Interactive Websites, Games, and Activities

What websites will get my students actively involved with learning rather than just reading off the screen?

Where can I find simulations and other interactive learning experiences?

I need to address individual differences. Some students need more practice than others. Where can I find interactive, practice activities for students?

Interactives

Interactive websites engage students by providing information and resources along with practice, simulations, and other learning activities. They can be highly interactive, content-rich simulations such as the Frog Guts (subscription-based) simulation and the Leonardo's Workshop games. Or, traditional drill and practice like Funbrain or book quizzes like Book Adventure.

Some people think of interactive games as "low level." However, it depends on how they are used. Are students making a good use of their time? Are the activities realistic, yet challenging? Can you use the games to promote learning in another area? Can you write about the activities?

This page is divided into two sections. Use the links below to access these two areas:

Interactive Activities, Simulations, and Learning Games
Drill and Practice, Puzzles, and Quizzes

Return to Top

Interactive Activities, Simulations, and Learning Games

There are many websites that contain tutorials, simulations, and problem solving activities.

There are many websites that appear to be simple games. However, they can often be used as springboards for effective activities. For example, go to the Characters page. Children can create their own characters, then write about their features.

General Websites

Activity Search from Education Place
http://www.eduplace.com/activity/
Links to lots of activities by topic/theme.

BBC Schools
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/
Lots of great activities. There are many learning games.

Birmingham Grid for Learning
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/activities/activities.cfm
Explore lots of great interactive activities from many content areas. Many of these activities include audio elements. These are aligned with UK standards.

GridClub
http://www.gridclub.com/
Explore fun, children's educational games from the UK
Check the Design activities: http://www.gridclub.com/grown_ups/cont_tec.shtml

Learner.org
http://www.learner.org/students/
Interactive, online exhibits on topics such as Amusement Park Physics, Ancient Civilizations, and the Middle Ages.

The Learning Box
http://www.learningbox.com/i_index.htm
Interactive activities on many topics.

PBSKids
http://pbskids.org/games.html
Lots of games learning and fun games based on PBS characters.

PBS
http://pbs.org
Many activities such as WayBack US History.

Read Write Think: Student Materials
http://readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp
Lots of interactive tools for reading, writing, and thnking.

Scholastic Online Activities
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/
Contains a mixture of activity types including collaborative, online projects.

Sesame Street
http://www.sesameworkshop.org/sesamestreet/?scrollerId=games
Over 100 games for young children.

ThinkPort from Maryland Public Television
http://www.thinkport.org/
Explore their Online Field Trips of interactive activities.

Interactives from WICKED
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/interactives/index.php
New Zealand-based games

Zoom
http://pbskids.org/zoom/index.shtml
Lots of fun activities for kids

Art & Music Resources

Hands-on Crafts
http://www.handsoncrafts.org/index.htm
Throw a pot and build a jug among other activities.

Museum of Modern Art Online Activities
http://moma.org/momalearning/online_activities.html
Art Safari and others.

Play Music
http://www.playmusic.org/
Play music on the computer.

Communication Arts Resources

BBC
SpellIts,

Between the Lions
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/
Reading games for young children.

Interactives from WICKED
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/literacy/interactives.php
SpellBinder and Navigate the Newspaper activities.

Listen & Write
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/listenandwrite/home.htm
Create rap, write poems, and have a great time writing.

Monster Hotel Interactive Story
http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/kotn/motel/interactive2.htm
Create a monster story.

Math Resources

Figure This
http://www.figurethis.org/index.html
Math activities for kids.

Illuminations
http://illuminations.nctm.org/tools/index.aspx
Great interactive tools.

Interactives from WICKED
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/maths/interactives.php
Blast Off, Code Cracker, Matho, Multiple Matrix, Mathor2, Quizit, Flitting with Fractions.

Math Cats
http://www.mathcats.com/
Fun activities for creative thinking and math.

Math TV
http://www.mathtv.org/TuneIn.html
Math tutorials.

