Whether you’re home-schooling or just trying to keep the kids busy while you’re working from home, this is a great list of resources.
The websites are all FREE to use. They are in no particular order, but cover all age groups and all kinds of topics and activities — from science to magic tricks to nature. Kids can play interactive games, watch video clips of educational TV shows, and get free printable sheets of coloring pages and word puzzles.
Looking for activities that don’t include screen time? Check out our huge list of 105 things to do for kids and families stuck at home.
You may also be interested in:
- 12+ FREE streaming services for movies, TV shows, sports, and audio books
- Major League sports is streaming games and original content for FREE
- How to order groceries online: a comparison of delivery services
- Virtual events for kids: puppet shows, story times, zoo safaris, and more
- 6 tips for telecommuting if you’re not used to working from home
Fun, educational, and FREE websites for kids
The list covers all ages and learning abilities.
Children’s Museum of Atlanta
Visit the site
Sesame Street
For the younger set. With all the characters you remember from childhood, this site has hundreds of video clips and games that help with the preschool skill sets of colors, numbers, letters, and emotional development.
Visit the site
PBS Kids
Each of the popular shows, like Daniel Tiger and The Wild Kratts, has its own fun games and video clips hosted by your kid’s favorite PBS characters. Check out the sing-a-longs and videos, and play interactive games.
Visit the site
TIME for Kids
An online magazine that covers current events in kid-appropriate tones and reading levels, Time for Kids is more of a website for reading than for interactive games. This is a great resource for facilitating discussions about what’s going on in the world today.
Visit the site
Disney Jr.
This site is great for developing preschool skills like colors and shapes through memory games, matching games, and even coloring skills. All the Disney characters are on hand to host the games and videos.
Visit the site
National Geographic Kids
Another great adult magazine adapted for kids! Just like the topics covered in National Geographic which traditionally feature nature, cultures, other countries, and animals this site brings it down to a kid’s level with animal cameras, gorgeous photographs, and science experiments. Check out the “Little Kids” tab for preschoolers.
Visit the site
The Science Guy
This is Bill Nye’s website, where kids can perform their own experiments at home using supplies you likely have on-hand. “It’s not magic…it’s science!”
Visit the site
Audible
For as long as schools are closed, Audible is streaming a large collection of children’s stories for free. You can listen on a desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. Stories are for kids from pre-school to teens, and also include a collection in five languages other than English.
Visit the site
Starfall
This awesome site has a large variety of educational activities and is well known among parents who are looking for quality online activities. Besides fun games for preschoolers, Starfall.com also offers a variety of reading activities for older kids through plays, nonfiction, and comics.
Visit the site
Scholastic
Produced by the book publishing company, Scholastic (think school book fairs!), this site caters to kids from preschool to high school graduation! All activities are broken into grade levels for easy access to pertinent themes and activities for your child’s developmental level.
Visit the site
Scholastic Learn at Home
Keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and get started.
Visit the site
CoolMath
Because who doesn’t like math? Okay, not everyone, but CoolMath.com makes learning fun with its virtual “amusement park of math” activities. CoolMath.com was created for kids ages 13 and up and addresses grade level math skills. CoolMath4Kids.com was created for developmental ages three through twelve, while CoolMath-Games.com is for preschoolers.
Visit the site
BBC History for Kids
Check out the BBC History for Kids website where history is a journey and kids get to go on it. Fun facts lead to games and quizzes as kids learn about world history in kid-friendly ways.
Visit the site
Nick Jr.
If your kid’s a Nick Jr. fan, this site is fun for preschoolers for interaction with their favorite Nickelodeon characters as they learn preschool skills like numbers and shapes. Filled with printables, a printer is handy for tablework after they finish hanging out online. (Fair warning: this site has lots of ads)
Visit the site
Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids
Like the historic publication, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, this version online is geared for kids and features science facts, weather information, events in history, and interactive puzzles and games. Your child can even track weather conditions in your area.
Learning Games for Kids
Although the name is fairly basic, this website features so many games that teach most every subject. There are games to address art, spelling, vocabulary, literature, history, math, social studies, and even keyboarding. A great comprehensive site for different ages.
Visit the site
4-H Stem Lab
Science experiments abound at this 4-H website, where everything is marked by grade level. Find activities for biology, chemistry, math, and even engineering. Secondary perks of these experiments are that they are step-by-step and also coded for level of messiness and the length of time needed to complete them.
Visit the site
Highlights for Kids
Remember this classic magazine found in pediatrician’s waiting rooms everywhere? For over sixty years, Highlights has been offering stories, crafts, games, poetry, and science experiments. Check them out now online!
Visit the site
How Stuff Works
Is your kid interested in knowing how, why, what, when, and where? How Stuff Works break down subjects into kid-friendly, easily understood explanations on everything from weather to cars to money. This site is also chock full of games and videos for interactive fun.
Visit the site
Scratch
Another great introduction to coding for kids. Aimed at kids age 8-16, it gets them started creating stories, games and animations, has featured projects, and allows them to share their creations.
Visit the site
BrainPop
BrainPop is offering free access during school closures. This website has videos and activities for a ton of topics, including science, social studies, English, math, arts and music, engineering & technology, arts & music and more.
Visit the site
Khan Academy
Khan Academy has long been an important resource for homeschoolers and students who wanted to supplement their school classes, or get extra tutoring. It’s also been used by classroom teachers. Students practice at their own rate, and can build a deep understanding of a multitude of academic topics.
Visit the site
Scrap Coloring
Choose from a huge number of varied coloring pages, and digitally color them by choosing colors or patterns to fill sections of the drawing. When complete, the pictures can be shared or printed.
Visit the site
Code Monster
This is a really easy way for kids to learn coding through play. Two adjacent boxes show code and the result of the code. A “monster” helps guide kids to making changes to the code, and learning, through experimentation, how the code works.
Visit the site
Magic Tricks for Kids
More than 70 videos to teach simple magic tricks to kids.
Visit the site
Chrome Music Lab
This website includes a number of interactive “Experiments” where you can learn about rhythm, melody, harmonics, arpeggios, chords and more. Directions are a little sparse, but by playing around a bit, kids should be able to figure it out and have lots of fun.
Visit the site
The KIDZ Page
This is a huge site full of all kinds of activities. With over five thousand pages of things to do, like jigsaw puzzles, word games, and online coloring pages, you’ll likely find an activity your child will enjoy.There’s even a holiday section so you can start celebrating seasonal holidays.
Visit the site
Fun Brain
Fun Brain is a go-to site for many families due to the wide age-range it serves and the number of activities it offers. Ideal for preschoolers through eighth grade, there are leveled educational games for math and reading, and even online books.
Visit the site
Stay in the know! Subscribe to our newsletter.
