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The Parent Guide to Kids’ Online Educational Resources
Introduction
Now more than ever, parents need reliable at-home resources to help with homeschooling during school closures. To help you find the right tools for your children, we have an extensive list of reputable, crowdsourced websites that you can access at home, and many are offering free services right now.
These resources are organized by subject so that you can easily find what you’re looking for. No two kids are the same, so this is a great way to create an at-home program catered to your child’s needs.
Sitejabber team member Traci, who is also a seasoned homeschooling mom, has some words of advice as millions of parents across the world turn to homeschooling. She shares her experience, saying that "it takes a long time to figure out a routine that works and it’s different for every single family I know. Read, play games, get outside, watch documentaries, and then read some more. I don't want people thinking they need to replicate traditional schooling right now."
The biggest takeaway from this advice, and the advice of many experts, is to go easy on yourself. Trying your best is the most that anyone can do right now.
Resources
General Learning
These sites offer more than one subject matter. Some include in-depth learning programs with courses, activities, and quizzes, while others are an excellent resource for productive breaks or free time. Some of these resources are free, and most others are offering a discount due to the outbreak. As you browse, don’t forget to bookmark your favorites!
Best for: Those with young children under 8 that are looking for a variety of subjects and activities. ABCmouse is offering free subscriptions right now, with access to thousands of activities that are organized on a “learning path” that becomes more challenging or complex with each level.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 2nd
Features:
Reading, Math, Science, Art & Colors
850 lessons with 9,000 individual learning activities
Games, books, songs, puzzles, art, printables
Pricing:
Use code SCHOOL7771 for access to free resources
Free 30-day trial for new users
Regularly $9.95/month
Add up to 3 children for the price of one (same account)
Best for: Those with children ages 8 to 13 looking for a variety of educational resources in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies. From the creators of ABCmouse, Adventure Academy is a new program for older children that allows them to create their own character and customize a home while playing learning games in different subjects.
Age Range: Grades 3rd - 8th
Features:
Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies
“Play with friends” and character customization
Learning games and videos
Pricing:
Free 30-day trial for new users
Regularly $9.95/month
Add up to 3 children for the price of one (same account)
Best for: Those looking for printable worksheets in a variety of subjects. All Kids Network offers thousands of options in many subjects, including Math, Reading, Writing, and Art. While many worksheets are geared towards ages 2-8, there are advanced Math worksheets suitable for children up to age 10. Each worksheet has recommended grade levels on its “download” page.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 5th
Features:
Math, Reading, Writing, Art & Crafts
Crafts, worksheets, coloring pages, mazes, dot to dot, hidden pictures
Seasonal and holiday worksheets
Pricing: Always free. Simply sign-up with your email address to download and print.
Best for: Anyone. BrainPOP has an expansive offering of resources, including core classes in Science, Math, English, and Reading, but for those wanting extra courses, look no further. Health and SEL, Art, Music, Engineering, and Technology, as well as new and trending learning topics, are all available on BrainPOP.
Age Range: Grades K - 8th (Grades 9-12 coming soon)
Best for: Parents looking for affordable access to educational documentaries. Homeschooling can’t always be hands-on, especially during this outbreak. Curiosity Stream provides users with unlimited streaming of thousands of educational documentaries in seemingly any subject, including History, Technology, Nutrition, Business, and much more.
Age Range: All ages
Features:
Unlimited streaming of thousands of documentaries
Streaming available on laptop, TV, phone, or tablet
Science, Technology, Business, Health & Nutrition, History, Government, and much more
Pricing:
Special 40% off pricing annual pricing $11.99/year (Regularly $19.99)
Best for: Indoor breaks or free time with an educational spin. Funbrain is a free site with hundreds of games, comics, videos, and reading material appropriate for children from Pre-K to 8th grade.
Best for: Another good resource for productive “free time” for younger children. The popular Highlights monthly magazine offers its content to parents and children for free online. Highlights Kids has jokes, quizzes, games, recipes, crafts, science questions, and more for children in the 6 to 12 age range.
