Top 10 Educational and Fun Websites for You and Your Preschooler
By Caryn Talty | 5,493 views | 
Be the first to comment on this article! »Categories: Children, Education, Parenting, Reviews
This topic idea was born out of necessity in our house. My very precocious 4 year old has run the gamut on dangerous and costly experiments, always conveniently performed in the space of 90 seconds or less. When he finally stopped up my toilet with an entire double roll of toilet paper I decided it was time to stimulate his devious mind with something a bit less destructive than an inch of water splashed across my tile floor and a pipe so stopped up we needed a plumber. I powered up the computer and began to show him the ropes. Within a few weeks he had a basic grasp of dragging, dropping, clicking, and closing. Together with my boys, and with the help of a few other moms, I have compiled a list of the top ten websites for preschoolers and their parents that do more than just entertain, they educate too!
- Sprout This website has games, recipes, craft ideas and more. Sprout Online works in conjunction with the PBS television station in the U.S. and features contests. The website can be personalized for its members and accessed by friends and family in faraway places through “My Refrigerator” a private webpage that allows posts. You can upload photos and make posts. It is the website for preschoolers and their families to share together!
- Enchanted Learning This website can be accessed for free, but if you subscribe for $20 a year you will be able to view and use additional materials. This is a nice site for homeschoolers, preschool teachers, and parents that would like to supplement their child’s learning. We love the holiday projects they offer and have printed out several of their booklets. One that was especially nice was done for daddy as a gift for father’s day. This is a great website to start with because you can pick activities and print them out. Your child need not be at the computer to do this.
- Preschool Rock This website offers local sites for people in some major American cities. It is a nice resource for things to do in your area. The site also offers a free ABC coloring book (PDF) to anyone who registers for their mailing list. There are many resources on this site including: a craft section, sample songs and poems, a radio program for moms, nutritional info, party planning stuff, educational ideas, etc….
- Kiddyhouse This website is a resource for teachers, parents, and kids. It has free clipart, thematic units, lesson plans and teaching ideas. There is a ‘how to’ section for parents interested in activities they can do to promote reading readiness. They also have a list of themed units, our favorite is All about the farm. The units include songs and stories, games, printables, etc….
- Funschool This website is an arcade of sorts. It is stocked full of educational games of varying levels and subjects. Games can be found in the following subject areas: language arts, science, math, music, arts, sports, etc…. There is a lot to choose from and several skill levels that can meet the needs of kids with differing computer knowledge. This site needs supervision, but once the child becomes familiar with the games and activities, he or she will be able to play independently. They also offer coloring pages.
- Dance Mat Typing It is never too early to begin teaching keyboarding, especially when you can use such a cute game as this BBC gem. The best part is, it is free! The kids love it. Who cares if they can’t do much more than home row?
- Starfall This is a favorite among early elementary teachers and parents alike. If you have an early reader, this is a fantastic resource. They have online books (free, of course), that will highlight each word as a narrator reads aloud to your child. There is also an animated ABC section that is completely appropriate for two-year-olds.
- Apples 4 the Teacher This website offers crafts, coloring pages, seasonal/holiday activities, games and puzzles for kids. It also has a nice resource section for parents that includes research-based articles about educational issues.
- Everything Preschool Here is a great place to go for ABC stuff, whether you are homeschooling or just want to reinforce what’s going on at school. They also have a recipe page for just about everything you can imagine: goo, clay, silly putty, homemade crayons, etc…. It is a great place to visit if you have a budding scientist in the house like we do.
- Picadome Elementary School And finally, a one-stop shop for all your preschool games, this website is a compilation of fun games and activities from all over the web. This school has done a nice job of assembling a “best of the web” list of games and resources. If your preschooler is looking for a challenge, then grab a mouse and sit them down for hours of fun (of course not all at the same time)!
There it is, my fast list of cyber fun for you and your little one! Share your favorite websites with us and our readers!
Please note: If you found these resources helpful, take a look at our new Kids’ Central page. It is our home for all kinds of kid-friendly links just like the ones you found here. They are organized under several categories including holiday fun stuff, crafts, online storybooks, games, and coloring pages. Bookmark it and check back from time to time. I will be updating it on a regular basis.
Tags: Computer, Education, Educational, Game, Homeschool, Learning, PC, Preschool, Preschooler, Website
Related Articles:
- Top Ten Online Gaming Websites for Budding Mathematicians from Kindergarten to Eighth Grade
- Ten Fun Activities for Parents and their Gifted Preschoolers
- NCLB Exposes Need for New National Gifted Legislation
- 10 Fun Things to Do While Waiting in Line with Preschoolers
- Play the “Great Corn Adventure” and learn about the proliferation of Corn in our Culture
Meet the Author
