Crafts & Fun

Search for Information

Yahooligans! (yahooligans.com)
The ultimate kid-friendly search engine. Based on the popular adult Yahoo! site, it‘s a safe place for children to look for information and has a great list of age-appropriate reference links.

Ask Jeeves Kids (ajkids.com)
The best search engine for answering simple kid questions like, “How does an iceberg form?” or “What causes hiccups?”

Kids Click! (kidsclick.org)
This site was created by a group of US librarians so kids could find age-appropriate Web content on everything from science to health to popular entertainment. All links are non-commercial and non-violent.

How Stuff Works (howstuffworks.com)
This award-winning site clearly and concisely tells kids (and adults!) how different things work — from the everyday (how automobile engines run) to the unusual (how Jell-O sets).

Fact Monster (factmonster.com)
This is a one-stop reference source of kid-friendly facts and articles. The award-winning site also has loads of interactive tools that encourage kids to improve their math, spelling and vocabulary.

Amuse and Entertain

CBC Kids (cbc.ca/kids)
This terrific extension of CBC’s educational and entertaining programming for kids targets specific ages like preschool, afterschool and teens. Activities include non-violent games like Canuck Rally and interactive horoscopes.

PBS Kids (pbskids.org)
The activities and games on this award-winning site feature many of the characters from kids’ favourite TV shows, including Caillou, Clifford, Barney and Oscar the Grouch. Easy navigation makes it friendly for young and first-time Internet users. There’s also an extensive resource section for parents and teachers.

Kids Reads (kidsreads.com)
The best place on the Web for kids to find information about their favourite books and authors, including excerpts from the hottest new releases.

Funology.com (funology.com)
A great place for kids to find things to do — not just at the computer, but anywhere. The million and one games, magic tricks, recipes, experiments and craft projects will put a stop to the “Mom, I’m bored” syndrome.

Educate and Learn

Discovery Channel School (school.discovery.com)
The creators of the popular Discovery channel initially designed this site with parents and teachers in mind — but the fun activities have major kid-appeal too. A favourite feature is the learning adventures that let kids explore everything from Cleopatra’s palace to the space station.

Virtual Museum of Canada (virtualmuseum.ca)
Multimedia presentations, image galleries and interactive games make learning Canadian history and geography a lot more fun.

School Net (schoolnet.ca)
This Government of Canada site has more than 7,000 links for kids and parents on a variety of news-related topics across Canada. It’s great for school projects, since all federal resource sites are listed in one place.

CoolMath4Kids (coolmath4kids.com)
Games, brain twisters and colouring-book activities for a variety of age groups help make math fun. A great site for kids who are struggling with multiplication and need to practise their skills.

Science Made Simple (sciencemadesimple.com)
This no-frills site helps kids learn science the easy, hands-on way with clear, detailed answers to their questions and lots of fun projects and experiments.

Funbrain.com (funbrain.com)
Interactive tools and games like Grammar Gorillas and MathCar Racing entice kids to learn.

Inspire

Canadian Wildlife Federation (cwf-fcf.org)
This site encourages young naturalists to actively participate in wildlife conservation, including building a backyard habitat for birds and butterflies.

United Nations Cyber School Bus (un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus)
Translated into six languages, the rich content and resources on this United Nations–sponsored site let children participate in a global community over the Web.

GirlSite! Network (girlsite.org)
This site was created by a not-for-profit organization so girls and young women would have place to speak their minds and share their ideas. Topics cover everything from cool careers and volunteering to creative writing diaries.

National Geographic Kids! (nationalgeographic.com/kids/index.html)
The best part of this all-round great site is the current affairs section, written in easy-to-understand language, so kids can keep on top of new archaeological digs and historical discoveries.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (nasa.gov/home/index.html)
A perfect place for budding astronomers to learn about the galaxy. Kids can receive up-to-the-minute bulletins about space programs or use the multimedia section to view current images in space.

Anjali Kapoor is the editor of Microsoft Home Magazine.

Originally published in Today's Parent, October 2004