Best for: Parents with young children who need entertaining learning tools. Jumpstart offers a variety of resources under its brand. Jumpstart Academy Home is its program for children in grades Pre-K-6th for at-home learning in Reading, Math, Coding, and more. Learning is done through games, activities, and worksheets. Some features, such as Math and Coding, are free, but extra features require a Premium Membership.
Best for: Anyone. Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization that provides free educational resources for anyone around the world with internet access. Video lessons, supplementary practice exercises, and other materials for educators are available at no cost. Check out their in-depth guides for parents on how to get started with homeschooling during the COVID-19 outbreak.
If you’re looking for help with a daily learning schedule, take a look at Khan Academy’s sample schedules for any age.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 12th
Features:
Math, Science, Engineering, Computing, Arts, Humanities, Economics, Finance, AP Classes
Expert-made daily schedules for children of any age
Test prep including SAT
Personalized learning dashboard to track progress
Partner institutions for specialized content include: NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT
Best for: Productive free time or as a supplement to geography and science-based studies. National Geographic Kids offers free games, quizzes, videos, and science facts for anyone to access – no account necessary.
Age Range: All ages, but mostly geared towards younger children
Best for: Small-group video classes in a variety of subjects. Outschool provides free or inexpensive live courses for children and teens of all ages. Sign-up for subjects based on your children’s availability. All classes are live, so they follow a weekly schedule of typically one class per week for multiple weeks.
Age Range: Grades K-12
Features:
Math, Science, Arts, English, Music, Social Studies, Coding & Technology, Health & Wellness, World Languages
10,000+ video chat classes
Fun class categories including Harry Potter, Video Game Design, Intro to Filmmaking, and more
Best for: Productive breaks or free time with videos from popular PBS Kids shows. Keep younger children entertained with their favorite PBS characters through live TV, games, printable worksheets, and more.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 3rd
Features:
Games, videos, and printable sheets from popular PBS Kids characters
Best for: Daily supplemental readings and activities from all subjects to keep kids entertained. Scholastic Learn At Home has a variety of subjects, from Health and Science to fun topics like pop culture and food.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 9th
Features:
Science, History, Geography, Arts & Music, Sports, Travel, Pop Culture
Daily activities to read, learn, and show off skills through a comprehension activity
Best for: Those looking for a break from technology to use printable worksheets at home. Super Teacher Worksheets is available for parents and educators. Choose from hundreds of free worksheets in many subject matters, or pay for a premium membership for access to thousands of printables.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 6th
Features:
Math, Reading, Writing, Science, Social Studies, Phonics, Spelling
Fun worksheets (ex: holiday and seasonal)
Printable chapter books with reading comprehension activities
Pricing:
Free worksheets are available
Paid membership of $24.95/year for access to thousands of premium worksheets
Best for: Anyone. Testing Mom can supplement your child’s homeschooling in nearly any subject, with 100,000+ practice questions for students in Pre-K to 8th Grade. Select a regular membership (Fast Track) for full resource access, or if you need extra support during this time, select a membership with one-on-one tutoring (Fast Track Extra).
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 8th
Features:
Math, Science, Language Arts, Finance, Programming, and more
35+ enrichment programs and 100,000+ questions
Online tutoring (extra fee)
Tele-seminars
Books and games
Pricing:
Fast Track Membership (without tutoring): $4.99/month or $199/lifetime access
Fast Track Membership with one-on-one tutoring: $129/month
Each membership covers an entire family
Sign-up now for free trial of 100 questions
Learning Resources by Subject
The following resources are organized by subject, including Reading and Writing, Math, Science, Programming and IT, Arts (Culinary, Music, and Visual), World Languages, and Virtual Field Trips
Reading & Writing
Reading and writing are all about practice, which means a lot of materials are needed for kids to use at home. From vocabulary lists to writing prompts and grammar lessons, these sites are ready to help you and your child get through language arts classes at home.
