WhiteHouse.gov/kids

Common Sense Media says

Government lessons without the politics.

Age(i)

2
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9
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17

Quality(i)

 
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What parents need to know

Positive messages

Promotes learning about government officials, branches of government, and discovering your own ideas about what it means to be an American via the site's printable "My American Journal."

Violence

A couple of sections discuss supporting the troops in current conflicts. There's a "freedom timeline" that tells stories about past wars.

Sex
Not applicable
Language
Not applicable
Consumerism

This is a .gov site created by the executive branch, so expect a few propaganda-ish phrases in some sections on issues like the war.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Not applicable

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this site is the kids' portion of the official site for the executive branch of the U.S. government. The history lessons stay neutral and the games are educational. Portions of the site comes across as PR material -- like the bios for the president, first lady, VP, and his wife -- but, overall, kids see Barney (Bush's dog) promoted here far more than administration officials. There is a link to the "adult" White House site.

Parents say

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AGE
13
QUALITY
 
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Kids say

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What's it about?

There's much more to WHITEHOUSE.GOV/KIDS than watching Barney the dog run around the White House Christmas tree every December. This site has many fun, useful sections on American history, executive branch information, and other educational games and activities for kids who are old enough to read.

Is it any good?

QUALITY
 

Some of the site may seem a bit too canned for adults, especially related to troop activity and education reform, as well as personal bios of the current administration leaders. But there's enough kid bite-size history and U.S. government and education lessons on this site to make it worth a look or two. It would be interesting to revisit the site after the upcoming presidential election to see how it changes with a different administration. Even if you're not interested in the overall site, the downloadable, printable "My American Journal" is an excellent resource for pre-voters to begin thinking about community and political involvement and the importance of knowing how our government works and who represents its citizens.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about the government. What's the role of the executive branch? The downloadable, printable My American Journal offers countless opportunities for parents and kids to discuss what it means to be an American. The open-ended questions like, "I am proud to be an American because..." and "My friends and family can support out troops by..." may have very different answers in different families.

Website details

Genre:Educational
Pricing structure:Free

This review of WhiteHouse.gov/kids was written by

Dana Villamagna

About our rating system

  • 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 of any age.

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Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging, great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging, good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging, okay learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Teen, 16 years old Written by900david January 8, 2009
AGE
17
QUALITY
 

good

very good
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Parent of a 8 and 9 year old Written byBonna February 14, 2011
AGE
8
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What other families should know
Educational value
Great messages
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