Great Educational Websites List

There are plenty of educational websites around, but finding the good ones can be time consuming, so I thought I’d keep this “gems” list for easy reference:

• Whyzz – for the kids that asks a lot of hairy questions we struggle to find the answers to. They also have a free app for your iThing.
• FAQ Kids – more questions and answers for kids (also free).
• Sheppard Software – games, activities, articles, quizzes and more (and it’s free).
• Free Rice – Multiple choice questions on a range of topics. Answer each question correctly and your child will help to donate rice through the World Food Program to help end hunger.
• National Geographic Kids – I’m sure almost everyone will have heard of this one but just in case you haven’t…
• The Happy Scientist – what else but science? This is a paid site but the fees are very affordable – US$20 for  year’s subscription.
• Smithsonian Education – lots of great stuff for free here by the Smithsonian Institute.
• Britannica Pathways: Science – recommended for Grade 6-8. It’s a paid subscription but it looks pretty good. You can check out a sample lesson and sign up for a free trial subscription to test it out first.
• BrainPop Junior – for K-3 (there is also BrainPop for older kids) which covers science, health, math, social studies, arts & technology, reading & writing. Price is a bit steep though – BrainPop Junior is US$85 for 1 year; BrainPop is US$99 for 1 year. You can purchase a combined membership for the two sites for US$175/year. They also have a mobile app so you can use it on the go (you’ll need wifi/3G access, though). You can trial BrainPop app with limited access for free. Hercules really enjoys watching the videos on BrainPop Junior.
• Khan Academy – you can’t miss this one. “Learn almost anything for free” – it covers all sorts of topics, although the subjects are probably more appropriate for older kids.
• Science Friday – audio and video recordings on all sorts of interesting science stuff.
• Elementary Ed has a good list of subject specific websites, such as volcanoes, Mars, paleontology, chemistry, etc.
• Kids.gov also has an extensive list of useful websites by subject.
• Exploratorium – digital library, homeschool program, and hands-on activities.
• Blue World – on ocean science
• NASA – on space science
• New York Philharmonic Kidzone – on music
• British Council Learn English for Kids – games, stories, activities and other resources to help children learn English (reading, writing, spelling, grammar).

Resources for older kids:

• Learn Genetics – genetic science learning center
• Coursera – free online courses
• Udacity – free, interactive courses on Math and Science
• Open Culture – free online courses
• TED-Ed – educational lessons on various subjects communicated through video
• MentorMob – learning playlists of quality resources from the net
• Memrise – interesting system of learning that will help you remember more. Covers a variety of subjects including languages
• Learnist – collections of learning materials and educational content organised into learning boards

See our earlier list: Great Homeschooling Resources