Media. It’s great for long road trips in the car and can be found on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You should also feel free to search websites and apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify to find podcasts you and your kids might like. There are podcasts on every topic, from space to sports, it’s just a matter of searching for them!
NASA for Kids
Speaking of space! There are few things that can captivate the mind of a child quite like space. And that is what NASA for Kids is for! On this website your kids can be like little astronauts, exploring the universe from the Milky Way to Andromeda. Take off with the Space Shuttle and do experiments with the men and women on the International Space Station. The possibilities, like space, are infinite! Click here for NASA Kids.
BroadwayHD
Kids love music and dancing, don’t they? So of course kids love Broadway shows. Unfortunately, during coronavirus lockdowns, it’s not possible to take your kids to a Broadway show. And even in the best of times, doing so is fairly difficult. So why not sign up for a free 7-day trial with BroadwayHD, and stream family-friendly Broadway shows? After the seven day trial period expires, you will have to pay to continue to access the shows, so just be aware of that. But there is a show for everybody on there, and you’re bound to find something your kids will love!
SeaWorld@Home
Many of us have fond memories of going to SeaWorld as kids and watching killer whales and dolphins swimming and jumping all around. Now you can experience the thrill of SeaWorld from your own home with your kids! You can watch videos of the sea creatures, ride virtual roller coasters, and even be featured on SeaWorld’s website by tagging social media photos with #SeaWorldAtHome. Your kids will freak out when they see themselves next to dolphins, whales, and orcas! Enjoy SeaWorld@Home now!
YouTube
There’s good new for all the Disney families out there—we have even more Disney on our list! You can simply log on to YouTube and get your fix of Disney magic! Check out the Disney Parks Youtube channel to get a front-row seat right in front of Cinderella Castle at Disney World and watch as the park and its characters come alive with fun and magic! Though it may be impractical to actually go to Disneyworld or any of the other Disney parks at the moment, this YouTube channel can provide you with the next best thing!
Dreamworks
Like Disney, Dreamworks has given us many magical stories. From the Boss Baby to Shrek, you can now find hours of entertainment with these characters through the Dreamworks Activity Center.
Play@Home Theater by Toys “R” Us
Every kid loves toys. It’s one of the laws of the universe. Toys “R” Us is practically a mystical land of adventure for every child. You can now take your kids to that place in the comfort of your own through the Play@Home Theater by Toys “R” Us. It includes videos, puzzles, Play-Doh projects, coloring books, and so much more!
LEGOLAND Building Challenge
Many a child has spent hours in the aisles of Toys “R” Us playing with legos. Now they can do it on the internet! Your kids will be able to make simple LEGO projects courtesy of LEGOLAND Building Challenge. Your kids will even have the opportunity to play along with their own real-life legos at home!
Exercise Programs
Of course, it’s of the utmost importance to stay healthy, even when you’re cooped up at home. There are quite literally millions of fitness videos on YouTube.com that will provide hours of active fun. Just go to YouTube, search terms like “yoga,” or “exercise,” click one and go! You should think about establishing a regular schedule for your child’s exercise. These exercise classes on YouTube are totally free, so what are you waiting for? Go check it out! Your kids will have fun AND they will get their day’s worth of exercise!
Search Engines
Finally, the internet itself is a great, expansive place full of wonderful things yet to be discovered. Search engines like google.com and yahoo.com provide you and your kids with the opportunity to find out amazing activities for yourselves! And the nice thing about Google and Yahoo is that they have parental controls that you can set beforehand, so your kids won’t see anything that isn’t age-appropriate. Enjoy!
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