 | 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. |
HowStuffWorks
Common Sense Media says
Excellent tool for kids with nuts-and-bolts questions.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that HowStuffWorks.com is an award-winning educational site that provides historical information about many age-appropriate topics (these topics include, but aren't limited to, animals, culture, automobiles, politics, money, science, and entertainment). Articles use simple terms to be accessible to a wide age range. The topics that are iffy for younger kids -- drugs, alcohol, sex, weapons, etc. -- are handled in a scientific or historical way. Parents should be aware that sponsored search results and Google Ads may contain inappropriate content.
What kids can learn
Kids can learn in-depth information about any subject ranging from culture to science. The Grand Canyon, diesel engines, fine china, Spiderman’s psyche, and vaccines all await exploration with just a few mouse clicks. In addition to the trademark “How Does [insert topic here] Work?” articles, companion pieces and videos can give kids a deeper dive into the subject matter. The site also covers more personal topics, including articles about relationships, drugs, and sex. On HowStuffWorks, no topic is too large or small to cover. Approach this treasure trove of information with a topic in mind to manage the content blitz.
Skills
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Creativitycombining knowledge, developing novel solutions
- Emotional Development
- Health & Fitness
- Responsibility & Ethics
- Self-Directionacademic development, personal growth
- Tech Skills
- Thinking & Reasoningpart-whole relationships, whole/part relationships
What's it about?
Attention-grabbing content is everywhere on the HowStuffWorks.com homepage to the extent that kids may be initially overwhelmed. Content is grouped into eight categories: Adventure, Auto, Culture, Entertainment, Home & Garden, Money, Science, and Technology. It's further divided into subcategories. Kids can choose from enticing articles, games, quizzes or polls, videos, and more. They can also enter topics in the main search box for an organized list of related articles, images, videos, expert reviews, and web results. Note that search results include all content that contains a particular search word. A search for “newspaper” returns an article about editorial pages and a video about newspaper recycling, but also a story about a man who reads a particular item in a “newspaper.”
Is it any good?
Along with being noted as Time Magazine's "25 Web Sites We Can't Live Without," HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM is also the rightful winner of multiple Webby awards. The site provides a wealth of information and is an excellent learning tool for kids with lots of nuts-and-bolts questions. HowStuffWorks.com is a great source for researching school projects or just discovering something new. It has successfully covered articles on both everyday stuff (energy drinks, laughter, allergies) and not-so-everyday stuff (black holes, lie detectors, symbiosis). That said, the site definitely sells and promotes more than free knowledge (Consumer Guide is a partner), and searches also scour the entire web, offering sponsored results (aka places to spend money), followed by the site's links. Users should understand that some material is not for younger kids, but overall this is a sanctuary that gets to the heart of comprehending many of life's inquiries.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how to find reliable information on the Internet. What are safe sites to browse? How can you tell which sites are trustworthy?
Families can also discuss the importance of safety online. Who is -- and who is not -- OK to share information with?
What kids can learn
Kids can learn in-depth information about any subject ranging from culture to science. The Grand Canyon, diesel engines, fine china, Spiderman’s psyche, and vaccines all await exploration with just a few mouse clicks. In addition to the trademark “How Does [insert topic here] Work?” articles, companion pieces and videos can give kids a deeper dive into the subject matter. The site also covers more personal topics, including articles about relationships, drugs, and sex. On HowStuffWorks, no topic is too large or small to cover. Approach this treasure trove of information with a topic in mind to manage the content blitz.
Subjects
- Arts:
- Hobbies: building, gardening
- Language & Reading:
- Math:
- Science:
- Social Studies:
Skills
- Collaboration:
- Communication:
- Creativity: combining knowledge, developing novel solutions
- Emotional Development:
- Health & Fitness:
- Responsibility & Ethics:
- Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth
- Tech Skills:
- Thinking & Reasoning: part-whole relationships, whole/part relationships
How kids will learn
Real-world content -- often in response to current events -- and in-article links make HowStuffWorks.com a high-tech version of the traditional neighborhood library. Articles are broken into sections for easier digestion. Detailed images, animations, and narrated video provide a strong visual component missing from printed texts. Watch out: Articles may have links to quizzes that are off topic and blog content that's geared toward adults.
How parents can help
- Look for how-to articles on projects to do away from the computer. Your kids could "Grow an Indoor Herb Garden," for example.
- Encourage kids to become information experts themselves by creating their own versions of HowStuffWorks.com content or shooting original videos.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
It can teach
I searched for Punnett Squares and it can teach you really well. You can try it with how plushes were made or electronics and more.
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AGE
a good choice for the curious kid (or kid at heart)
Although some content is technical, knowledge-hungry kids will find this site worth the read. Ads are present, but are kid friendly and by far the least interesting part of the web page.
Also, i like this site for children because it encourages reading for personal pleasure and imaginativeness/curiosity: two things that are not always easy to instill in some children.
Also, the content is aimed at all age groups, kids to seniors. Because of this, the language (minus technical terms) is easy to read and understand, and adults can find interesting topics, too.
From, "how bed bugs work" to, "how credit scores work," any curious, literate person can enjoy howstuffworks*.
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Kid, 11 years old
October 9, 2011
AGE
Really gooood
it is a great site mostly can be used for kids!!! i have quite satified with this site!!! :-)
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AGE
Be afraid that this website will come after you
This place is garbage. Please don't allow your children to visit this site. They run the risk of having a copyright infringement case filed against them. I posted a link to their website on Yahoo Answers and received an infringement violation 2 years later. This website files complaints against people who drive traffic to their website and complains about people who DON'T INFRINGE ON COPYRIGHT MATERIAL.
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AGE
How stuff works
This you tube video is good for kids because it teaches them how stuff works. It teaches them with things to how stuff works like toys and how to put together objects. This is a good thing for kids to watch they can learn and use this to follow them throughout growing up.
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| Genre: | Educational |
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