PBS KIDS
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The parents' guide to what's in this website.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that PBS KIDS is an educational, jam-packed-with-fun site that will endear many kids with games, videos, and quests featuring their favorite PBS television show characters. Relatively new features such as The Great Word Quest, Wild Kratts, and the Webonatus Internet Academy add even more depth of learning, adventure, and fun to an already stacked site. This is high-quality online time for kids.
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User Reviews
Excellent Educational Website
Perfect for tweens
Love it! Play on my free time
What's it about?
Kids will likely enjoy exploring the PBS KIDS site. Dozens of videos and games provide information on animals, math, habitats like rainforests and deserts - -and an impressive amount of other topics. Kids can watch entire episodes of shows like the nature-themed Wild Kratts; short videos on subjects like punctuation; or play fun, engaging, easy to figure out games that often offer prizes for reaching higher levels. A space-themed Webonauts Internet Academy also helps teach kids responsible virtual world behavior.
Is it any good?
This is a fantastically fun, educational site for kids that just keeps getting better with each addition. PBS KIDS has added more winners to its already strong lineup of games and videos related to quality shows like Cyberchase, Arthur, and The Electric Company. Interactive games from newly featured shows like the Wild Kratts, which includes one game that teaches kids about habitats around the globe while they earn cool animal-power suits for their avatars, engage kids in multi-visit quests. The Great Word Quest offers a wealth of word play. The Webonauts Internet Academy teaches kids how to behave safely and responsibly online in virtual worlds. The options for more fun, learning adventures go on and on...
Online interaction: Some portions of the site offer kids the option to add friends to their profile (but they have to know their friends' usernames to send an invite), send an email link to a game or video clip, and share site favorites through their profiles.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about why PBS KIDS is good practice for younger kids who are new to online normalcies like creating profiles, quests, and virtual worlds. Discuss the Webonauts Internet Academy's online motto "Observe, Respect, Contribute." What does that mean for your child's time online?
Even though PBS KIDS shows and websites are often top-quality educational fare, when you add up time in front of the tube and the monitor, it can become too much screen time. Talk to your kids about your family's screen time limits.
Take the learning offline and talk to your kids about their favorite shows and games.
Website details
- Subjects: Science: animals, engineering, biology, ecosystems, life cycle, measurement, plants
Social Studies: citizenship, cultural understanding, exploration, geography, global awareness
Arts: music, rhythm - Skills: Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth, self-reflection
Thinking & Reasoning: analyzing evidence, applying information, asking questions, collecting data, hypothesis-testing, investigation, logic, making conclusions, solving puzzles, thinking critically
Health & Fitness: balanced diet, body awareness, exercise, fitness
Responsibility & Ethics: embracing differences, fiscal responsibility, honoring the community, integrity, respect for others
Emotional Development: empathy, identifying emotions, labeling feelings, perspective taking
Tech Skills: using and applying technology - Genre: Educational
- Pricing structure: Free
For kids who love to play games online
Our editors recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.