Schools are closing, hand sanitizer is sold out and it’s work from home time here in Chile. I work on a freelance basis and I know firsthand how tricky (impossible) it is to get anything done with three preschool age kids at home. However, here are some links to free educational websites for kids, as well as resources, apps, games and child friendly videos that I hope will make things easier.
I’m not a fan of too much screen time, and these resources are intended to complement play and learning.
Free educational websites / website trials
Scholastic Teachers
Scholastic Teachers Learn at Home is one of the best free educational websites. It features free day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.
The website offers resources and books for every level from kindergarten to grade six. These include BookFlix and the Watch & Learn Library.
Every day there are new activities and every month features new videos. The website is also very simple for parents to navigate, with online books in English and Spanish.
The website is free and here is the link to additional free resources.
Twinkl
Twinkl offers teacher-created resources, including online free educational games, augmented reality and lesson plans.
Perhaps the best thing about Twinkl is that it’s a multinational, multilingual site. It’s perfect for serial Expaters moving countries looking to complement education on the go. There is also the option to follow British or American curriculums.
The free account offers thousands of activities and games, and here is the link to an extra free resource page.
Alternatively the Ultimate membership offers even more resources, as well as current affairs, subject specific support and free textbooks. It costs $3.35 USD / month for an annual plan.
Free educational videos for kids
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids is not just a video channel, but one of the best free educational websites.
My children love animals and they love the National Geographic videos and games. They’re educational, simple and fun to watch together as a family.
Art for Kids
Art for Kids features simple lessons for children how to draw. Rob is a great teacher and in these videos he draws side by side with his own kids, explaining how to draw all sorts of things.
From zombie monsters to cartoon ladybirds, the are hundreds of free videos available. My six year old loves these videos and they’ve really built his confidence to draw on his own without help.
The videos are free (also on YouTube), but to remove adverts you can sign up to their TV channel for $5.99 USD / month.
Free educational apps
Epic!
Epic! is a digital library for children up to 12 years of age.
In addition to books, there are learning videos and reading quizzes.
For younger children there are ‘read to me’ books and older kids will undoubtedly love the DIY craft videos.
Unlimited access costs $7.99 USD per month and is free for elementary school teachers and librarians. There is also a 30-day free trial period.
Teach your monster to read
Teach your monster to read is an award winning app for children learning to read. The free educational games cover everything from letters and sounds, to reading full sentences.
Funded by children’s charity the Usborne Foundation, the computer version is 100% free. The mobile app version costs £4.99 GBP.
And finally…
The public Facebook group Amazing Educational Resources is a community sharing different teacher resources. Here is a link to a spreadsheet with even more subscription based and free educational websites (there are so many I haven’t tested them myself).
Any more to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.
