BrainPOP

https://www.brainpop.com/

Many interactive programs and activities for kids in the fields of science, social studies, English, math, arts and music, health, and engineering and technology. Fun and clever.

ChessKid

https://www.chesskid.com/

Learn to play chess – then try out your skills online with other kids or challenge the computer. Learn strategy and problem-solving skills. 

Discovering Ancient Egypt

https://discoveringegypt.com/

Explore temples and pyramids, learn hieroglyphs and experiment with a hieroglyphic typewriter, solve Egyptian-themed puzzles, and much more.

Funbrain

https://www.funbrain.com/

Fun games – try Penguin Drop, Star Climber, or Coral Reef – as well as cool videos, books to read online (check out Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Judy Moody Saves the World), and a Mathzone of math-related games. Categorized by grade (preschool – 8).

History Resources

https://www.education.com/resources/history/

Categorized by grade (preschool – 5) and subject. Learn about everything from the history of zombies and fireworks to state abbreviations, African-American inventors, and Amelia Earhart.

Math Playground

https://www.mathplayground.com/

Many math-based games for grades 1-6.

Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers

https://www.mrdonn.org/

Games, quizzes, projects and activities, and lots of cool kid-friendly info on American History, World History, Ancient History, Geography, and Government.

National Geographic Kids

http://www.natgeokids.com

Games, videos, quizzes, activities and experiments, and a lot of cool and fascinating information on everything from Space to Amazing Animals, Countries of the World, Gemstones, and Native Americans.

PBS Games for Kids

https://pbskids.org/games/

Many, including coloring games, music games, and even engineering games. Build your own rainforest ecosystem, dig for fossils, or invent a world orchestra.

Also see PBS Science Games for Kids at https://pbskids.org/games/science/

San Francisco Exploratorium

https://www.exploratorium.edu/

A terrific source for interactive online science activities and explorations.

Scrabble Online

https://funkypotato.com/scrabble-online/

See if you can beat the computer! Call it spelling.

Web Sudoku

https://www.websudoku.com/

Gazillions of Sudoku puzzles, categorized by Easy, Medium, Hard, and Evil. Addictive number-based puzzles.

Wonderopolis

http://wonderopolis.org/

A vast collection of wonders based on questions: How do you find a sunken ship? Why do whales breach? Will artificial intelligence replace human jobs? And many many more.

Access Mars

https://accessmars.withgoogle.com/

Tour Mars with the Curiosity rover.

Colonial Williamsburg

https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/

Travel back in time from home.

Farm Tours

https://www.farmfood360.ca/

MOO! Visit egg, pig, grain, dairy – and mink! – farms.

Google Lit Trips

https://www.googlelittrips.org/

For grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Downloadable adventures in which you travel the world with characters from favorite books.

Great Wall of China

https://www.thechinaguide.com/destination/great-wall-of-china

Travel the Great Wall online. Wonderful views, a map, and background information.

The Louvre

https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

France’s famous Louvre Museum is currently closed – but you can still tour it online.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/the-metropolitan-museum-of-art

Explore the Met!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams

Check out the many live cams at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, including tours of coral reefs, kelp forests, moon jellies, and penguins.

National Gallery of Art

https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc

Visit the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. From your home.

National Museum of Natural History

https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour

Self-guided, room-by-room tours of exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

San Diego Zoo

https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/

Visit amphibians, arthropods, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles – and read great illustrated stories about everything from baby elephants and tiger cubs to carnivorous plants.

Yellowstone Park

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm

Can’t travel? You can still visit Yellowstone Park. Includes a map, photos, and fascinating facts.

Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers

https://www.mrdonn.org/

Info, games, quizzes, and interactive activities categorized under Ancient History, World History, American History, Geography, and Government. Explore and fool around.

History for Kids

https://www.historyforkids.net/

A free online history network packed with information, quizzes, and helpful worksheets. Topics include Egypt, Greece, Rome, Asia, the Middle Ages, and America.

National Geographic Kids History

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/category/discover/history/

Everything from Australian aborigines to Tutankhamen, the Titanic, and Anne Frank.

Ranker’s Best Historical Movies for Kids

https://www.ranker.com/list/best-historical-movies-for-kids/ranker-film

And yes, movies count as education.

Make your own storytelling box or envelope. Just collect pictures from magazines or print some off the internet – the stranger, the better – and use them as kick-offs for story-writing.

For your older kids – tackle the Machine of Death!
The idea: a finger-prick in the machine delivers a card telling you how you’re going to die. But it’s not a wholly helpful machine: a card reading FISH, for example, could mean anything from being eaten by a shark to food poisoning. Write a story about your awful
potential end.

Check out possible cards from the Swanton Writers Group:
https://swantonwritersgroup.blogspot.com/p/machine-of-death-prompts.html

Science Games for Kids

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities.html

Living Things, Physical Processes, Chemistry, and Detective Science – give these a try! (You can even stop a dangerous outbreak of the flu.)

PBS Kids Science Games

https://pbskids.org/games/science/

Choose from dozens, including the Hermit Shell Game, the Great Space Chase, Jungle Jeopardy, and more.

San Francisco Exploratorium

https://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/activities

MANY interactive activities, with background information and instructions.

NASA SpacePlace

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/play/

Games, explorations, and puzzles for kids who love space.

Lie Back, Look Up

http://liebacklookup.com/

Family adventures with the night sky. Printable constellation cards and sky maps and lots of suggestions for family activities. (And a recipe for Meteorite Krispie Treats.)

Put on a play!

Readers Theater

http://www.thebestclass.org/rtscripts.html

Many downloadable scripts based on popular children’s books – and adaptable for any number of participants. Even just two. A great addition to any literature program.