KidsCom® (www.kidscom.com) can help you advance your students' learning in the classroom, at home and at camp with fun, entertaining and lively games and information. For nearly any curriculum, KidsCom has activities that are entertaining and reinforce what children are learning in the classroom, especially reading and writing. The site has content appropriate for any elementary school student (K-6), depending upon each student's learning level. KidsCom is also fully compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

View the activities below or print the booklet.

Encouraging kids to spend time on KidsCom can leverage the following subjects:

Reading and Comprehension:

Spec and Tra Action Series—Click on "Adventure" and then go to the "Spec and Tra Action Adventure Series" Don't be fooled by this animated online cartoon! In addition to teaching some basic lessons of right and wrong, kids get to guide the superheroes through their adventure by answering multiple choice questions on various topics such as the environment and science. Kids will be reading and learning while they follow our heroes, Spec and Tra, through an awesome adventure.

Writing:

Write Me a Story—Click on "Create" and then go to "Write Me a Story" Students can practice their creative writing skills, share their imagination, read fun stories and maybe even get published on the Internet! Each week KidCom challenges kids to write a story using a predetermined character, place and prop. We encourage all types of stories—funny, sad or silly—and some of the best ones will be published on the site!

Find a KeyPal—Click on "Make Friends" and then go to "Find a KeyPal" Students and classrooms can safely find a friend anywhere around the world and "talk" online together through e-mail. This provides an ideal way for students to practice writing skills, while learning about kids in other parts of the globe at the same time. To be a KeyPal, students must be properly registered on the site, although teachers can register an entire group of kids.

KidsCom KidsChat—Click on "Chat & Buzz" and then go to "KidsCom KidsChat" While only open during certain times of the day, KidsCom KidsChat hosts chat rooms for kids fully monitored by KidsCom employees, and attracts children from around the globe. It's another great way to practice writing skills and share ideas, while at the same time learn about kids and customs from other places. To participate in KidsChat, students must be properly registered on the site with adult permission, although teachers can register an entire group of kids. No personally identifiable information including e-mail addresses can be posted.

Spelling:

Super Hangman—Click on "Games" to find "Super Hangman" KidsCom has turned this traditional game of hangman into a fun and animated game! Kids will have a blast practicing their spelling skills! Not only does this promote educational value, it also rewards kids for a job well done. Registered kids on the site can earn KidsKash Points for prizes, which will keep them playing (see the Math and Savings section below).

Biology:

Animals of the World—Click on "Games" to find "Animals of the World" Kids learn facts about all kinds of creatures, including where they live, what their habitats are like, what they eat and what self-defense mechanisms they have in this puzzle-like game that keeps them interested in reading and learning. The categories include mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, and insects and arachnids.

Geography:

Dumonde GPS—Click on "Adventure" to find "Dumonde GPS" This game tests students' knowledge of geography, cities and countries from around the world in a fun way. Set up competitions to see which students can get the most points!

On Location—Click on "Adventure" and then go to "On Location" Take a tour with other kids to cities around the world. Students can learn about these cities, and can even write a short essay to KidsCom as to why we should visit your hometown. Kids can even hear other kids recite an Internet safety message in different languages.

Science:

iPlanetarium—Click on "Adventure" and then go to "iPlanetarium" Jet around the solar system with Spec and Tra as they teach students about the planets. Find out the average length of a season on Neptune, what Saturn's rings are made of, even the mystery behind how Pluto ended up in our solar system. Kids will have fun learning about all the planets while they further expand their knowledge of the solar system.

Current Affairs:

Voice to the World—Click on "Chat & Buzz" and then go to "Voice to the World" Studying a current issue? Want to get kids involved? "Voice to the World" gives them that chance by making it easy to send a message to a wide range of world leaders from the President of the United States to United Nations officials. Students can share their voice with some very important people.

Math and Savings:

Riley's Monster Crunch—Click on "Games" to find "Riley's Monster Crunch" Kids will memorize arithmetic facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) by playing this challenging and fun game. Riley encounters math monsters that look like numbers as he navigates through a fantasy video-game land. As the monsters appear, an operand symbol (+, -, x, /) appears and kids must solve the math problems quickly in order to help Riley get through.

Loot Locker and KidsKash Points—Click on "Cool Stuff" and then go to "Loot Locker" Teach students about math, saving money and let them do their own shopping (without needing money) for some really neat prizes. Register your students on the site and they earn KidsKash Points by participating in a variety of educational and fun activities. The more they do, the more KidsKash Points they earn. Kids can keep track of their very own totals and "spend" their Points in our "Loot Locker."

Music:

Skeeter's Music Machine—Click on "Create" and then go to "Skeeter's Music Machine" There's nothing like the ability to get kids interested in music. Skeeter's Music Machine allows kids to make their own music. They can even record it and play it back for themselves, you or their friends! More fun than detailed instruction, yet it still builds an interest in music beyond what they hear on the radio.

Misc:

Internet Safety Game—Click on "Games" to find the "Internet Safety Game" As long as the kids are on the Internet, they should be safe. This game was the first on the Internet to begin teaching young people about what is safe and appropriate behavior on the Web. At the beginning of your session or at the end, it's a good idea to give your students a few minutes on this game so they can learn and spread the good word about safe and appropriate play on the Internet.

Want to suggest something else for us to consider? A subject or element you'd like to see included? Please drop us a line and let us know at activitykit@parents-talk.com. We're always looking for good ideas, and if it will help you help kids, we're all for it!