 | 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. |
Questacon
Common Sense Media says
No need to go Down Under with robust Aussie science site.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this site contains an extensive amount of educational material about science, technology, animals, and more that's based on the touring and permanent exhibits at Australia's National Science and Technology Center. Parents and teachers also can use questions on the site to prompt a discussion before, during, or after going to the museum or visiting the site -- although take note, the site does touch on a couple of controversial topics, like cloning, and while almost all external links lead to university Web sites and other safe outlets, a few do link to personal sites.
Is it any good?
With the amount of fun packed into QUESTACON, there's almost no need to trek down under to visit the actual center. The site offers detailed information -- presented in a conversational tone -- about the center's exhibits and topics. However, the Questacon site isn't just a bunch of articles. Kids will find plenty of activities to do when they're viewing the site and plenty to do later, including easy-to-follow instructions for scientific experiments they can perform at home, like creating a bobbing clown toy to learn how a low center of gravity works. Some are illustrated with short videos. The site also features a number of simple games and some stuff that's sure to pique kids' interest about science, like galaxy photos taken via telescope and information on natural disasters.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why learning about science is important. Why should we understand how things work? How does it help to see how or why things work, as opposed to just
reading about them?What are safe games, and what ones aren't a good idea to play? How do you know what to look for in a game you find on a Web site -- and what to stay away from?
A lot of science involves theory and experimentation. How do you start trying to prove something when you're not sure if you're right?
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| Genre: | Educational |
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