Once again let me introduce you to a few non-profit, educational, and government websites dedicated to entertaining and informing kids. I am still focusing on websites created by federal agencies this month, but I will move on in the next installment to the many available educational websites. So enjoy these websites and remember it is truly incredible that there are so many great sites out there nobody knows about! Hey, you can actually learn about something on the internet!
NASA - http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA has some amazing websites. Not only do they have the content to make their sites exceptional, they really went out of their way to make their public sites accessible and easily understandable for the public. This one for kids is magnificent.
NASA Space Place - http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this site! If you are a child and are interested in astronomy and human spaceflight, this is a great site for you. This is what I would call “high interest” site, with bright colors, easy to navigate sections and enjoyable activities for children. NASA did their homework with this site.
Train like an Astronaut - http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/trainlikeanastronaut/home/index.html
Another entertaining, enlightening site from our space agency.
Library of Congress - http://www.loc.gov/education/
The Library of Congress is our Nation’s library, the largest in the world, with millions of items in its collection. Online it has many impressive resources for a kid (or an adult!) researching and also for amusement. Here are a few that stand out!
Local history mapping - http://www.loc.gov/maps/?q=long+island&st=gallery
I picked this one because it searches the LOC collection for your local history maps, in this case Long Island, NY. Some of them are really fascinating!
Everyday Mysteries - http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/
This site deals with trivia that a child will find amusing.
The Exquisite Corpse - http://read.gov/exquisite-corpse/
An excellent audio book mystery, written by some of today’s hottest writers.
America’s Story - http://www.americaslibrary.gov/index.html
This has a nice interface and is another “high interest” site with many terrific topics.
Here are some Federal Agency websites that are interesting and fun for kids!
F.B.I. for Kids - https://www.fbi.gov/fun-games/kids/kids
With games for kids, and information about the FBI, this is an awesome site.
F.E.M.A. for Kids - http://www.ready.gov/kids
The focus on this site is disaster preparedness, always important!
C.I.A. World Fact book - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Not really a kid’s website, this is more of an up-to-date information guide for citizens and government insiders, with data for most of the countries in the world. Another super resource for kids doing a report.
Government Printing Office (GPO)
Ben’s Guide - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
This really well-designed site is all about our nation, its government and people!
A few choice children sites about our government!
Kids.gov- https://kids.usa.gov/
Government information for kids, with posters and facts. Also useful for teachers!
US CONGRESS - https://www.congress.gov/
This is not a children’s site, but it does contain wealth of information.
Kids in the House - http://kids.clerk.house.gov/
This site shows kids how the legislative branch is run and how the house of representatives does its job. There are sections for different age groups and has a neat layout.
The Dirksen Center, Congress for Kids - http://www.congressforkids.net/index.htm
This site has information on the different branches of our government and how laws are created. It also explains the electoral process and how we elect our leaders.
NY State Government Links
Here are two standout sites from New York State for kids. They are instructive and educational!
NY Department of State - http://www.dos.ny.gov/kids_room/
State Assembly Kids Page - http://assembly.state.ny.us/kids/
All these sites need to be visited in order to see how superb they are. I hope you enjoy them. In the meantime, if you come across a website that you think I should feature leave a comment below!