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Lists Different Apps that You Might Be Interested In

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Read my original post below:
Updated April 23, 2014: Getting ready for summer and long days out of school? Make sure you are prepped and ready with lots of activities for your little learners. I've reviewed this list of Ten Good Free Educational Websites to make sure it is current and added a couple new ones to boot.
We've been working hard around our house to keep the little brains working over the summer. We've been lucky to find lots of educational apps, but there are times when we need to turn to online content to help (i.e. when mommy needs the iPad or when we are at the grandparents' house).

There are a ton of good educational websites available out there, and many of them are free. Here's a list of ten websites (well, actually eleven, but I am counting both of the National Geographic websites as one) that we have found to be fun and educational.

These are in alphabetical order, because I don't want to play favorites. They are all also free.

ABCya - www.ABCya.com - A ton of educational games and activities for grades K-5.

Fun Brain - www.funbrain.com - So much fun stuff that the kids might not even realize you are sneaking some learning in.

Highlights Kids - www.highlightskids.com - I can remember, way back in the day when I was a child, reading the Highlights magazines in the waiting room at the pediatrician's office. Now my kids have access to the same kind of great content online.

National Geographic Kids & National Geographic Little Kids - www.kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ and www.kids.nationalgeographic.com/littlekids/ - The kind of excellent offering you would expect from National Geographic. Videos, games, articles and more all designed to enrich your kids' minds.

NGA Kids - www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/kids.html - Help introduce your children to art and art history. There are also interactive art projects you can make online.

PBS Kids - www.pbskids.org - Almost limitless activities from all of your kids' favorite PBS shows. It's not just Sesame Street around here. Something for everybody.

Random House Kids - www.randomhousekids.com - Lots of fabulous games and activities based on your favorite Random House books. The games and activities are free, and you can purchase books on their site also.

Seussville - www.seussville.com - Another website with great games and activites based on books your kids probably already know. You can also purchase books on the site.

Starfall - www.starfall.com - A reading website that takes your kids all the way from ABCs up to reading on their own.
Want a few more? These are the new ones I added because I'm just awesome like that. Here you go:
Wonderopolis - www.wonderopolis.org -This website has allowed us to answer questions we didn't even know we had. "Can one bad apple spoil the whole bunch?" or "Why don't spiders get caught in their own webs?" This website is lots of fun for curious minds.

The Magic School Bus - www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/ Games and activities based on the classic series of Magic School Bus books. There is a great parent/teacher section that can help you develop some more structured activities to keep your kiddo in the learning frame of mind.

Clifford the Big Red Dog - www.scholastic.com/clifford/ Another great Scholastic website, this time featuring our favorite big red dog, Clifford. Plenty of games and printables to entertain your little ones. Maybe you can answer the question - how DID Clifford grow so big?

BrainPop (free stuff) - www.brainpop.com/free_stuff/ I know that the BrainPop website has a subscription service to get to their extended content. But have you checked out the free content that is available? Free educational BrainPop movies and games.

Now, I know I said this whole list would be free websites, but I feel like I would be failing y'all if I didn't at least mention the truly excellent website, ABCmouse ( www.abcmouse.com). This is the most comprehensive website I have found with a ton of entertaining educational content for my preschooler. I gave the app 4 ½ stars when I reviewed it. And the app is a portal to this incredible website. There is a 30-day free trial, and then afterward it is $7.95/month or $79.00/year. If there is one I would recommend paying for it is this one.

As you start getting your kids ready to go back to school, take a look at a few of these websites to help keep them on track and ready to learn.

Kelli is busy trying to plan a summer calendar for her kids that will make everyone happy. Is that even possible?
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Updated!! Top 14 Free Educational Websites for Kids

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Updated April 23, 2014: Getting ready for summer and long days out of school? Make sure you are prepped and ready with lots of activities for your little learners. I've reviewed this list of Ten Good Free Educational Websites to make sure it is current and added a couple new...

