It's the weekend or a school holiday, and you're desperately seeking an easy game plan for the kids to keep learning ("somewhat"). Check out this listing of free educational websites for kids that we found online at FromABCsToACTS.com. Having your child learn via one of these educational online resources for an hour a day will be fun for them and will buy you some time to give yourself a facial, paint your toenails (because, after all, spring is here!), and prep for tonight's dinner. Enjoy!
Snow?? We're excited... and a bit nervous, to tell the truth. What will we do with the kids this week? There's no school on Monday and Tuesday because of this freak winter storm, and we're wondering if the situation will look any better later in the week. The best news is that we're getting snow, and with that comes a longing desire to make cute snowflake crafts. (Hey, it's a perfect way to keep little minds occupied.)
Here are a few links to fun snowflakes to make this week.
It's the Year of the Ox! I just stocked up on Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken, and I'll be decorating the house with red and gold balloons this Friday! It's Chinese New Year (also called Lunar New Year or Spring Festival), one of my favorite holidays to celebrate! Here's how your family can celebrate, too:
When I was growing up, there were very few people on the big screen who looked like me – not that I necessarily noticed; but looking back, I can ascertain that it was a reality. I’m grateful that times have changed, and my daughters get to enjoy interesting movies with all sorts of remarkable characters including some who share their same ethnic background. I thought it would be meaningful to make an acknowledgement post during Black History Month, and, although the month is celebrated in various ways by different people, let’s have fun with it and discuss some good movies starring black actors! Here are 13 of our faves that you can (probably) watch with your entire family:
There aren't a whole lot of things better than snuggling up on the couch with the kids for a movie day or night! When you've resolved to stay in for the day, head to RedBox, or pull up Netflix / Disney Plus / Amazon Prime on TV, or set-up a movie exchange with your friends and play some of our favorite family-friendly movies - old and new!
The web is teeming with information for kids – good and bad! We’ve put together some of our favorite kid-friendly, fun, educational and just because websites for toddlers to tweens for you and your kids to enjoy this summer!
Network Websites - PBSKids, Nick Jr., Sesame Street and Universal Kids are just a few! All the networks your kids love have great websites with videos and games featuring their favorite characters.
Starfall.com - This free, learn-to-read site is arranged in four different main sections to play, based on where your child is on the journey from reading readiness to independent reader. Fun animations, interactive stories, and catchy tunes.
Smithsonian Education Students - Smithsonian Education Students is a treasure trove of resources for kids and a place for them to explore and learn about many topics such as art, history, science, and cultures.
Brain Pop Jr. – Brain Pop Jr. (and Brain Pop for older kids) creates animated, educational movies and curricular content that engages students, supports educators, and bolsters achievement.
Switch Zoo - Switch Zoo started as a fun little game where you can make crazy animals by combining different body parts. Now, the website features additional animal games, music created from animal voices, a reference section about all the animals in Switch Zoo, lesson plans, and poetry, stories and artwork created by students and other visitors.
Fisher Price - Online learning activities and games, coloring pages, crafts, and more for your infant, toddler, or preschooler.
Pixie Hollow - Fairy-loving kids will find virtual-community features, two chat options, and a magical fairyland of games, videos, and activities.
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That - An award-winning website designed to spark a love of learning and an interest in science and math in preschoolers
Sports Illustrated Kids - SIKIDS.COM is the online counterpart to Sports Illustrated For Kids magazine. The site changes from day to day, and even from minute to minute, where they provide a fun, safe environment for kids, filled with some of the best news, games, and interactive features on the internet.
LEGO Duplo - Safe, full-screen games where your preschooler can play and learn with virtual LEGOs.
FunBrain – Edcuational games, online books, and comics, for ages preschool to 8 years old.
KidRex.org – A safe, kid-friendly search engine that emphasizes kid-related webpages from across the entire web and are powered by Google Custom Search™ and use Google SafeSearch™ technology.
National Geographic Kids - National Geographic Kids inspires young adventurers to explore the world! The website features different people, animals, and places with facts, games, activities, and related links.
KoookaBoooka – KoookaBoooka is a blog-style website of funny stories, funny pictures, and humor for kids to enjoy.
