Kids' Corner

700+ Amazing, Spectacular, Mysterious, Wonderful Web Sites for Kids and the Adults Who Care About Them
The largest juried collection of children's sites in cyberspace, this site includes links to online resources for fun and learning reviewed and organized by children's librarians. Compiled by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.
http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/

A. Pintura, Art Detective
This clever site uses a Dashiell Hammett detective style to help children explore the world of art. Adults will enjoy it too.
http://www.eduweb.com/pintura

Amazon Interactive
Explore the geography of the Ecuadorian Amazon through online games and activities. Learn about the rainforest, the people who call it home and much more.
http://www.eduweb.com/amazon.html

Anne Frank Online
Over one million children under the age of sixteen died in the Holocaust. Anne Frank was one of them.
http://www.annefrank.com/

AOL Kids Only
Colorful, well designed area with links to thousands of kid-friendly sites for entertainment and education. With AOL Parental Controls turned on, the area and its links can become a closed community for children. ALA's Parents Page and links to all 700 Great Sites are accessible. Available to America Online subscribers at Keyword: kids.

ArtEdventure!
This site is truly a masterpiece! It includes a wonderfully engaging interactive mystery game called Leonardo's Workshop, which looks at da Vinci's inventions, the Renaissance, and the Middle Ages. The site also offers tons of information on art in general, including definitions of all the principles and elements of art and other art concepts; explanations of artistic styles from Baroque to Surrealism; and mini-biographies of many artists with samples of their work; and much, much more. A very colorful and well-illustrated site!
http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/

The Arthur Page
For Arthur fans everywhere. This site from PBS offers games, stories and children's art featuring the popular character created by Marc Brown.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/arthur

Art Institute of Chicago
Check out the "Kids and Family" pages of this site to discover details about selected masterpieces and artifacts featured at the Museum. Also included are a calendar of events especially for kids and families and information on new, continuing, and future exhibitions.
http://www.artic.edu

Bill Nye the Science Guy
Nye applies his entertaining approach to science to the Web, with a Demo of the Day, highlights from the day's television episode and a chance to e-mail your own query.
http://www.billnye.com/

Black History
This Black History site explores African-American issues on the Web through a full range of activities.
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/AfroAm.html

The Boomerwolf
Join the Boomerwolf Detective Agency and help solve a case. Designed for children, this site offers both amusing characters and sound science.
http://www.boomerwolf.com/

Boowa and Kwala
For kids 2-8 years old. Play games, read stories, join a sing-along and go on virtual adventures with the friendly creatures Boowa and Kwala.
http://www.boowakwala.com

Brian Jacques Home Page
Created for fans and friends of the Redwall books by David Lindsay, age 13.
http://www.islandnet.com/~qnd/dave/jacques.html

Brookfield Zoo
This wild Web site guides you through an exciting and educational exploration of the zoo and the world! Countless photos of the zoo's exhibits include facts about animal habitats and where they are located throughout the world. General information about the zoo is also included.
http://www.brookfieldzoo.org

Chicago Children's Museum
Chicago Children's Museum Web site includes a virtual tour of their exhibits, interactive games, and lots of links for kids, parents and educators.
http://www.chichildrensmuseum.org

Chicago Public Library Homework Help
Provides annotated booklists, space games and trivia, plus hot links in categories from "Just for Fun" to "Sites for Parents and Teachers." Popular features include an African-American history pathfinder and Chicago-related information like the Deaths, Disturbances and Disasters pages.
http://www.chipublib.org

Crayola
Includes a "coloring book," craft activities, games, a tour of a crayon factory, resources for parents, teachers and more.
http://www.crayola.com/

CyberSleuth Kids
Search the internet. An Internet search guide for K-12 student.
http://cybersleuth-kids.com/

Dav Pilkey's Web Site O' Fun
The award-winning author and illustrator gets silly (and serious) in a site designed to encourage creativity and fun.
http://www.pilkey.com/

Disney
A colorful site including movie video clips and songs, everyone's favorite characters, plus games and activities for the whole family.
http://www.disney.com

ESPN SportsZone
This Java-enabled, artistically designed Web site not only chronicles the latest scores, vital statistics, and charismatic personalities of sports, it also exhibits multi-media enhancements that make cybersurfers feel as if they are "at the game."
http://ESPN.com/

The Exploratorium
The science museum in San Francisco mounts electronic versions of hands-on exhibits like the science of hockey, tracking severe storms and how to dissect a cow's eye.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/

Exploring Leonardo
Learn about the quirks and complexities of Leonardo da Vinci, artist, scientist, inventor.
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeoHomePage.html

