The Best Educational Apps and Websites for KidsÂ
With summer right around the corner, I know I wanted to sit down and make a list of the best educational apps and websites. You see, every summer I know I will need strong boundaries when it comes to screens. I also know that the summer slide is a real thing. So part of my summer strategy is to have a play to incorporate some educational uses for screens. There are so many amazing tools you can use at home to help keep your kids reviewing and learning during the summer months. And as a bonus, it will keep them from spending all day begging for video games or TV shows!
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Top 10 Resources
 When compiling my list of our top ten resources, I looked for resources I have actually used either in the classroom or at home with my kids. All but one of these resources are entirely free also! These resources are a mix of different subjects and goals, but they are mostly intended for elementary aged students.
#1- Typing Club
This first resource is a website! Typing skills are something that all of our kids need, but unfortunately, they often get pushed to the side in school. Gone are the days of typing class in school. I know lots of teachers who try to incorporate typing into their classroom, but lack of a dedicated class leaves a lot of kids still hunting and pecking. This website includes videos to teach and demonstrate and LOTS of practice. Each level builds on the last. My kids love doing it and I truly have seen their typing skills improve.
#2-Duolingo
Resource number 2 is a free app! Last summer my oldest daughter decided she wanted to start learning some Spanish. So I did some research and found Duolingo! With this app you can begin to learn a variety of different languages. Once you select your language it will ask a series of question to find out your current knowledge level. Once you find the right starting level the app will guide you through exercises that ask you to translate from English to Spanish, from Spanish to English and even use the microphone in your phone to speak Spanish phrases. Each lesson generally centers around a new word or phrase. Honestly, I even enjoy using it to brush up on my Spanish skills
#3-Kahn Academy
Kahn Academy and Kahn Academy Kids are available both as an app and as a website option. Kahn Kids is specifically designed for the K-2 crowd and will therefore have a more little kid feel to it. But Kahn Academy has lessons all the way up to college level math! Kahn includes lessons on math, reading, science and more, but in my opinion it really shines brightest in it’s math options. You can choose to select skills by grade, which would be a great review of kids during the summer. Or one of my favorite finds is the ability to work on skills at different MAP rit scores. If your child goes to a public school the chances are they are taking the MAP test multiple times a year. Make sure you look at your child’s latest scores and find the matching lessons to help your child continue to build and grow this summer!
#4-Scratch
Scratch or it’s primary centered version Scratch Jr. are fun tools to teach your child about coding! I have used this program with students in school and it is such a great way for those who many not typically excel in traditional art subjects to show creativity in a different way! Scratch Jr. has some tutorials online, but most of the creating happens in the app. https://scratch.mit.edu/ is a website only that also has some tutorials, but many different options for coding your own story, game or animation!
#5-Mystery Doug
Mystery Doug which is actually transitioning to Mystery Science is a great resource for science videos and lessons. Right now if you sign up for a free account you can get access to lots of science lessons and activities. But what Mystery Doug is most known for is his short videos which can be easily found on youtube. These videos all answer a science question. Questions range from the silly, ” Is it possible to become invisible?” to the more serious, “What does a scientist do? These short videos are a big hit with kids and teachers!
#6-ABCya
ABCya has an online site and a web address that are both full of fun educational games. They are sorted by grade level (PreK-6) primarily, but you can also search for key words or look up different subjects. I personally love their grammar based games. Â
#7-Art for Kids Hub
If you don’t know about Art for Kids Hub, let me telling you that you are missing out! This YouTube channel is run by a dad and artist. He has hundreds of directed drawings available for you to us! There are options for every season, holiday and even tons of popular characters! And one of the best parts is he always draws with one of his kids, so your kids can see that their art doesn’t need to look exactly like the adults to be great!
#8-Storyline Online
If you need a few minutes to bring a little calm to your house, you can pull up this site for some excellent read aloud stories! Storyline Online has many videos featuring various actors reading different children’s books! Of course the actors do a great job of modeling expression while they read. And they are adding new videos every month!Â
#9-Freckle
Freckle is a site that helps your kids practice their math facts! You will need to make an account, but you can use the free version as a parent! The site will prompt your child to answer some questions the first time they login so it can find the correct level for them to begin at. Then it does the work for you! Your child will work through different math units!
#10-IXL
This is the only resources I have included on the list that isn’t free. But I love it so much, I had to include it! First, you can ask your child if they are already using IXL in their school. MANY schools already use it and you may be able to still access it during the summer. If not it is about 16 dollars a month for one user. Each additional user is 4 more dollars. It is honestly an investment I think is worth it! This program is so easily customizable. You can select standards by grade or by RIT score if you have your child’s MAP score data. There are also skill tracks that go with different textbook series. I plan on having one or two skills on my kids daily list!
What would you add to this list? I would love to have more high quality educational apps and websites on my list!!
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