5 Fun Sites for Kids

Do your kids head straight for the computer when they come home from school? Well the learning doesn’t have to end when the monitor turns on. Introduce your little ones to these entertaining websites, that will teach them more about the world, without them even realizing that they’re still learning.

Owl Kids’ World Watch
See how kids live in other parts of the world. Created by the publishers of Owl and Chickadee magazines, this site includes information, fun quizzes and challenges for kids to conduct at home or at school.

Themes include Water for Life (how water shortages affect the lives of people in Africa), People Power (how Canadian engineers are helping improve the lives of African girls and women), Art with a Heart (how producing art makes a difference in the lives of children in developing countries), and Pitching In (how children and families in Sierra Leone are caring for the environment).

Visit http://owlkids.com/owl/world.html

EcoKids
Billed as Canada’s environmental destination for kids, the site includes an eco-fact of the day (for instance, did you know that the world’s oldest trees are 4,600-year-old Bristlecone pines in the US?), games (build a pizza and find out where each ingredient comes from) and other activities that teach children about climate change, waste, land use, energy and wildlife.

Visit http://www.ecokids.ca

United Nations Cyberschoolbus
Your kids can learn how to respond to natural disasters through the cool disaster simulation game on this site. Children can also download Food Force, an interactive game that sends visitors on a simulated mission to help feed millions of hungry people on the fictitious island of Sheylan.

The site also includes other interactive games (match the country to its flag) and quizzes designed to teach kids about life in other countries and the issues facing children and families in the developing world.

Visit http://www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus

Kids Around the World
This site introduces elementary school-age children to the lives of children in the developing world. Kids can click on various countries to read interviews with children from around the world about what their daily lives are like. The site fosters curiosity, creates awareness and encourages an understanding of other cultures.

Visit http://www.katw.org

Afro-America Kids’ Zone
Kids can test their knowledge of African animals and geography and read myths and fables from around the world on this site. Many of the site’s games are related to African geography, ecology and history.

Visit http://www.afro.com/children/children.html

During the after school hours, introduce your kids to these entertaining websites, that will teach them more about the world, without them even realizing that they’re learning.