FEMA for Kids
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helps people who have been in a disaster. They also teach people what to do during a disaster and what to do BEFORE a disaster happens.
http://www.fema.gov/kids

Field Museum of Natural History
A wonderful site filled with colorful graphics and easy-to-read, interesting facts taken from the museum's special and on-going exhibitions. It also includes on-line tours of selected exhibits, including photos and explanations.
http://www.fmnh.org

Franklin Institute Science Museum
A wealth of fun, educational and exciting information from the famed Philadelphia museum. Visit the online exhibits. Educational "hotlists" offer valuable homework connections. Check out the "Kids Did This! Hotlist" featuring the work of children in areas such as art, science and social studies.
http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/welcome.html

Funorama Fun for Kids
Activity center and bookstore for kids. Kids, parents, and teachers can download and print fun and educational projects.
http://www.funorama.com

Harry Potter
The official website. Accept no substitutions!
http://www.harrypotter.com

Honey information from the National Honey Board
A sweet, little site devoted to honey. Offers honey trivia, history, recipes, and games along with interesting honey bee facts.
http://www.honey.com/consumers/kids/default.asp

Illinois Bureau of Tourism
Discover Illinois! There are millions of places to visit and things to see in your home state.
http://www.enjoyillinois.com/

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Parks
Learn about all of Illinois' state parks and other natural areas.
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/

Illinois EPA's Envirofun
Kids can help protect the earth's air, land, and water. Fun stuff like putting worms to work for you.
http://www.epa.state.il.us/kids/

Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Information about state historic sites and memorials.
http://www.state.il.us/hpa

Illinois State Museum Exhibits
Follow the links to learn about the history of Illinois, the ice ages, fossils and state symbols of Illinois.
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/index.html    

Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages
Recommendations for families that would like to explore the Web together.
http://www.netmom.com/nicesites.html

Internet Public Library - Illinois Facts
Quick facts about Illinois with links to good Illinois sites.
http://www.ipl.org/youth/stateknow/il1.html

Katerpillars (& Mystery Bugs)
The fascinating world of bugs brought to you by the University of Kentucky Entomology Department. This site includes crafts and projects, tips on insect collecting, and even some yummy recipes! Who can resist "Ants-on-a-Log?" Teachers and parents will enjoy this site too.
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/ythfacts/entyouth.htm

KCarroll's Horse Country
The ultimate site for equestrians and other horse lovers. Topics include: the horse in history, the horse in art, breeding, racing and horse shows.
http://www.horse-country.com/

Kids Click!
Kids Click! is a great place for kids to find Web sites. There are categories of sites and a search engine.
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!

Kids for Conservation
Learn about natural resources and conservation in Illinois.
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/kids/kids.htm

Kids Media Club ­ Japan
Site hosted by Japanese child interested in meeting other kids from around the world to talk about Japan and related culture. Pokemon and Hello Kitty featured.
http://www.kidsmc.com//

KidsConnect
Online question and answer service for kids K-12. Sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association, with support from Microsoft.
http://www.ala.org/ICONN/AskKC.html

Lincoln Park Zoo
Check the zoo's calendar, the Lion House Live Cam and take a tour of this Chicago landmark.
http://www.lpzoo.com

Magic School Bus Page
Find out what Ms. Frizzle and her class are up to now.
http://scholastic.com/MagicSchoolBus

Major League Baseball
League news, up-to-date player statistics, an MLB library and much more are available on this colorful and easy-to-use official Web site of Major League Baseball.
http://www.majorleaguebaseball.com

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood
An interactive, and fun time in the famous Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. http://www.pbs.org/rogers

Multnomah County Library KidsPage, Portland, Ore.
An action-packed, animated site. Special features include a scavenger hunt and other games, "good stuff to read," homework help, hot links to cool sites, jokes, riddles and more.
http://www.multnomah.lib.or.us/lib/kids

Museum of Science and Industry
Visit the museum's exhibits, see what's new, play a game, and get help planning your visit to the museum.
http://www.msichicago.org

Myths and Fables from around the World
This site lives up to its name, featuring legends from Africa, India, Japan, and Native America. Print is large, easy to read, andaccompanied by colorful graphics.
http://www.afro.com/children/myths/myths.html

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Find out how to get photos from space, see a launch and more. Teachers can get a lesson plan.
http://www.nasa.gov/

National Basketball Association
Consult team schedules, find out game results, and enjoy video highlight clips and feature articles on the official site of the National Basketball Association.
http://www.nba.com

National Football League
The official site of the National Football League includes team updates and season schedules, weekly game recaps, current standings, up-to-date injury reports and much more.
http://www.nfl.com

NationalGeographic/Kids!
One of the best resources for information on the Net about the world, its people and its wildlife.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids

