In another interesting search for child-friendly websites, I came across FirstGov for Kids. This site is maintained by the Federal Citizen Information Center and provides links to Federal kids’ sites. Your child can gain access to websites of all different government agencies. There is a categorical list on the home page and each different category has related websites listed.
There are twenty different categories on FirstGov and an icon for each category. When you click on an icon, you will be brought to a list of different websites relating to that category. For example, if you click on the icon for Science and Math, you are brought to a list of pages including Air Force Crossroads Teen and Youth site, California Division of Measurement Standards Kids Corner, EPA Student Center, and NASA for Kids Only. Under the State Sites category, there is a list of all state websites that are specifically meant for children. There are resources for homework help, safety education, career options, and so much more. FirstGov for Kids is a really great source of information for your school-aged child.
The best part about FirstGov is the web treasure hunt. Presented in a printable pdf file, this hunt encourages children to use FirstGov for Kids to find information through the different government websites. In order to find answers to the questions, the child must first figure out which of the twenty categories is appropriate. Then once they click the icon for the category, they must figure out from which site to find the correct information. You might even be able to create your own treasure hunt using this format and have your child complete that one as well.
FirstGov for Kids is an excellent educational resource. It is colorful and vibrant and makes learning exciting and fun for kids. I highly recommend this site for school-aged children and their parents.