The Librarian's Internet: Not Just Fun and Games
Free online activities make learning child's play
By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 10/1/2002
FunBrain Games
www.funbrain.com/kidscenter.html
This is the best collection of interactive word, number, and science games on the Web. The more than 60 games work with both high-speed and modem-based Net connections, and you can search for games by age, subject, title, or keyword. Kids don't need to register to play. Grades: K–12. Created by: The Family Education Network, Old Tappan, NJ. Don't Miss: "Brain Bowl," "Math Baseball," and "Where Is That"—three absorbing two-player games that kids and teachers will love. Requirements: Java-enabled browser.
Funschool Games and Activities
www.funschool.com/games.php?section=g1
Here are nearly 200 highly creative history, language, science, math, and geography games arranged by grade level. Most are available in different skill levels, from easy to difficult. Because of the large graphics, these games work best with high-speed Net connections. Visitors don't need to register, but do have to view the banner ads. Grades: K-6. Created by: Kaboose Inc., Toronto, Canada. Don't Miss: "Type Me," a neat game that teaches kids how to use a computer keyboard. Good for hunt-and-peck beginners, as well as kids who want to type faster. Requirements:
Java-enabled browser, Flash, Shockwave.
Quia Games and Activities
www.quia.com/web
More than 1,000 teacher-created online games and activities on more than 70 topics are available on this site. Click the "Public Directory" link to see them all. The games are free, but you can create custom games and store them if you subscribe for $49 per year (nice, but not necessary). Grades: 4–12. Created by: Quia Corp, Burlingame, CA. Don't Miss: A wonderful selection of hard-to-find foreign language games. Check out the "Library Science" games too! Requirements: Java-enabled
browser.
Zeeks Games
www.zeeks.com/games/zeekGames.asp
Here you'll find about 200 learning and just-for-fun games arranged by topic and alphabetically by title. Games work best using Internet Explorer. Registration not required. Pages contain banner ads. Grades: 5–10. Created by: Kaboose Inc., Toronto, Canada. Don't Miss: Check out the game reviews written by kids—interesting and fun for youngsters to read. Requirements: Java-enabled browser, Flash,
Shockwave.
www.prongo.com/quiz
This site offers a nice set of learning and just-for-fun games—six brain-teaser quizzes and more than 40 games—arranged by age groups (3–6, 6–9, 9–12). Registration is not required; however, you'll have to cope with the ads. Grades: K–12. Created by: Jeffrey Anderson, Naperville, IL. Don't Miss: "Batter's Up Baseball," a clever and challenging math game. Requirements: Java-enabled browser, Flash.
| Author Information |
| Gail Junion-Metz (Gail@iage.com), SLJ's Librarian's Internet columnist, is a librarian and president of Information Age Consultants. |
