By Vicki Little
Welcome to summer — a child’s playground and a parent’s nightmare. This isn’t to say we don’t all love the extra time we get to spend with our children, but let’s face it, our darling sweethearts can be quite messy and lazy during this free time. And when they aren’t making messes or sleeping late, they are glued to their electronics getting all that work they did in school sucked out of their brains. Summerlearning.org says that all young people will experience learning loss when they are not engaging in some sort of educational activity during the summer. Most students lose about two months’ worth of grade-level learning in math skills over the summer. To avoid a ride on this not-so-fun slide, make sure your children read for at least 20 minutes each day, then reward them by allowing them to play some online educational games on their beloved electronics. Think of it this way: They think you are awesome because they get to play on electronics longer, and you get some quiet time!
ABCYA: This site has a little of everything for the elementary-age child. It has math, reading, puzzles, and even holiday games.
Fact Monster: Beware of this site, it can be a time sucker. My kids have had to remind me that they are the ones who are supposed to be playing on it, not me. It has facts about everything — U.S., history, people, math, states, currency, etc.
Fun Brain: Playful site that offers both math and reading skills for your children, as well as some extra fun. There are even some short online versions of “Diary Of a Wimpy Kid.”
Houghton Mifflin: There are multiple math games for each grade, and even test-taking tips and practice for grades K-6.
Learning Games For Kids: This site has a little bit of everything, from typing and sounds, to reading and science.
Scholastics The Stacks: This offers your children great ideas and starters for creative writing. They can write a “diary entry, ” be an art reporter, write a short story or poem, as well as many other activities.
Spelling City: This site offers fantastic games for teaching your child vocabulary and spelling. They can input their words from school or get ones from the site, which has more than 37 fun games.
Have we missed your favorite educational site for kids?
Vicki Little is a work-at-home mom with two young kids. A Colorado native, she is the Publisher and Editor of Macaroni Kid Aurora and Downtown Denver. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, reading, camping, or enjoying a bottle of wine with friends.
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Berlinda Minaj
June 26, 2015 @ 6:27 pm
But Fact Monster is great. Lots of people love it. Great article anyways
James
June 27, 2016 @ 10:15 pm
Great list and I agree with what you say about the summer slide. Two sites our kids love spending time on are http://www.mensaforkids.org/ (more than just educational) and http://www.jumpstart.com/parents/games/reading-games. The latter is a site my mother introduced me to! Avoiding the summer slide is important, but make sure the kids also have enough free time to explore their own imagination. Free time is important for creativity to bloom – I strongly believe that. Thanks!