Best for: A writing program to help refine your child’s writing skills. Brave Writer has programs available for kids ages 5-18 that incorporate original thought, mechanics, literature, and projects. Writing bundles are around $200, but these are in-depth programs. There are free, short-term lessons and prompts available as well.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Features:
3-6 week online classes
Ready-made lesson plans
Free podcasts, blogs, a YouTube channel, and guides for parents
In-depth writing bundles available for extra writing help
Pricing:
Free lesson plans during COVID-19 outbreak are available
Other content is paid, and prices vary based on bundle (around $200 for complete program)
Best for: Grammar practice. Classroom Cereal is for middle school-aged kids to practice grammar skills through free, printable short stories. These original short stories are published monthly in five parts, and each section has grammatical errors for kids to correct as they read.
Age Range: Middle school-aged students (around 6th - 8th)
Features:
Free printable short stories for grammar practice
Published monthly
Quick and easy grammar practice disguised as a story
Best for: Aspiring young writers. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) is a nonprofit organization to help users write novels through progress tracking, setting milestones, and connecting with a community of writers. Use their Young Writers Program for under-18 writers. All of these resources are free for anyone to use.
Age Range: All ages, but geared towards middle and high school-aged students
Features:
Young Writers Program for under-18 writers to have a safe online community to work in
Educators can start a virtual classroom for students to read and react to peer writing
Sign-up for writing challenges in the online community
Set personal writing goals
Workbooks, pep talks, videos, inspiration, and forums are available
Best for: Interactive writing lessons for younger children. Night Zookeeper has writing tools and lessons to help supplement your child’s writing class. Based on a series of magical books, children interact with the characters and storyline as they complete online writing tasks.
Age Range: Grades K - 8th
Features:
Subjects including Vocabulary, Spelling, and Grammar
Kids learn through games, puzzles, challenges, and story prompts
Pricing:
7-day free trial
$12.99/month (discounts available for multi-month memberships)
Best for: Anyone. Quill has free online writing tools for students K-12, and for a limited time, Quill Premium for teachers and schools is free due to COVID-19 homeschooling. Gain access to 400 writing and grammar activities by making a free account.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Features:
Proofreader and sentence structure help
Grammar practice
Lessons and instant feedback on students’ writing
Diagnostic reports
Pricing: Always free for parents, just create an account
Best for: Anyone with younger children who need or want reading practice. Reading Eggs is offering free access for 30 days to parents who are homeschooling their children right now. Children learn to read through games, songs, rewards, and exploration through the website. The brand has three programs for their target age groups. Reading Eggs Junior for kids 2-4, the original Reading Eggs for ages 3-7, and Reading Eggspress for ages 7-13.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 8th
Features:
Reading lessons, phonics games, and books
3 different programs based on age
Kids start with a placement quiz to find their reading level
2,000+ online books with comprehension quizzes
All lessons are self-paced
Pricing:
30-day free trial
$9.95/month (discounts available for multi-month memberships)
One price for access to all 3 Reading Eggs programs, and Mathseeds
Best for: Creative writing help for students of any age. Storybird has a library of artwork from around the world for kids to use to inspire creative writing and short stories. Writers, readers, and artists have come together to create over 30 million stories using Storybird.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Features:
700+ lessons, quizzes, and writing prompts
Choose different writing formats, including comics, picture books, poetry, and long-form
Try a writing challenge for a ready-made prompt
9 million users in over 100 countries create a diverse community
Publish your work for feedback from teachers, editors, and authors
Pricing:
7-day free trial
Membership starting at $2.50/month
Math
Math can be a tricky subject for parents to teach without having a refresher. Luckily, there are a lot of reliable online resources available for lessons, homework help, and study time.
