|
Funbrain (www.funbrain.com) |
|
Ages 6 and up |
|
It's as if this site has a right-brain, left-brain divide. It offers clickable educational games with problem-solving and rudimentary graphics (Grammar Gorillas, for example, is more grammar than gorillas). In other games, math and literacy challenges hideout behind awesome animation and sound effects. Testers found the entire site appealing. |
|
From kid testers: "I can tell that it's trying to teach me something, but it's still really fun." |
|
NGAkids Art Zone (www.nga.gov/education/kids.html) |
|
Ages 7 and up |
|
In more than a dozen witty interactive activities from the National Gallery of Art, kids use cool tools (think drag-and-drop elements, motion painting) to play with art. Testers got a kick out of making George Washington dance in his portrait and fashioning online masterpieces. |
|
From parent testers: "This site makes art come alive. Usually, kids are told not to touch art in museums, but here, art is ripe for the picking - they can morph it, control it, and create it." |
|
The Toymaker (www.thetoymaker.com) |
|
Ages 5 and up |
|
At this site, the fun unfolds from the clever designs of artist Marilyn Scott-Waters. Choosing from dozens of patterns, kids can print out and assemble whimsical paper toys and miniatures: fairy furniture, finger puppets, boxes, boats, a car, and more. If your kids can cut, fold, and glue, then reams of inventive fun are theirs for the printing. |
|
From parent testers: "This site is our go-to boredom buster, and I love that it starts with the computer but ends with making something real." |
|
Exploratorium (www.exploratorium.edu/explore) |
|
Ages 8 and up |
|
The famous San Francisco science museum feeds curious minds with wildly original online exhibits designed to engage and educate. Intriguing interactive activities - including a memory lab and the Slice-o-Scope microscopic bread tour - also offer explanatory follow-ups for young answer-seekers. |
|
From parent testers: "I love the overall message of this site: that real life, and learning about it, can blow your mind at least as much as anything made-up can." |
|
Fizzy's Lunch Lab (pbskids.org/lunchlab) |
|
Ages 4 and up |
|
Way more fun than the food pyramid, this PBS site promotes good nutrition and physical activity through educational games, yummy recipes, dance-along videos, printable placemats, and funny talk show parodies. A spoonful of humor helps the information go down - as do the hip graphics. |
|
From parent testers: "PBS does a great job here. There are funny pop songs, amusing characters, and innovative features that make learning about health appealing." |
