Holy Shmokes, This Is a LOT Of Links

For some time I've been compiling a list of fun websites for kids, often with helpful input from readers.  For my own kids' use, I've put them in a list below. 

(If you stumble on this page and would like to send me another site you know of, please feel free to do so--though please understand that time doesn't allow me to update it very often.) 

For my own convenience, I've made a mini-sized button to put in my sidebar, to help my own kids find their way easily to this list.  If you'd like to do the same, you're welcome to do so--here's the code for the button: 

<p><a href="http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2008/05/holy-shmokes-th.html"><p><img title="Kidsites2_copy" alt="Kidsites2_copy" src="http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/26/kidsites2_copy.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>

For those of you who have sent links, thank you!

(One more thing.  Though I have glanced over each of these pages briefly, I cannot vouch for every bit of each site.  Always use discretion when you show new sites to your kids.)

Enjoy!

TOY COMPANIES/KIDS' MEDIA

Hot Wheels
Lego
My Little Pony
Thomas the Train
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
Playmobil
Candyland
PBS Kids
Nick Jr. Arcade
Disney Channel
Disney Princesses
Barbie
Star Wars
American Girl
Girl Scouts
Polly Pockets
Cartoon Network

READING/PHONICS

Starfall
Bembo's Zoo
Pouisson Rouge

YOUNG TODDLERS

KneeBouncers
Bembo's Zoo
Lil' Fingers Storybook
The Little Animals Activity Center
Peep and the Big Wide World
Brain Pop Jr.
Pouisson Rouge
Hubbard's Cupboard
Boowa and Kwala

GENERAL LEARNING AND GAMES

Primary Games
IKnowThat.com
Arcademic Skills Builders
EdHelper
Internet4Classrooms
FunBrain
Jan Brett
Orisinal
Peep and the Big Wide World
Brain Pop Jr.
Word Central
SuperKids
BrainPOP
Uptoten
MiniClip
Syvum
Priory Woods
Haring Kids
Sodaplay
Smithsonian Kids
Time Magazine for Kids
GameScene
Prongo
Puzzability
Kids' CBC
Stardust Lullaby

MATH

Cool Math 4 Kids
Rainforest Maths
A Plus Math
Math Playground
Multiplication.com

COMPUTERS/TYPING

Alice.org
Dance Mat Typing

ANIMALS/NATURE

WolfQuest
The Little Animals Activity Center
PestWorld For Kids
eNature
Bella Sara
Animal Planet
Ology (American Museum of Natural History)
Kids Go Wild Arcade (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Howrse

GEOGRAPHY

National Geographic Kids
Mexico for Kids
Seterra
CIA Kids' page

STORIES/BOOKS

StoryPlace
Seussville
Lil' Fingers Storybook
Storyline Online 
Story Nory
Project Gutenburg Children's Bookshelf
Scholastic's Summer Reading Buzz
BookAdventure
Shel Silverstein
Peanuts
Aesop's Fables
Andersen Fairy Tales
Giggle Poetry
Wacky Web Tales
TumbleBooks

ART

Crayola Digi-Color Tool
NGA Kids
Jan Brett
Creative Park
@rt Room
Lite Brite
Paint Like Jackson Pollock
Art Attack

MUSIC

Creating Music
PlayMusic

ROLE-PLAYING/NETWORKING

Moshi Monsters
Millsberry
Poptropica
Whyville
Franktown Rocks

SCIENCE

Discovery Kids
National Geographic Kids
NASA Kids' Club
Mars Exploration
Science Museum
Steve Spangler Science
Smithsonian Kids
Ology (American Museum of Natural History)
Extreme Science
Arty the Part-Time Astronaut
SpaceKids

COOKING

Spatulatta
Culinary Institute of America Kids
Children's Recipes
Food Network kids' page

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Salsa
Mexico for Kids

HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES/GOVERNMENT

CIA Kids
National Geographic Kids
America's Story
HyperHistory
White House For Kids

WRITING

On-line Writing Lab (Purdue University)

Comments

[Tiffany]

YOU are BRILLIANT to do this. It will be so helpful:) Thank you~! Tiffany

[BundyMum]

AWESOME!! Thankyou so much!!

[Jeana]

Hey, I love your new design! It looks very Waldorf.

[laura]

wow wow wow!! thanks for the terrific resource! :)

[Richelle F]

What a great list! And I like your new design, too.

I was just noticing that a couple of the links are "linked." The hot wheels and lego one are both just the hot wheels link. Playmobil and Thomas are linked to the same, as well as literacy center and book adventure.

[Monica]

Great list!! Thanks for compiling it...must have been a lot of work. I also love the new look!

[Kari]

Whoaho! That IS alot of linkage....very cool, thanks for sharing! LOVE your new look....very clean and fresh! :)

[Marcy Massura-The Glamorous Life]

LOVE the new look. I mean I loved the old bubble one- but this one is clean and girly and lovely...

[pam]

Well, Jack, Kate and Hurley invaded our home this weekend. OH MY GOSH---I think we could all be hooked. We've only watched 4 episodes from the 1st season, but glory---so many questions.