National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian
A beautiful site in the family of excellent Smithsonian Web pages, with notes on current exhibitions, research links, publications and more.
http://www.si.edu/nmai/

National Wildlife Federation
The Kids Page features articles in English and Spanish from Ranger Rick, the environmental magazine for children; a homework help section; and briefings on issues such as the wetlands, endangered animals, water quality and more.
http://www.nwf.org/kids

New Moon
An advertising-free electronic magazine for girls and their dreams, with strong sections for parents.
http://www.newmoon.org/

Nickelodeon
Nick trivia, viewer mail, and gossip pertaining to the popular cable station, along with information on how kids can get involved in local community projects.
http://www.nick.com

The Nine Planets
The Nine Planets is an overview of the history, mythology and current scientific knowledge of the planets and their moons in our solar system. Each page has text and images, some have sounds and movies. A multimedia tour of the solar system by Bill Arnett.
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/nineplanets.html

Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
Colorful gateway to a wealth of educational and fun online resources for "webtots" to "webteens."
http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us

The Oregon Trail
The story of the trail and those who traveled it. A compendium great western journey. Includes great stories in the Fantastic Facts section. Related to the PBS program on the Oregon Trail.
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Oregontrail.html

Origami
Clear instructions and elegant models in the traditional Japanese art of paperfolding from Joseph Wu in Japan.
http://www.origami.vancouver.bc.ca/

Quillo's Online Zoo
Quillo the Hedgehog takes kids on a zoo tour. Includes a web ring dedicated to animals, reading tips, and fun stuff links.
http://members.tripod.com/~Quillio/

Reading Rainbow
Storytime with Levar Burton. Find books and play games. Fun for kids and parents together!
http://www.pbs.org/readingrainbow

RIF Reading Planet
Read Along Stories and Songs!
www.rif.org/readingplanet/content/read_aloud_stories.mspx

Science Fair Project Resource Guide                              
An excellent resource from the Internet Public Library that links kids to all sorts of exceptional resources for their projects.
http://www.ipl.org/youth/projectguide

Sesame Workshop
Sesame Street in cyberspace, home of the Cookie Monster and the other characters of the popular CTW program.
http://www.ctw.org/

Seussville
The official Web site for Dr. Seuss (requires Shockwave to play games).
http://www.seussville.com/

John G. Shedd Aquarium
This site features fun facts about the museum and its history, along with photos and profiles of its many underwater inhabitants. You can also check out current events and exhibits.
http://www.sheddnet.org

Sounds of the World's Animals
It's bowwow in English, but wanwan in Japanese. Learn how people describe the sounds animals make in 13 languages. From Professor Catherine Ball, Dept. of Linguistics, Georgetown University.
http://www.georgetown.edu/cball/animals/animals.html

Sports Illustrated for Kids
A busy, colorful site with articles about sports figures from Jackie Robinson to Jackie Joyner-Kersee, league standings, games and more.
http://www.sikids.com

State of Illinois Home Page for Kids
State symbols, explore the environment, get tips on topics such as bike and fire safety. Good graphics.
http://www.state.il.us/kids

Tech Junior
Enjoy this list of recommended sites from an Orland Park Public Library staff member. These sites are most appropriate for the newest computer users, grades 4-5.
http://www.orlandparklibrary.org/youth_tech_junior.htm

Tech Rookies
Enjoy this list of recommended sites from an Orland Park Public Library staff member. These sites are most appropriate for the newest computer users, grades 1-3.
http://www.orlandparklibrary.org/youth_tech_rookies.htm

U.S. Postal Service
Stamp collecting information and more.
http://www.usps.com

Virginia Hamilton
The gifted storyteller and writer applies her internationally recognized creative abilities to this wonderfully accessible site.
http://www.virginiahamilton.com/home.htm/

Virtual Frog Dissection Kit
A site where no amphibians are sacrificed for science with instructions in many languages.
http://froggy.lbl.gov/virtual/

Volcano World
Learn about volcanoes around the world while viewing awesome photos and movies. Part of a NASA project.
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/

Whelmers
A science site with activities that aim to catch the mind and eye of even the most indifferent students.
http://www.mcrel.org

The Why Files
This project of the National Institute for Science Education offers well-researched and clearly written investigations of current topics in science. A new story is posted every other week, and the site also includes a small but worthy collection of scientific images.
http://whyfiles.org

Wicked 4 Kids
Links for kids and adults. Includes games, jokes and riddles, puzzles, quizzes, cooking, and crafts.
http://www.wicked4kids.com

World Flag Database
Large, clear, printable flag graphics and basic country information can be found here.
http://www.flags.net

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