As the school year winds down, parents and caregivers may be looking for resources to keep the kids engaged and learning throughout the summer, so that they beat the summer slide and are ready for classes in the Fall.
But since fun is the name of the game in the summer, will kids really want to feel like they’re still in school? Well, probably they will not, but never fear, because there are some great sites that are not only educational, but lots of fun, too!
Here is a list of ten free learning websites, with games and lots of entertaining and educational content for kids in the summer and all through the year. Check them out!
Just because we are at home doesn’t mean we have to be bored or feel stuck! It’s time to get everyone outside and enjoy some fresh air, play some games, and maybe even learn something new.
Here are 20 ideas for outdoor family fun at home, brought to you by our fun-loving Youth Services staff!
Take a walk around the neighborhood and find objects of every shape and color. Make it more challenging by looking for specific combos like a red square, a blue circle, etc.
Make a kite and see if it will fly (such as this one).
Do an indoor activity outside, such as coloring, reading, playing a board game, or telling a story.
Have a picnic meal in your yard, and let the kids help plan it.
Find shapes in the clouds, the trees, etc.
Collect Spring flowers to press and display:
trim flowers to desired length.
flatten the flower.
press between wax paper inside a heavy book for about two weeks.
Make your own bubbles:
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of dish soap
2 tsp sugar (optional: sugar slows down water evaporation, which lets the bubbles last longer)
bubble wand (or anything with holes that can be dipped into the solution: fly swatter, slotted spoons, etc)
Even when our physical building is closed, the Hudson Library (HLHS) has a wealth of learning and entertainment opportunities for kids and families. Here is a list of our most popular services and databases for kids and teens:
Tumble Book Library: Online ebooks website for kids, including storybooks, chapter books, graphic novels, nonfiction, puzzles, and games.
Tumble Math: Fun math-based ebook storybooks and quizzes for kids, with a variety of searchable math concepts.
OverDrive: Ebooks, audiobooks, and streaming video, with selections for all ages.
World Book Online: Encyclopedia, dictionary, multimedia, ebooks, and research material.
Early World of Learning: Common Core and state standards in an engaging, playful, and interactive site, with games, videos, stories, and activities for emergent learners.
World Book Kids: A colorful and engaging multimedia environment for elementary-aged children that includes STEAM-based content along with articles, games, and projects.
World Book Ebooks: More than 2500 ebooks (fiction, nonfiction, plays, and poems) with both classic literature and exclusive content for students. (Follow the link, and choose the ebooks icon.)
Teen Book Cloud: Fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, videos, and audiobooks for teens.
Notes from Wonderland 