[Becky]

I love this list. Thank you very much. Happy Memorial Day.

[noble pig]

Holey moley, now I need to check these out!

[fullheartandhands mama]

This is great! Thanks so much.

Okay, I realize I'm late, but here are two more that I've found extremely useful with my three-year-old.

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/index.html

http://abcjesuslovesme.com/

Okay, now off to grab that button.

[Smockity Frocks]

Wow! Thanks, Shannon! Here is one my kids love. (A virtual equestrian center) www.howrse.com If you put MaddieLynn in the "My sponsor" box, my daughter will get an extra credit. :0)

[Cheryl Lage]

LOVE these! I've put the banner/button on my blog too, but in my 'flictedness, am I missing somehow how to get it clickable?

My kids will be THRILLED to have another "approved" place to go in addition to their teacher's list!

Thanks so much for doing this, Shannon!

[Angela]

Thanks for this great list and the link. I added you on my site!

[Sharon]

Great list! Be sure to also check out www.ziggityzoom.com which is a fun, safe new kid site for kids 2-8 years old!

[Holly Smith]

Thank you Shannon. I added the button to my blog and your site, as well. Sorry I haven't done it earlier. I read your blog so often...and it is a treasure!!

Love your heart!
holly

[Chris]

SHANNON!!! Thank. You. So. Much.

This must have taken you so long to do. Thanks for all the effort; what a terrific resource for the rest of us.

Chris in Canada

[Dawn]

Thank you thank you! My 6yo loves his 'screen time' a few times a week and I think he's getting bored with the few that I've let him play on, so he will be thrilled to hear that I've found some new sites for him!

I will be adding the button to my blog as well.

[PlumBaby]

Wow. What an incredible resource! I would also encourage you to check out the National Geographic Your Shot website. It has a really neat feature where you can do jigsaw puzzles in varying levels of difficulty (with the 'large' piece size not rotated being easy enough for my 4 & 6 yr. olds). In several months of use, I have only seen a handful of pictures I wouldn't want them to look at for an extended period of time (always under the 'people' category). I usually just have them look at the plants or animals sections.

[Janelle]

Love your new look! It's adorable!

[The (Almost) Amazing Mammarino]

Thanks for taking the time to compile all these (and link them to boot!) I'm sure it took a lot of time! There are a ton I've never heard of, and I can't wait to check them out! Thanks again!!!!!.

[TC]

I mentioned SitCalm.com on Friday, but it didn't make your list of sites today. My daughter loves it. Plus, if nothing else, it gives you some good ideas for finding children's videos on YouTube.

[TC]

Oh... and thanks for the great list... we've hit a lot of the sites since Friday, and so far out of all of those listed, she thoroughly enjoyed StarFall.com.

[lipsticktocrayons]

Wow! This is fantastic!

[Jennifer]

I love the button!

Could I add your site to my blogroll?

[R. Kristina]

Added!
Thanks,
R

[Beth@sportsmomma]

WOW- what an awesome job!!! I will definately but that button on my site!! My kids use several of these already but we'll be using more this summer!!!

[jen]

OH, this is delicious - and just in time for the kids to be stuck at home ALL summer long! HeeHee! (Really I'm looking forward to the kids being at home, and I'm hoping that they don't spend too much time on the computer...but there's those pesky rainy days and all!)

[Elaine]

Wow, you weren't kiddin' about a lot of links were ya? (no pun intended, really!) Now I gotta sit down with my son and check some of these out...

[Kelley @ O2BNAZ]

My kids love Webkinz.com for networking. And http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html for math practice. Also, the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University has a great site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

[The (Almost) Amazing Mammarino]

I just discovered a new link, which would go under, "Stories/Books". They have many online books that children can read themselves or the computer can "read" for them.

http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/home_tumblebooks.asp

Thanks again for doing this! I put the link/button on my blog.

[Jenn]

This was a great idea, thanks! My daughter also loves this site http://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc/
It's a Canadian one.

[Tami]

I've added this to my blog, so that I can find it! Thanks for making the button!

[Jen]

This list is fabulous!!! Thanks so much! Putting the button on my blog now!!!

[Randall]

Great site! I like to think my site is good for kids... and parents.

http://modeltrains.about.com

[threeundertwo]

Wow! Great list!

I also recommend parents check out commonsensemedia.org for ratings of various websites for kids. It also has movies, books, video games.

[Mom24]

We also like Holly Hobbie: http://www.agkidzone.com/hollyhobbie.action
Noggin: http://www.noggin.com/
Nickjr: http://www.nickjr.com/playtime/index.jhtml?=

[Cathy]

I have the button up! thanks a ton!

[Beth]

Hi there,
I know you don't homeschool, but I have dedicated a blog to this theme. It might be helpful to your for school etc. I have thousands of links.

http://homeschoolingforfree.blogspot.com

Beth in Ga

[Moobeema]

Got the button on my blog. Thank you so much for such a great tool!

[Alana]

You have put together a very thoughtful list of resources. I have my Masters in educational technology (although due to the birth of many babies I have not put it into practice). I have used many of these web sites and they are incredible resources - especially during the summer months with the days are long and hot. Great job!