Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in albuquerque, NM

Good Websites for Preschoolers

by Alison

July 27, 2009

When my son was not yet two years old, I thought it might be fun to introduce him to some simple computer games and what better place to go than the internet? Since then, I've found some great ones and some not so great ones and I've also realized that a website can be a great way for a young child to learn letters and numbers, but also gain basic essential computer skills.

By far my most favorite website for kids is Starfall. This is a site all about reading and there's something for every level. Prereaders can learn letter sounds through interactive pages and simple games. Then there are interactive books for children who are beginning to read and for those who are experienced readers. These are also lots of fun to read with your kids. There's plenty of printable worksheets as well.

SesameStreet.org is full of educational games and your child's favorite characters. Search games by subject or character. Watch videos (including classic ones) and learn about all the characters (did you know The Count's birthday is October 9th?).

Sodaplay is one you'll definitely want to play with right alongside your child. It's full of models that you can manipulate with the click of a mouse. There's a lot of physics going along on this site, but your kids will enjoy clicking and watching the "characters" jump up into the air, crash to the ground and just move around in general.

iTunes isn't a site that you'd let your kids browse around on their own, but it's full of free children's podcasts for you to download and enjoy on your computer. You can find clips of your child's favorite TV show or audio shows designed just for kids. Of course you can always purchase music, movies, and episodes of TV shows but if you're lucky, you might find a great freebie in the weekly free downloads section. There's no need to own an iPod in order to use iTunes, just download to your computer and view and listen there.

Jitterbug is a site full of fun kids music that you can stream right from your computer. You can also watch music videos, like Laurie Bernker's "We Are The Dinosaurs".
What are your favorite sites for kids?