 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Funology
Common Sense Media says
Full of ideas for crafts and experiments.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there are numerous ads from sponsors such as The Disney Store, Toys R Us, Scholastic, and Hearthsong, among others. Two banner ads and seven smaller ads appear per page. On the plus side, most of these adorn the bottom of the page, and kids would have to scroll down to see them. The arcade games area has annoying bouncing ads warning that your computer could be infected by a virus.
What kids can learn
Kids can expand their knowledge about many different subjects (biology, weather, animals) by exploring the site's menu of crafts, recipes, science experiments, and more. They can learn to follow directions through step-by-step instructions to create something new, perform a magic trick, or play an outdoor game with friends. They can improve comprehension skills by reading fun facts, learning new jokes, or playing word games (both online and off). From arts and crafts to science experiments, Funology provides a variety of activities that can be done at home and away from the computer.
Subjects
- Language & Readingfollowing directions, reading, reading comprehension
- Math
- Scienceanimals, biology, chemistry, physics, weather
- Social Studies
- Arts
- Hobbies
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning
- Creativityimagination, making new creations
- Self-Directionacademic development, personal growth, work to achieve goals
- Emotional Development
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Tech Skills
- Health & Fitness
What's it about?
Did you know that when you cough, air moves through your windpipe at 1,000 feet per second? That's only one of the fun scientific facts found in the That's Odd area of this site. In the Boredom Buster section, kids learn to fashion coffee filters into butterflies, create a papier-mâché dinosaur egg, and make tin can stilts. Ooze into the Laboratory for some science experiments involving household items, or visit the Kitchen to try out the easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Is it any good?
Funology abounds with wacky jokes, riddles, quizzes, magic tricks, and more, and refreshingly, the majority of the games at this site are not of the online variety. Kids are encouraged to find a few friends and try out such all-time great playground pastimes as Sharks and Minnows, Don't Wake Daddy, and more. There are also a few arcade games of varying quality.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about different kinds of online advertising. Which of this site's ads did you notice first? If you're playing a game that's sponsored by a cereal brand or features characters from its commercials, does that count as an ad? Why or why not?
How much time to your kids think is ok to spend online. Talk about setting screen limits with your kids and decide together what works best for your family.
What kids can learn
Kids can expand their knowledge about many different subjects (biology, weather, animals) by exploring the site's menu of crafts, recipes, science experiments, and more. They can learn to follow directions through step-by-step instructions to create something new, perform a magic trick, or play an outdoor game with friends. They can improve comprehension skills by reading fun facts, learning new jokes, or playing word games (both online and off). From arts and crafts to science experiments, Funology provides a variety of activities that can be done at home and away from the computer.
Subjects
- Language & Reading: following directions, reading, reading comprehension
- Math:
- Science: animals, biology, chemistry, physics, weather
- Social Studies:
- Arts:
- Hobbies:
Skills
- Thinking & Reasoning:
- Creativity: imagination, making new creations
- Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth, work to achieve goals
- Emotional Development:
- Communication:
- Collaboration:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Tech Skills:
- Health & Fitness:
How kids will learn
Kids can follow simple instructions for many of the activities, though they may need assorted household objects and parental help for some. They can work together to learn a new game, create a craft project, or conduct an experiment. The activities are presented simply and clearly, though most require reading in order to follow the directions. With so many offerings here, kids will enjoy choosing the subjects and activities that appeal specifically to them.
How parents can help
- Ask kids to point out their favorite section and talk about why they are interested in that particular topic.
- Offer to help kids with a project from the site and let them be the guide through each of the steps.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
A wealth of ideas!
Some wonderful ideas here - highly recommended
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| Genre: | Educational |
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