Best for: Getting younger children excited about math. Bedtime Math has a few resources for parents, including two free Bedtime Math apps for phones or tablets and non-screen math activities for at home. The Bedtime Math app has daily math problems to help kids quickly brush up on their skills via a mobile device. There is even a special MiniMath app just for preschoolers. At-home math activities are organized by age, length, and math subject.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 4th
Features:
Two free apps: Bedtime Math and MiniMath
At-home math activities in Measurement, Counting, Basic Operations, Coding, and more
In-depth writing bundles available for extra writing help
Pricing: Always free, no account required for website
Best for: Math-filled downtime. Arcade-style website CoolMath4Kids features a variety of math games for young children. Users can sort games by grade level, or core math topics. Kid-friendly math lessons, quizzes, puzzles, brainteasers, and more are also available.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 6th
Features:
Subjects include Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Fractions
Games, lessons, quizzes, puzzles, brain teasers, and flash cards
Best for: Extra math practice. Mangahigh has both school and at-home programs for students to practice their math skills. The at-home version of Mangahigh offers over 1,000 games and activities in all major math categories. There is also a section for students to learn coding languages.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Features:
Subjects include Measurement, Probability, Algebra, Numeracy, Geometry, and Statistics
Activities that adapt to your child’s needs
Parents can assign activities and track progress
Learn coding languages
Pricing:
30-day free trial, then $79/year (discount available for 2+ children households)
Mangahigh is offering its resources for free to schools during the COVID-19 outbreak. Ask your school to contact Mangahigh for free access.
Best for: Math study help for younger children. Math Games offers hundreds of games and worksheets in all core math topics for free online. Parents can also use grade standard quizzes for free to help monitor their children’s progress.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 8th
Features:
Hundreds of games for core math subjects, from Counting and Addition to Statistics and Graphing
Best for: Keeping younger children entertained while learning core math subjects. Mathseeds is currently offering 30 days of free access to their online resources for parents homeschooling due to COVID-19. Children learn through games with interactive characters, songs, and reward-based challenges.
Age Range: Grades Pre-K - 4th
Features:
Self-paced lessons in core math subjects and problem solving
Subjects include Numbers, Counting, Shapes, Subtraction, Measurement, and more
Best for: Anyone looking for an in-depth math program for children ages 5-12. Zearn Math is giving free access to its resources during the COVID-19 outbreak. This gives parents 400 hours of digital lessons with on-screen teachers and remediation work for their children. Printable resources are also available for off-screen learning.
Age Range: Grades K - 5th
Features:
400 hours of digital lessons in all core math subjects
Adaptive activities to fit your child’s needs
Independent practice and daily written materials for further comprehension
Help your child explore the exciting world of science through hands-on experiments, lessons, videos, games, and more. All of these science-based sites are offering free services right now.
Best for: Supplementing your child’s biology class, or productive free time. Arizona State’s Ask A Biologist section gives parents, teachers, and students free access to stories, galleries, puzzles, activities, and podcasts covering an array of biology topics. From anatomy coloring pages to in-depth biologist interviews on current issues, there are activities available for all ages.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Features:
Free activities like coloring pages, experiment guides, games, simulations, quizzes, and virtual reality
Podcasts and videos about current events, popular topics, biologists’ personal work, and more
Best for: Parents looking for science games to supplement their children’s STEM classes. Edheads covers different topics of science, from anatomy to technology with fun, interactive games. Your middle schooler can design a cell phone while practicing engineering skills, or your high schooler can practice a virtual stem cell heart repair. These games are more in-depth than most other educational gaming sites.
Age Range: Grades 2nd - 12th
Features:
Subjects include Anatomy, Weather, Biology, Technology, and more
Games are organized by age range
Some free games are always available, for full access sign up for a membership
Pricing:
Limited-time free membership during COVID outbreak – not all games are include
Best for: Ready-made science lessons for younger children. Mystery Science has a wide range of science lessons for children in grades K-5. Find free and easy lessons complete with material lists, instructions, and tips, to use during homeschooling.
Age Range: Grades K-5
Features:
Subjects include Engineering, Biology, Geology, Energy, and more
All-digital activities or digital and hands-on combination
15-30 minute mini lessons or 45-90 minute full lessons
Create an account to gain access to more lessons
Pricing:
No account required for free access to select lessons
Create a homeschool membership for $49/year for full access
Best for: Science experiments. Watch videos, read experiment tutorials, and browse Science Fair inspiration at Science Bob. Kids can learn fun science facts through the Q&A section or pick a science experiment to do at home.
