Websites for kids

When I was a single Mom and couldn't afford cable or internet, my kiddo and I played a lot of games, did plenty of crafts and just hung out together a lot. Now that I am a bit more established and have some extra cash each month (but certainly not a ton!!!!) I can finally afford internet. YAY!!

I am fairly strict with what sites A plays on (she is only 4, after all), as well as the amount of time she spends on the computer. Some days I feel like she is trying to make up for the 4 years of her life that we didn't have internet with the amount of computer time she wants. I try and find a healthy balance of educational games and just straight up playing-to-have-fun games, although I especially like the ones that are comprised of both learning AND fun activities.

Below are descriptions and links to the websites that A is most fond of. Some she prefers over others, but if she gets screen time during the week, she'll typically navigate her way (by herself!!!) to any of the following:

Starfall is actually a site that they use in A's school on the smart board, which is one of the reasons I don't mind her spending a bit longer on it.  It's an education based site originally developed for teachers to help their students learn phonics.  There is an entire section written for parents about how to use the site (i.e. which section to start with...) and it's very user friendly. A especially likes ABC Lets get Ready to Read section.

ABCya.com is another site that A enjoys. It's actually for children grades K-5, so it's a website that if you have more than one youngster at home they may actually be able to agree on! There are sections for letters, numbers, computer knowledge, drawing, baking games....plenty of everything. A is super into baking, so obviously she loves this site. And Mama doesn't mind it either ;)

PBS Kids is another site that we frequent in our home. A likes it for the games and for the familiar characters (none of the above mentioned sites have recognizable characters. i.e. Cat in the Hat, Thomas, Curious George). There are videos and games, and you can choose your activity by character or by level of skill involved). Superwhy is, by far, A's favorite game on this site.

Disney is the last site that we normally hit up for entertainment. I find that the games are typically a bit too tough for a 4 year old, but I'm sure older kids would enjoy it. A does like the Princess adventure games, although usually I end up actually playing it while she watches. No educational component involved, but fun nonetheless.

I would love to hear some of your kids favorite sites or even apps on your phone. As I'm sure all parents can attest, playing the same games over and over is almost as much fun as watching the same Thomas or Dora show over and over! Ahhhhhhh, the joys of being a parent ;)