Websites and Games Your Kiddies Can Enjoy

Posted on: Fri, 03/25/2011 - 07:15 — us104_techdish

This weeks installment of TechDish goes out to all the parents out there. For those of us who have kids, introducing them to computers is something we want to do—after all, it's increasingly rare these days to find a job that doesn't involve a computer somehow, and that will only increase even more by the time our kids are in the workforce.

So, for those of us who get our kids on the computer at an early age, we want to keep them as safe as possible—after all, the internet is not necessarily known for its family friendliness! In this week's TechDish, we're talking about safe, family friendly websites and games that your kiddos—and you—can enjoy!

PBS Kids

Website: pbskids.org

Full of information and games geared at your kids that are both family friendly and educational; and, if your kids are fans of PBS shows you're in luck! The games on PBSKids.org feature all the favorite characters from their regular programming.

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UpToTen

Website: www.uptoten.com

This site is the mother lode of games for your kids up to age 10 (hence the name, get it?). Sporting over 1,300 games you and your kids can enjoy absolutely for free, there is also a Premium (paid) area with access to even more features; plus an area for Educators so the whole classroom can participate! UpToTen comes highly recommended and has been the recipient of several "best of web" awards. Our only complaint was we had difficulty figuring out the differences between the three account types, and pricing too—although we think this is a good place to start.

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Crayola® Crafts

Website: www.crayola.com/crafts

From one of the legendary makers of kids' craftmaking tools and supplies, comes a website packed chock full with craft projects you can download and print out! Not to mention a library of craft ideas you can try at home to keep plenty busy! This is an free site—but it does require you to register for a free account to gain access to it.

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LearningPlanet.com

Website: www.learningplanet.com

This site has some great games, but also has a large collection of word finds, sudoku and quizes—with a new one of each added each day! This is a free website, but a small membership fee gives you access to the entire site. And if you want to test the waters, there is a 10-day free, no obligation trial.

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kidsites.com

Website: www.kidsites.com

Explore more family friendly sites with kidsites.com, a directory listing service that's geared towards family friendly kid-oriented sites on the web. Granted, this is only a guide service, not a search engine; but there's plenty of great "web treasures" to be found out there, and kidsites.com is an awesome starter to get you going!