Age Range: Grades K - 8th
Features:
Kid-friendly science experiment instructions
Science fair ideas and resources
Science Bob Store with science toys, experiment materials, models, and more
Pricing: Always free, no account required
Programming & IT
Give your child a headstart in programming and technology by helping them learn to code. Whether it’s part of their curriculum, or you’re interested in giving them a boost, there are programs out there that make it fun.
Best for: Introducing children to programming. The MIT Media Lab created Scratch, a block-based visual programming language and website where kids can create online projects. This gives students an educational way to create interactive stories, games, and animations for free at home.
Age Range: Grades 3rd - 12th
Features:
Kids code while practicing problem-solving, project design, and communicating ideas
Available in more than 40 languages
Community-based program, you can browse other users’ projects
Pricing: Always free, no account required
Arts
Explore different ways to bring the arts to your child while homeschooling, whether it’s cooking up a new dish together with kid-friendly culinary classes, creating their own music online, or learning about theater through the historic Kennedy Art Center. You and your child are bound to have fun exploring new areas of art together.
Culinary
Try new recipes together, help your child learn cooking skills, and explore different cultures by taking culinary classes at home.
Best for: Teaching kids how to cook at home. Raddish Kids is a monthly “cooking class” subscription that includes three recipe guides, a kitchen experiment or craft, three culinary skill lessons, and a grocery list in each box. Food ingredients are not included in the kit.
Age Range: Grades K - 9th+
Features:
Kits combine other subjects like Math, Science, and World Culture while cooking
Seasonal, global, and holiday themes
Each kit also includes a new kitchen tool and apron patch
Pricing:
Monthly: $24/month
6-month subscription: $22/month
12-month subscription: $20/month
Special discounts available on website for new subscription sign-ups
Best for: Anyone. The Food Network’s Cooking With Kids section is free to use and has hundreds of family-friendly recipes that are easy to follow at home. These recipes work for kids of all ages, just adjust their kitchen tasks to be age-appropriate for them.
Age Range: All ages
Features:
Free recipes with pictures or videos for anything from individual snacks to full meals
Guides to teaching your children kitchen tasks like kneading or chopping (depending on age)
Kitchen craft projects like pancake animals and decorated frozen bananas
Pricing: Always free, no account required
Music
Music is therapeutic for many and can be the perfect way to spend free time productively during long days at home.
Best for: Anyone with young children. Chrome Music Lab can be used as a supplement to your child’s music class, or as productive free time. This program allows kids to learn music at home through virtual experiments and by connecting music to science, art, math, and more.
Age Range: All ages, but mostly geared towards younger children
Features:
Song Maker lets you make and share your own songs
Learning topics include rhythm, chords, harmonics, strings, and much more
Pricing: Always free, no account required
Visual Arts
Introduce your child to famous works of art, teach lessons to supplement their studies, or have fun with dance by bringing visual arts into your home.
Best for: Age-appropriate art lessons. The Kennedy Center has a library of free lessons and allows users to filter by age, arts subject, related topics, and lesson length. These in-depth lessons were designed for educators to use for free, but parents at home can use them just the same. Each lesson includes learning objectives, suggested materials, background information, and student prerequisites.
Age Range: Grades K - 12th
Features:
Visual Arts, Theater, Literature, World Culture, Opera, Dance, and much more
Some lessons connect to Science, History, Social Studies, and more
Whether you speak multiple languages or not, it can be challenging to help your child learn a new language if you aren’t trained in teaching it. Let these programs help you and your child succeed in language studies.
Best for: Anyone. Duolingo features quick games to help you learn a new language or brush up on your skills. This program is available in 36 languages with free access from a mobile device or computer. Helping your child learn a second language is especially hard when you don’t speak it yourself, so online programs like Duolingo can be a huge help. Choose a free account or a Plus membership to remove ads and unlock other features.
*Download the Duolingo Kids free app for children 4+ to learn French or Spanish (only available on mobile devices).
