I'm looking for suggestions on good websites to allow my 5 year old to play on. He's very advanced for his age; he's in PreK but doing 1st grade math, can spell better than his dad, and reading very easily at a 1st grade level. We recently put the kids' computer online and went over the rules with him - it's an older desktop unit (maybe 9 years old) and it's in our living room so he'll be monitored while using it. He's only allowed to go to sites that we put into the "favorites" for him, he doesn't know any other way to get anywhere yet, so we can check out sites before he does. I also block sites that I don't trust or want him on, so if he were to come across something that wasn't approved, I know how to block them. Right now the only site he's been on is PBSKids - he loves it and there is a lot on there... BUT ... I'm looking for some other sites for him - I know him and he picks things up so quickly that he'll get bored of that site before too long. Do any of you know of FREE sites, that are safe for kids, preferablly without other links or ads (although I can warn him not to click on them, he knows he'll lose his privilages if he doesn't follow the rules) but are not social sites, rather learning sites? he loves doing math problems - I found ixl.com, and I was considering getting a membership for the summer, but the older computer is having issues not wanting to show the pictures on that site, so I'm leaning against it now. I need to keep him learning over the summer - he stays home with his Dad and younger sister and sometimes his grandmother all day and he has a tendency to just want to play Wii or watch movies all day. Right now he earns that "screen time" by doing his homework, but I'd like something more fun for summer than just worksheets. (We have talked about using "outside time" to earn the screen time, but need a back up for rainy days!)
Thank you in advance for the suggestions - I'm also open to sites to avoid, if you know of any!
UPDATE: perhaps I need to add that he's not a typical 5 YO - he gets his enjoyment from learning, he LOVES doing his homework, begs for more! If there are other kids around, he'll play, and he gets plenty of play time in every day - BUT he insists on having homework time. So for the summer, I'd like to give him something more FUN than homework - we still call it homework if it's a learning game. - we also use that "homework time" to earn time playing video games or watching TV. So, I'm trying to let him have more fun this summer by putting away the worksheets and getting him to play games! His father does PLENTY of activities with him and his sister, but EVERYONE needs some downtime each day and that is what HE enjoys.
I have a whole list from my daughter's school, but not with me. The only one that comes to mind is spellingcity.com. I'll have to post the rest later after I find it.
This list is from my son's first grade teacher's website:
Starfall Reading Website
Pearson Success Math
Kid Adventures
Learning Planet
Janbrett.com
http://www.spellingcity.com
Dr. Seuss
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com
Math games(ictgames)
Math Magician
Tumble Books
Literavtice books
He likes all of them! I've also been impressed with Poptropica- it's an online kids' game, and the content is pretty challenging.
You may want to change your web browser to Google Chrome. It worked a lot faster on our old computer than Internet Explorer and may load the pages better for you. That was my experience... and its free too!
Nick Jr. but also think about getting some programs like Reader Rabbit!
Lego Website
Nick, Jr
REMEMBER THAT PLAY TIME IS LEARNING TIME AT THIS AGE!
During the summer have him keep a computer-based journal. He can write each day on a Word document and then keep track of his activities. If the computer can handle it, let him upload photos or links to the places he goes. At the end of the summer, print it and put it in a binder for him!
tutpup.com is a math website. make sure to have paper and pencil ready to write name and password down though!
I think the best websites I find are the ones connected to my kids school website. Just find the website for the school he will be going to or another local school and surf through the classroom stuff and you will find many websites that the teacher's suggest and sometimes assign once the kids actually get into school. Good Luck!
Www.roythezebra.com
Ww.ixl.com
Disney has a fun site
Have fun with him, such an amazing age!
Fisherprice.com
and Uptoten.com where some that we always used.
Zoodles.com is a browser for youngsters. We use Zoodles for our nearly 5 year old daughter. What is great about zoodles is that it is a browser that blocks all outside websites. "(There is not a way to accidentally end up on a webpage not appropriate for children.) Zoodles includes most of the sites mentioned in earlier post, plus - for a fee - you can promote certain websites for your child (ie. math, reading, language arts.)
We use the free version and are very happy.
what happened to simple playing and using their own imagination?..i grew up without computers,my kids grew up without computers-hes only 5 let him be a 5 yr old-i think to much stress is being put on kids these days with all the modern technology-have daddy take him fishing or nature hikes-etc.hes got the rest of his life to have information stored in his little brain let him be a kid an have fun..JMO
It is a Christian site, so they talk about apostles, but there are some great word searches, math games, puzzles, Spanish, crafts, recipes, and more. It really is a great site!
