If you are home with your kids for any extended period of time, you are probably thankful that technology exists.
During this time in our country when we’re pushed to stay home, I’m more grateful than ever that we have the opportunity to continue working and learning from the comforts of our own home.
I’ve created a list of 35 websites and shows that you might want to use with your kids during their break from school. You can use these for educational purposes. You can also use these to entertain your children while you take a break, because you need it and deserve it!
You can also download this complete list here so you can access it any time from your phone.
Sites Offering Free Access During School Closure
Fluency and Fitness – “Helping Students Exercise Their Brains and Bodies”
BrainPOP Jr. – “BrainPOP is here to help you and your curious learners stay informed and on-track with free access during school closures.”
Mystery Science – “Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science!”
PebbleGo – “Where K-3 Students Go to Find Answers”
Sites That Are Always Free
Starfall – “Where Children Have Fun Learning to Read”
Arts for Kids Hub – “Here you’ll find all kinds of art lessons for kids, including how to draw for kids, even painting and origami for kids.”
Funbrain – “the #1 site for online educational games for kids of all ages. (math, grammar, science, spelling, history)”
Crash Course Kids – “This bi-weekly show from the producers of Crash Course is all about gradeschool science. We’ll look at Earth, Habitats, Space, Chemical Reactions, Engineering, and much much more with host Sabrina Cruz.”
Smithsonian – “Fun Stuff for Kids Online”
Virtual Museum Tours – “Stuck at Home with the kids? Here are some famous museums that offer Virtual Tours”
Storyline Online – “A free literacy program where actors read to children.”
GoNoodle – ” Free activities kids love and teachers request.”
SplashLearn – “The Complete K-5 Math Learning Program Built for Your Child”
National Geographic Kids – “Nat Geo Kids makes it fun to explore your world with weird, wild, and wacky videos! Videos featuring awesome animals, cool science, funny pets, and more, are.”
PBS Kids – “Educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts and other PBS KIDS shows!”
Google Earth – “Take a guided tour around the globe with some of the world’s leading storytellers, scientists, and nonprofits. Immerse yourself in new cultures and test your knowledge of the world.”
Ted Talks – “Fun, informative and captivating talks to inspire young minds.”
Educational TV Shows on Netflix, PBS, and Disney+
Netflix Shows
Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History -“Kevin Hart highlights the fascinating contributions of black history’s unsung heroes in this entertaining — and educational — comedy special.”
The Magic School Bus – “Join Ms. Frizzle as the Magic School Bus travels to outer space, under the sea, through an anthill — and even inside the human body!”
Dream Big: Engineering Our World – “Narrated by Jeff Bridges, this compelling documentary examines some incredible achievements of engineering from across the globe.”
The Who Was Show – “Fresh voices bring some of the most famous names in history to life. A live-action sketch comedy show based on the series of best-selling books.”
Night on Earth – “This nature series’ new technology lifts night’s veil to reveal the hidden lives of the world’s creatures, from lions on the hunt to bats on the wing.”
Julie’s Greenroom – “Adorable puppets stage their own musical under the watchful eye of mentor Julie Andrews in this original kids’ series from the Jim Henson Company. “
Brainchild – “From germs and emotions to social media and more, it’s the science of your world explained in a way that’s refreshingly relatable.”
For more check out “30 Great Educational Netflix Shows”
PBS
Odd Squad – ” Geared for children ages 5-8, “Odd Squad” follows two young agents, Olive and Otto, who are part of an agency that seeks to save the day using math when odd things happen.”
Wild Kratts – “Join the adventures of Chris and Martin Kratt as they encounter incredible wild animals, combining science education with fun and adventure.”
Molly of Denali – “Join Molly, an Alaska Native girl, her dog Suki, and friends Tooey and Trini on their adventures in epically beautiful Alaska.”
Ready Jet Go! – “Kids ages 3 to 8 will be learning alongside a seasoned space traveler. As an alien from Borton 7, Jet sees our Planet Earth like we want our kids to see it: with a sense of curiosity and wonder.”
Arthur – “Arthur is an animated series aimed at viewers ages four to eight. ARTHUR’s goals are to help foster an interest in reading and writing, to encourage positive social skills, and to model age-appropriate problem-solving strategies.”
Nature Cat – “The show follows Fred, a house cat who dreams of exploring the great outdoors. Once his family leaves for the day, Fred transforms into NATURE CAT, “backyard explorer extraordinaire!”
Disney+
Forky Asks a Question – “Forky asks important questions about how the world works, such as: What is love? What is time? And of course, the deepest question of all, What is cheese?“
The World According to Jeff Goldblum – “Each episode is centered around something we all love — like sneakers or ice cream — as Jeff pulls the thread on these deceptively familiar objects and unravels a wonderful world of astonishing connections, fascinating science and history, amazing people, and a whole lot of surprising big ideas and insights.”
Chimpanzee – “Follow the life of Oscar, a chimpanzee whose life is turned upside down after a violent attack separates his mother from the squad.”
Wings of Life – “Meryl Streep narrates this intimate look at butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, bats, and even flowers.”
Out of the Box – “Every episode is a different tale of imagination on what happens inside the box playground and it’s fantastic to encourage children to use the power of imagination!”
For more check out “30 Great Educational Disney+ Shows”
Download This List For Future Use
I’ve made this list easy for you by linking the websites below. Once you download this list, all you need to do is click on the website and your child will be on their way to learning.
Super-useful list, Kristen. I’m a STEM blogger for kids, and have put together many posts that parents can use to teach kids about science and math, with fun activities. Do check out my blog: https://kidpillar.com/blog
Hi Shreiya! Thank you for your kind words. I checked out your blog and it’s full of wonderful STEM ideas. Thanks for sharing with me!