Horrible Histories
Edgy, goofy history site pushes product over past.
Parents say
Based on 2 reviews
Horrible Histories
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this website.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that kids don't register or enter any personal information to play games on this history-centric site, which is based on the BBC Horrible Histories show and the Scholastic book series. It's a goofy, grisly take on historical events and people, such as the Terrifying Tudors and Ruthless Romans. The site features a Villain of the Week, games, printables, and other fun stuff, but kids may get distracted by the many links to purchase books, DVDs, and other Horrible Histories products.
Community Reviews
Brilliant for children interested in history
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Helped My Kids Develop Their Interest in History
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What’s It About?
The bestselling Horrible Histories book series has an irreverent take on the standard historical subjects -- it refers to past civilizations as the Awful Egyptians and Terrible Tudors. The subsequent TV show, which has aired on BBC's kids' channel since 2009, depicts key events in comedic sketches. Similarly, daily history facts, villain profiles, and other Horrible Histories website items poke gentle fun at past events. Much of the site is dedicated to showing promotion-related appearances and products. However, it also includes history quizzes, downloadable wallpaper, and more than half a dozen games.
Is It Any Good?
HORRIBLE HISTORIES has a lot of potential. The site's daily historical facts and weekly villain bios provide a quick, funny -- and, most importantly, interesting -- look at key historical figures and events. Its games are generally fun to play. And the one TV show scene that's readily available on the site, which pokes fun at witch hunters, does a good job of providing historical background and humor without going overboard or being mean.
Unfortunately, Horrible Histories isn't jam-packed with those kinds of resources. Kids should pick up some interesting historical facts to enhance what they're learning in school. But the site seems very focused on promoting the Horrible Histories book series, toys, and other products, and it misses some key opportunities to explain and illustrate past civilizations and events. Site quizzes, for example, would be more effective if they offered information on why answers are right or wrong. Site games could focus more on the era and events they seem based on and a bit less on making kids laugh. (Do users really need to see someone sitting on a toilet -- and see how faulty the related sewage system is?)
Kids may enjoy playing a few of the games and checking out the history factoids. But, without additional details, they might not get any sense of how the events mentioned on the site fit into history as a whole -- which would be horrible indeed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why learning about history is important. Can your child identify a few key events that helped people make significant social or economic changes in the U.S.?
Talk about how much time you should spend online each day, even if you're looking at educational sites that can help you learn about topics you study in school.
Discuss how life during one of the time periods that Horrible Histories has covered differs from now. What would your child's day be like in that era?
Website Details
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading, storytelling, Social Studies: events, historical figures, history
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: logic, part-whole relationships, strategy, Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: History, Pirates
- Last updated: March 8, 2020
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