Exceptional Web Sites for Children

The American Library Association’s subdivision ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children) recently released their list of the 20 newly added Exceptional Web Sites for Children. I checked out most of the sites. Some, I agree, they are exceptional. Others were nothing spectacular and some didn’t strike me as something either of my children (ages 5 and 9) would use or be interested in looking at. So, take a look (my favorite was uptoten). Do you think these sites are extraordinary? Is there something you’d recommend instead?

Little Lunkers featuring fishing for kids. Get advice on fishing with your family or play some games to get them excited about the experience.

GettyGames makes looking at art fun with games like Detail Detective and Match Madness.

SCIENCE
Next time you need information for a report on Biomes check out MBGnet.

For those kids out there who just can’t get enough about Earthquakes, the U.S. Geological Survey has put together Earthquakes for Kids to find out about Earthquakes going on today, in history, facts, the science behind them, and science fair projects. Links to other pages provide games and other extension activities.

I was wondering features 10 cool female scientists as well as a timeline. Three little games, the Astroscope is like an I Spy in space, Gorilla Quest is a fun little information trek to observe gorillas, and Make a robot won’t necessarily occupy hours of time but are quick and educational.

The University of Illinois Extension has put together The Great Plant Escape which allows children to learn about types of plants, how they grow, and their parts. To bad I hadn’t seen this website earlier this year! It would have been very helpful for my daughter for science class. Great for reinforcing school work as well as learning on your own. A lot of text is involved but solving the mysteries will appeal to any child’s curiosity.

Invention at Play is fun for all ages and gives kids an opportunity to stretch their imagination by virtually tinkering, solving puzzles, sketching, and using their imagination to reshape clouds.

RESEARCH
Do the latest google results have you scratching your head? When your child has questions or a new research topic, try starting at Encyclopedia.com for your basic information. Search over 100 sources including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses at one time to get you started in the right direction.

GAMES
UpToTen.com is an award winning site contains over 1,000 games for children up to age 10. The home page has 3 sections to start; free, premium and at school. A premium membership is not necessary to access the content of the site. The first thing I noticed when entering the free section is the icon for Girls Games on the side (personally, I understand why sites do this, I am just bothered by the idea that something is inherently girly). An important note: the left side bar is advertisements. Coloring pages, puzzles, games, and activities are quite fun and do offer some educational value. Young children will need some assistance with the site.

STORIES, BOOKS, AND READING
Read.gov from the Library of Congress is a great source for kids, parents, and teachers to find new authors and suggested booklists on a variety of topics.

The Story Home Overall, a good site to listen to a story. But, I believe that most children will find it a bit boring. This site does not feature flashy images or text with the story, just audio. On the bright side, you can download various classic stories (for example, an excerpt from Dickens, A Christmas Carol or Thumbelina) to your computer as an mp3 file to listen to later (like on the way to Grandma’s house for Christmas dinner). The reader, Alan Scofield, is a gifted storyteller who has an expressive voice. Seasonal stories (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas) appear to be a part of the features in addition to old favorites like Snow White and The Poor man and the Rich man. The site also has a nice How to section that explains how to download the stories and listen to the stories in various ways (iTunes, iPod, CDs).

Storynory is similar to The Story Home providing audio stories for download. There are a wide variety to choose from including Original stories, fairytales, and classic authors. I love that this site includes how long each story is as well as the text so that beginning readers can follow along while listening.

I haven’t figured out why CILIP Carnegie & Kate Green Away Children's Book Awards website is an extraordinary site. Yes, there are lists of award winning books and a few interviews with authors but not a whole lot to the site.

Coretta Scott King Book Award-winning Authors, Illustrators, & Books features extension activities for books that have won the Coretta Scott King Award. This site looks to be more for teachers than for students. But, it’s great for those who want more about these books.