Age Range:
13+ for Duolingo
4+ for Duolingo Kids app
Features:
36 languages
Adaptive lessons for personalized learning at your skill level
Instant grading
Earn virtual coins, unlock new levels, and increase your score
Pricing:
Free membership is available
$6.99/month Plus membership removes ads, allows offline play, and supports education charities
Best for: Interactive, screen-free learning of a second language. Habbi Habbi is a language learning program for children that uses real books to teach. The Reading Wand can be tapped on any page of the Habbi Habbi books on text and images, giving kids instant audio feedback while learning.
Age Range: Preschool and early elementary-aged children (or a little older if they are new to the language)
Features:
English speakers can learn Chinese or Spanish
Audio feedback with interactive Reading Wand
In-line translations
New books coming soon
Pricing: Prices vary. There is currently a sale on the starter set for $99.
Virtual Field Trips
Whether you’re looking for a productive way for your child to spend their free time, or if they’re missing out on a long-awaited field trip, so many parks, museums, zoos, and other institutions are offering virtual ways for you to visit. The best part about these resources? They’re all cost-free.
Best for: Getting your child excited about art and creating things. Take a virtual trip to the second oldest children’s museum in the United States. The Boston Children’s Museum brings the fun home to you, with hundreds of free activity ideas that teach the same lessons as the exhibits in the museum.
Age Range: All ages, but geared towards younger children
Best for: Anyone. Discovery Education has cost-free virtual field trips in many subject matters, including human rights, engineering, biology, technology, sports, agriculture, and much more. Each virtual field trip comes with hands-on learning activities. Discovery Education uses its partnerships to bring you exclusive content from institutions like 3M, the American Nuclear Society, the NBA, Girl Scouts, and more.
Age Range: All ages, but geared towards older children
Features:
Free virtual field trips in many subject matters via online videos
Free download of educator guides and handouts to go along with videos
Best for: Mimicking a classic farm field trip for children. Virtually visit a variety of Canadian farms through 360-degree videos or your virtual reality headset on Farm Food 360. Choose from animal, dairy, or produce farms and read the quick facts about them with your child. The videos are also narrated.
Age Range: All ages
Features:
Explore different types of farms including dairy, grain, egg, and sheep and apple orchards
Farm glossary for any questions your children might have about the vocabulary on the site
Best for: Older children. While most virtual field trips are geared towards younger children, your middle and high school kids will love the free sources available to them on the Louvre’s website. They'll have access to videos, including interviews with famous artists, art history, virtual reality experiences, and more. Learn more about exhibitions and the permanent collection, or use this site as a supplement to your child’s art classes.
Age Range: All ages, but geared towards older children
Features:
Free videos of featured art, artist interviews, art history, and more
Virtual reality experiences, including the Mona Lisa
Free downloadable coloring pages of artwork in the Louvre
Best for: Keeping younger children entertained. Consistently ranked as one of the best zoos in the world, now you can visit the San Diego Zoo from your home. Visit the special kids’ section on their website for free access to videos and live animal cams, stories, craft and activity guides, games, and more.
Best for: Kids who love the outdoors, or teaching your child about one of the most famous parks in the world. Due to park closures, Yellowstone National Park has moved to virtual content so everyone can explore its forests, canyons, and geysers from the comfort of home. Watch the Old Faithful geyser on a live webcam and make predictions about its next eruption, or explore other parts of the park through webcams and interactive maps.
Age Range: All ages
Features:
Live webcams of most popular landmarks, such as Old Faithful
Virtual maps to explore or plan future trips
Lots of facts to read with your kids and learn more about the history of Yellowstone
Pricing: Always free, no account required
Navigating Our “New Normal” Together
As parents, guardians, and teachers around the world adjust to their new “normal” way of teaching, we want you to know that we’re here for you. Many schools have already made the decision to continue virtual learning for the remainder of the school year. For that reason, we’ll keep adding new resources as we come across them to help you fill in teaching gaps and keep your children happy and busy. Even if you don’t want to pay extra for resources, take advantage of the free trials or memberships offered by the sites in this guide, maybe your child will really enjoy one of them. Remember, all you can do during a time like this is to try your best.
Have more questions? Reach out to others on our COVID-19 community Facebook group.