Mathematicians are People Too
http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/MathQuiz/
Take a quiz to find out what mathematician you are like.

Visual Fractions
http://www.visualfractions.com/
Tutorials on fractions.

Science Resources

Amazing Space
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/
Online explorations including Planet Impact!, Hubble Mission, Galaxies Galore and more!

Atoms Family
http://www.miamisci.org/af/sln/
Science activities.

BBC Science Clips
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/index_flash.shtml
Lots of great science activities.

The Biology Project
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/
Problem sets and tutorials.

Biointeractive from HHMI
http://biointeractive.org/
High school libs such as transgenic fly lab.

Biotechnology Australia
http://www.biotechnology.gov.au/biotechnologyOnline/...
Explore six interactive activities for high school.

Children's Museum of Indianapolis
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/kids/games.htm
Interactive activities including dinosaurs and bones.

Cool Science for Curious Kids
http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/
Interactive learning for science.

Earth Science Games from NASA
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/games/

Exploratorium Online Activities
http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/online.html
Try activities in the following areas: observatory, planet earth, machines & tools, living things, seeing, sport science, human body, mind & perception, and food.

FossWeb
http://www.fossweb.com/
Interactive resources for grades K-2, 3-6, and middle school on many science topics.

The Great Plant Escape
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/
Learn about plants (English and Spanish) for grades 3-5.

Human Anatomy Online from Inner Learning
http://www.innerbody.com/
Learn about the human body.

Nobel Prize Simulations and Games
http://nobelprize.org/search/games-simulations.html
Play games based on award winning work.

This Old Habitat
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/thisoldhabitat/
Visit habitats and learn about ecology.

OMSI Science Activities
http://www.omsi.edu/explore/online.cfm
A dozen science topics and activties.

PBS Kids

Virtual Kitchen from Zoom

Physics Classroom
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/
Tutorials related to physics.

PlanetArkive
http://www.planetarkive.org/games.html
Games and activities for kids related to animals and habitats.

Science Monster
http://www.sciencemonster.com/
Explore information and activities related to science.

Science Stuff from Wicked
http://www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/science/interactives.php
Great interactive games including crusty stuff, plate action, rock cycle, the lab, three in a row, and face your spheres.

Secret at Sea
http://www.secretsatsea.org/
Sea science adventure

Wonderville
http://www.wonderville.ca/
Science adventures for kids

Social Studies Resources

Animated Atlas
http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html
Traces the growth of the United States through animation and sound.

Bens' Guide to US Government
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/
Explore government games for K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Includes a "Locate the States" game.

Chinese Language Puzzle
http://www.askasia.org/VISIBLE_TRACES/games/languagegame.html
Drag the pictographsinto the slots. Includes hittite, egyptian, and sumerian visuals.

Congress for Kids
http://www.congressforkids.net/
Activities on government.

If You Were President
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/games_quizzes/electiongame/game.asp
This simulation asks students questions and then creates a newspaper about becoming president.

EJournal from Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
http://www.mhschool.com/student/ss2003/ejournal.php?language=0&state=0
Lots of activities for grades 3-6. Student take notes on topics.

MacMillan/McGraw-Hill Social Studies
http://www.mhschool.com/student/ss2003/index.php
Resources and links.

Map of China
http://www.askasia.org/VISIBLE_TRACES/games/mapgame.html
Identify the regions of China in the map puzzle.

National Geographic's Xpeditions
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/hall/index.html
Explore the interactive museum.

Our Story in History
http://americanhistory2.si.edu/ourstoryinhistory/tryonline/index.cfm
Interactive activities including building a sod house, "you be the historian", and buffalo hide painting

Out on a Limb
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/conflict/index.html
An interactive guide for getting along.

Links to Resources

Interactive Web Activities from Pioneer Elementary
http://www.asd.wednet.edu/pioneer/barnard/sites/education/interactive.htm

Brain Games from Pioneer Elementary
http://www.asd.wednet.edu/pioneer/barnard/braingames/index.htm

Teacher Resource Center
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/trc/cluster.asp?mode=browse&intPathID=5339

USDA for Kids
http://www.usda.gov/news/usdakids/index.html
Lots of games, activities, and fun interactive things to do.

