29 fun and safe kids' websites

Current events and news stories written just for kids will keep your own mini journalists well-informed while flexing those important reading muscles. It will probably make for more interesting dinner conversation too! timeforkids.com

Your go-to site to find empowering and inspirational books, toys and movies for girls of all ages. Founded by two American women who were tired of searching for the right gifts for their nieces, A Mighty Girl puts all their girl-powered picks in one place. amightygirl.com

Your mini anglophile will be all over the Canadian online home to the BBC Kids TV channel. The website offers ups listings, a selection of tv shows and games from across the pond. bbckids.ca

This American site offers fun and educational animated videos and games to help reinforce the school curriculum from kindergarten through grade 12. (Check out Brain Pop Jr. for grades K to 3.) A subscription is required to access the entire site but there is still plenty of content available for free. brainpop.com

It’s a virtual Lego set for the little Lego lover in your life. Lego and Google Chrome teamed up to create a site for master builders of all ages to build their own creations. And no clean up required! While the site no longer allows the addition of new buildings, it will let your child exlore the world that is already built. buildwithchrome.com

This is a great resource for fun and learning about all things Canada. It’s the online home for kids of the popular Canadian Geographic magazine and offers games, animal facts, and a virtual atlas. canadiangeographic.com/kids

There’s games and videos galore starring your kidlet’s favourite CBC Kids characters. Enjoy peace of mind knowing the CBC offers quality programming for young and old alike. cbc.ca/kidscbc2

Fans of the Disney staples like Sofia the First, Doc Mcstuffins, The Lion Guard and Jake and the Never Land Pirates will swoon for the interactive games and videos on the colourful site. disneyjunior.ca

Kids can catch up on current events with news stories written just for children. Started by a San Francisco mom, DOGOnews is a great resource for homework, projects and curious minds. dogonews.com

This is essentially an ultra-simple virtual sketchpad that any creative kid would love. You can choose to publish the drawings on the site or older kids can share them to Facebook or Twitter. It’s also an iPhone and iPad app! doodle.ly

Harness your kids eco-enthusiasm with green-themed games and articles. This Canadian website is the perfect compliment to the elementary school curriculum and the Take Action section will help your kids make a real impact on the environment. ecokids.ca

Kids won’t even realize they’re practicing math and reading skills while playing these games. Funbrain offers great games, books and comics for grade school aged kids and guilt-free distraction for their parents. funbrain.com

This is a great site to visit with your kids for fun and creative activities to do together. Older kids will also have fun browsing the great selection of crafts, recipes, science experiments, magic tricks, games, jokes and trivia. Save it for a rainy day. funology.com

This no-frills site is jam-packed with information to feed your knowledge-hungry kids. How Stuff Works is not geared specifically for kids but it’s hard to imagine a 12-year-old boy who wouldn’t love it. howstuffworks.com

This is the perfect place for your book worm-in-training to nerd out. It’s chock full of kids books reviews, articles, contests and author spotlights. It’s never to soon to become a discerning reader, after all. kidsreads.com

This simple and fun website is run by the Knowledge Network, British Columbia’s public broadcaster. There’s a good selection of wholesome videos, games and activities perfect for preschool and kindergarten-aged kids. knowledgekids.ca

Junior astronauts will have a blast exploring this fun and exciting website. There’s information and games geared to a variety of ages and skill levels to help feed their love of space. nasa.gov

Stunning photography, games, articles and videos will keep your kids happily engaged on this magazine’s website. There’s also a special Little Kids page that makes learning fun for kids three to eight. It’s the next-best thing to taking your own trip around the world. kids.nationalgeographic.com

The National Film Board of Canada is a treasure that’s easy to over look. Keep their kids’ channel bookmarked for easy access to quality films. Warning: you’ll probably want to watch them too. nfb.ca

Have any Chirp, Chickadee or Owl fans in you house? Each great Canadian kids’ magazine has it’s own blog on the Owl Kids site. Kids can check back regularly for the latest review, craft, recipe, joke and so much more. owlkids.com

There are lots of fun and educational games and activities for kids on the PBS website. The American public broadcaster is known for quality content and delivers on it’s kids’ programming too. Sadly, though, their videos aren’t available from Canada. pbskids.org

Three words, parents: Harry Potter website. There is so much information to dig through on this site, you could easily organize the basement while your Hogwarts wannabe takes it all in. pottermore.com

Your go-to site for all things science and science fair. There’s so much great information on Science Bob on science experiments and research methods that you almost won’t need to help at all. Almost. sciencebob.com

When it comes to programming we trust for our young children, what parent doesn’t love Sesame Street? This website is especially good for keeping preschool and kindergarten kids entertained. In fact, they’ll probably learn something too. sesamestreet.org

Sports fans will love this up-to-the-minute online cousin to the SI Kids magazine. It has a huge selection of great news stories, games and interactive features geared directly at kids. sikids.com

This is the site for early readers still trying to get a grasp on phonics. It offers a complete program of reading games and tools to compliment the school curriculum. Who knew you’d want your kid to play more computer games? starfall.com

Give your kids their Peppa Pig fix on the fun and friendly digital companion to every preschooler’s favourite cable channel. There’s enough games and videos to keep them entertained while you make dinner and printables to bring with you if you go out. treehousetv.com

The content on TV Ontario’s kids’ website truly is top notch. In addition to the standard fare of games, videos, and contests, they have developed their very own educational games and apps that will challenge your kids in new ways. Choose from content designed for two to five year olds or content for anyone 11 or under. tvokids.com

Here’s a little something for those tweens and teens who are beyond kiddie games and dumbed-down content. It’s an interactive, multimedia collection of displays and stories from museums across Canada. The Virtual Museum is the ideal resource for getting extra depth on a research paper or any topic of interest. virtualmuseum.ca

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