Thrively
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The parents' guide to what's in this website.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Thrively is a website that helps kids find online and local activities that fit in with their particular interests. Parents can register themselves by entering a first and last name, an email address, a ZIP code, and a password; they then submit their child's first name, birthday, and gender. Kids' experience on the site should be safe. Thrively doesn't contain racy content or images. However, it frequently links to external sites that provide additional information on programs or events the site suggests -- sending kids away from the closed environment the site provides (though it's primarily a parent resource, so you may not have to worry).
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What's it about?
Founded by a tech entrepreneur and Pandora's founding CEO, THRIVELY was created with input from pediatric neuropsychologists. Parents select potential areas of interest, and kids take an assessment test that identifies 23 potential strengths. The site then suggests activities tailored to kids' interests and strengths; Thrively says it has more than 100,000 on file. Kids can click on a "Done It" button when they've completed an activity, and parents and kids can view kids' progress using separate site dashboards. Users also can share activity boards with other members of their social circles.
Is it any good?
Thrively has an interesting premise: Parents choose several subjects they think their kid would be interested in. Then their child takes an assessment test, created with input from pediatric neuropsychologists, that identifies academic and personality strengths. Thrively's system then generates suggested activities and information to help kids learn more about certain topics. The quiz asks multiple choice questions like "If you were in a race and someone fell next to you, what would you do?" -- then gives kids some pretty accurate info about their best assets. It's fun to take, though a bit long, and both kids and parents will appreciate the insight it offers. Thrively's suggestions often involve classes, workshops, and other events in a kids' area -- many of which cost money to attend, which could be a barrier to some families. (There's a bit of educational content that you can find directly on the site, which is cool, though offline activities are the real focus here.)
Courses, workshops, and similar items listed on the site are labeled by age level, gender, and other qualifications -- so, if you're looking for a way to find kid-centric activities in your town, Thrively can serve as a helpful directory that zones in your kids' interests. It also features some links to sites that have learning-based games and other items. Thrively can be a handy search tool, but seems to have potential for more depth in the future.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can discuss strengths and weaknesses. Ask your child to identify a few skills -- and some things that your child feels are difficult to do. Discuss positive ways to enhance current skills and build new ones.
Talk about changing behaviors or learning new things over a period of time. Ask your child: How can you break down a lesson or goal into steps to make it easier?
How does your child react when a new task feels hard to complete? Talk about positive ways to deal with frustration.
Website details
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading, spelling
Science: engineering, ecosystems
Social Studies: history, power structures - Skills: Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth
- Genre: Educational
- Pricing structure: Paid, Free
For kids who love activities
Our editors recommend
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