Return to Top

Drill and Practice, Puzzles, and Quizzes

Many websites contain learning quizzes, games, and activities. As you explore the websites, determine whether they're just for fun or really something that will help students learning a skill or address a standard.

Quiz Builders

Discovery Quiz Center
http://school.discovery.com/quizcenter/quizcenter.html
Create your own online quizzes.

Quia
http://www.quia.com/web
Take quizzes in many different categories. Subscribers can create quizzes. Trial available.

QuizStar
http://quizstar.4teachers.org/
Create quizzes and track students.

General Sites

FunBrain
http://www.funbrain.com/
Lots of great learning quizzes across the curriculum.

Get Smarter
http://www.getsmarter.org/
Fun interactive quizzes on many topics.

Golden Book Fun Factory
http://www.randomhouse.com/golden/funfactory.html
Games, mostly for fun.

Learning Planet
http://members.learningplanet.com/directory/
Some free activities and online books such as Alphabet Action.

Reading and Language Arts Specific Websites

AlphaBits for Kids
http://www.edu4kids.com/alpha/
Basic alphabet practice.

Book Adventures
http://www.bookadventure.com
Similar to Accelerated Reader, this is a free reading motivation program with a tracking system and quizzes based on books.

Book Activities and Games from Kids On The Net
http://kotn.ntu.ac.uk/authors/activity.cfm
Activities and games based on books and reading

EduPlace BrainPower
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/brainpower.html
Explore Brain Teasers, Reading Scene, KidViews, Web Word Find, Current Events, and Using the Web.

EduPlace FakeOut
http://www.eduplace.com/fakeout/
Word game where users guess the definition of words and write their own definitions.

EduPlace Proofreading
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/proofread/
Fun proofreading game.

Grammar Games
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar/archive/grammar_games_index_page01.html
Many games for middle and high school.

Interactive Exercises
http://www.smic.be/smic5022/Onlineexercises.htm
Practice in vocabulary and grammar.

KidBusters Book Quiz
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/kidsread/quiz/home.html
This New Zealand website provides quizzes and clues for three grade levels.

Kids Reads
http://www.kidsreads.com/
Lots of activities based on books including Games and Trivia.

Silly Sentences
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/gallery/sentence.shtml
Write and submit silly sentences.

SpellBee.org
http://www.spellbee.org/
Spelling activity online.

Theodore Tugboat
http://www.theodoretugboat.com/start/
Lots of reading, listening, and playing activities

Math & Science Games and Puzzles

AIMS Puzzle Center
http://www.aimsedu.org/puzzle/index.html
Math puzzles for students.

Algebra Tutorials
http://www.bonita.k12.ca.us/schools/ramona/teachers/carlton/tutorials.html
Lots of tutorials and quizzes.

A Plus Math
http://www.aplusmath.com/Games/index.html
Math games and practice.

Jefferson Lab Games and Puzzles
http://education.jlab.org/indexpages/elementgames.html
Java enabled browser. Include science, math, and element games.

KidWizard
http://www.kidwizard.com/
Interactive games, stories, and other fun related to science.

NCTM Electronic Math Examples
http://standards.nctm.org/document/eexamples/
Great activities by grade level.

Social Studies Games and Puzzles

Geosense
http://www.geosense.net/
Test your knowledge of world geography alone or against other online players. You're given a place and you have to locate it on the map.

US Census Bureau
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/kids/kids.html
Information and quiz.

Other Games

Consider the "game trap." Try one of the "learning games" below. Is it really a "learning" game or just a time waster? What standard would it address? How could it be used effectively? Can you add an activity in another content area to make a connection?

PreK-3 Websites

All Grades

Return to Top

Integrate an Activity

Explore the suggested websites. Design a lesson that uses one of these activities to address a standards.