Summer Fun and Learning

Each week, Education World's Great Sites for Teaching About ... page highlights Web sites to help educators work timely themes into their lessons. Internet educator Walter McKenzie selected this week's sites, which are among the best summer fun sites on the Web.

Popsicle Zone
http://www.popsicle.com
The Popsicle people crafted this delicious site to help add a little cool to the fun of summer. Skip the advertising in Popsicle, Popsicle, Popsicle and head straight for Fun. Crafty kids will love the Stick Art, which includes directions and templates.

Yuckiest Site on the Internet
http://www.yucky.com
Roach anatomy! Pimples, burps, farts, and funny bones! All about earthworms! If it's yucky, you'll find it here! Explore a roach's guts. Discover what pus is. Learn how many species of worms there are. It's all absolutely gross -- and totally scientific! Be sure to visit the Teacher Center and try some of the great science lessons! The best thing about this site is that the information draws kids in, entertaining them as it informs and educates. This is one site they'll never get tired of.

PBS Kids
http://www.pbs.org/kids/index.html
PBS offers kids the opportunity to learn while they enjoy a variety of fun, interactive experiences. At this site, kids can get advice, create an interactive story, learn lots of fascinating facts about a number of topics, or choose from nearly four dozen games featuring characters from PBS shows.

FunBrain
http://www.funbrain.com
Can there be a better place to go for fascinating learning activities than this aptly named site? We don't think so! Kids and adults will love these interactive games, including Math Baseball, Piano Player, Translator Alligator, Proton Don, Grammar Gorillas, and many more. This child-centered site offers a great way to keep learning alive during summer vacation!

CIA Kid's Page

K-5: https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/k-5th-grade/index.html

6-12: https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/6-12th-grade/index.html

Turn summer into an adventure with a visit to this official site, which delivers the goods on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The site provides fascinating information about the history of the agency and its role in world affairs as well as a discussion of the different types of intelligence the agency collects. The CIA World Factbook (click Intelligence Book List) -- an example of basic intelligence -- provides information about world geography, history, and population statistics. Even more fascinating, however, are the sections CIA Canine Corps and Aerial Photography Pigeons!

National Geographic Kids
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids
Can there be a better way to spend a vacation than with the travel-savvy folks at National Geographic? This fabulous site provides opportunities for kids to haunt a castle, burrow with a prairie dog, prowl with a polar bear -- or stay home and create a tornado in a bottle. A Cartoon Factory and lots of fascinating facts and fun and games also are included.

Exploratorium
http://www.exploratorium.com
The Exploratorium in San Francisco provides a site full of awesome online science activities, covering everything from optical illusions to the science of surfing and baseball. Explore offers both interactive activities, such as a Cow's Eye Dissection, and step-by-step instructions for fascinating hands-on activities. Children's curiosity will be piqued all summer long!

MidLink Magazine
http://longwood.cs.ucf.edu/~MidLink
This magazine for kids from 8 to 18 features thematic articles written by students for students and provides kids with the opportunity to post their own literary efforts online. Check out the Newest Articles and Archives to find student- and teacher-created activities. Be sure to visit the Teacher Tools area, which provides teaching resources, graphic organizers, rubrics, and more.

BoatSafeKids
http://www.boatsafe.com/kids
International Marine Educators, Inc. sponsors this site, full of summer safety tips and great learning activities. At this lively and visually appealing site, students will learn about personal flotation devices, distress signals, storm warnings, and many other aspects of boating safety. They can also see their names spelled out using nautical flags, watch animated tutorials on knot-tying, discover how to calculate the distance to the horizon and much more. This site can keep even the most ardent landlubber busy throughout the summer!

Walter McKenzie is a former classroom teacher, a consultant, and editor of the Innovative Teaching newsletter.

Walter McKenzie
Education World®
Copyright © 2003 Education World

Originally published 06/19/2000
Last updated 06/03/2011