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Kids Art and History Activities

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A Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award Winner

The NGAkids Art Zone app from the National Gallery of Art introduces children not only to the experience of great artwork, but also to the creative process of producing great artworks. Through the manipulation of paintings spanning hundreds of years and numerous styles of art, children are free to explore the elements that go into a painting. In the classical and impressionist designs, they are free to explore and modify the objects of the paintings, from the sky and the background, through the middle and the foreground, adjusting for perspective and adding and subtracting characters and scenery at will. Some of the characters in the paintings can be animated for an extra laugh. In the strongest part of the app, that of the more modern art styles, the artist can explore color and layering paints, producing works that are similar in style to the famous work but ultimately entirely original. All artworks that are produced can be saved to a gallery and shared with friends. The app also provides background material on all the paintings featured within the NGAkids Art Zone. Players can create a personal avatar (again, using elements of great artwork or even imported images to design an individual that expresses him- or herself) and work freeform in a general painting environment. As we explored the NGAkids Art Zone, we were especially impressed by how much range and depth there was; what seemed initially like a gimmick (modifying famous paintings with other objects and making them dance) quickly gave way to real art exploration and many hours of creative expression.
-Parents' Choice Foundation, 2015
NGAkids Art Zone is a phenomenal app from the National Gallery of Art to engage children of a broad range of interests and immerse them in some fundamental art techniques. The app includes eight different activities based on paintings from the National Gallery. Students can change backgrounds, add objects to the scenes, and change color palettes to create their own distinct imagery of famous paintings. For those who like dress up, there is a painting where they can change characters' dresses and hairstyles . Children who like animals will have an activity where they can add animals to the scene, adjust their size, and hear them make noises. Another activity allows a student to add George Washington dancing in a marionette format. There are directions for each activity along with an overview of the painting. Unfortunately, the text is small and specific information about paintings limited. However, this app provides a wonderful opportunity for students to enjoy famous works of art and experiment with fundamental elements of art including color, texture, foreground and background effects. PROS

The variety of art and activities will make this app appealing to children of a wide variety of interests and abilities.

App enables students to experience the effects of artistic techniques and spatial impacts.

Students can easily save and share their work.

CONS

Although most activities are intuitive, the instructions for each activity are written in small font with no voice-over so younger students may need adult support at times.

The teaching about fundamentals is experiential rather than explicit. For example, students play with the color wheel but they are not offered a formal explanation.

-- Mindprint Learning, Teachers with Apps, 2015

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A Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award Winner The NGAkids Art Zone app from the National Gallery of Art introduces children not only to the experience of great artwork, but also to the creative process of producing great artworks.

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Magic Schoolbus Games

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Little Kids National Geographic Magazine

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Little Kids - Games, Animals and Videos for Young Explorers

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Share the natural world with your preschooler.

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Kids National Geographic Magazine

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Help with Math

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Free math problem solver answers your algebra homework questions with step-by-step explanations.

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Kids Highlights Magazine

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How can I eat healthier?

There are plenty of easy changes you can make to eat healthier. Do you normally grab super sweet or salty snacks? Ask your parents if they'll help you find different, healthier snacks. Fruit, vegetables, and cheese are good alternatives. Cut them up ahead of time so you can easily grab them when you want a snack! You can also swap soda and juice for water. Eating better will help you feel better, which will help you be your best self!

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How can I eat healthier? There are plenty of easy changes you can make to eat healthier. Do you normally grab super sweet or salty snacks? Ask your parents if they'll help you find different, healthier snacks. Fruit, vegetables, and cheese are good alternatives.

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Multiple Number and Word Games and Apps

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ABCya! * ABCya! * Learning Games and Apps for Kids

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Educational games for grades PreK through 6 that will keep kids engaged and having fun. Topics include math, reading, typing, just-for-fun logic games... and more!

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Free Spelling and Vocab Games

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YouTube**Song Made from Sounds of a Comet

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"Across the Universe" - performed with Comet 67P.

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When I first heard that the ESA had not only landed on but recorded audio from a comet, I knew I had to make something out of it. This is my reworking of the Beatles' awesome cosmic ballad "Across the Universe" which, apart from my singing, was created entirely with sounds from the Rosetta space probe's recording of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.