Did you hear the one about the fish who moved to Hollywood?
We’re not laughing at L.A.; we’re laughing with it. From jokes about earthquakes to jokes about LA traffic, these kid-friendly jokes will have your little one laughing out loud.
Tablet-based edutainment apps are great for busy families on the go, but for kids who have access to a laptop or desktop computer, browser-based online games can provide a much-needed reprieve from tablet fatigue. There are plenty of kid-friendly, educational online game sites to choose from, and many offer a selection of content free of charge. Read on to see our picks of the best online games for kids of all ages.
MarcoPolo World School
MarcoPolo
This award-winning platform offers a dynamic, relatable STEAM curriculum featuring over 450+ lessons and over 3,000 activities, with new content added weekly, this is your go-to for kids from 3-7. With a diverse array of projects, including hands-on arts & crafts, stunning videos and more, your kiddo can travel the world learning about science, technology, engineering, art and math without ever leaving your house.
Featuring more than 850 lessons across 10 levels of learning, ABC Mouse is a one-stop-shop for pre-school and early elementary online education. The website’s online curriculum includes more than 9,000 individuals learning activities in reading, math, science and art. Young learners will be delighted by the website’s interactive games and activities, which are brought to life with colorful animations and fun music, but older kids may find some of the lessons a bit too easy. ABCmouse.com members also can download the mobile app to access many of the same lessons, compatible with most smartphones and tablets.
Preschool to third grade, subscription plans start at $9.95/monthly, abcmouse.com
ABCYa!
ABCYa! offers more than 300 online games for students ranging from preschool to fifth grade. While many of the website’s large collection of gamified math and reading lessons are available free of charge, an online subscription removes ads and gives access to additional content. Nifty video tutorials on the website show kids how to make a variety of crafty projects, like origami tulips and slime. Like an increasing number of formerly online-only gaming sites, ABCYa! is also available as a mobile app for Android, Kindle and iOS, which provides access to most of the website’s catalog of games and activities.
Preschool to fifth grade, subscription plans start at $6.99/monthly, abcya.com
BrainPOP Jr.
While BrainPOP Jr.’s website offers some free content, including select games and videos, the good stuff can be found behind a subscription paywall. Designed for students in kindergarten through third grade, BrainPOP Jr.’s curriculum is standards-aligned and features movies, quizzes, games, and activities that cover subjects ranging from science, reading and writing, math, health, social studies, and arts and technology. As learners graduate to more advanced learning, there’s BrainPop, for fourth graders and older, and GameUp, a companion educational gaming site.
Kindergarten to third grade, subscription plans start at $9.45/monthly, jr.brainpop.com
Fact Monster
Not so much an online educational gaming website, Fact Monster is a neatly organized, kid-friendly online resource for elementary school students to discover fun facts and get homework help on a wide variety of subjects. Curated by educational professionals, the detailed content is rich with information that’s easily accessible and comprehensible to young learners. Students can easily navigate through the website and select specific skills and concepts that they want to explore. Think of it as an interactive, virtual encyclopedia.
Kindergarten to fourth grade, free, ad-supported, factmonster.com
Fun Brain
Started more than 20 years ago, Fun Brain is a leader in free educational online games for kids, offering hundreds of games, books, comics, and videos that help students develop skills in math, reading, problem-solving, and literacy. Although there are plenty of banner ads on the website, the collection of fun, interactive games will engross students who may not even realize that they are learning while they play. As a bonus, site visitors also can read a variety of popular kids’ books and comics, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amelia Writes Again, and Brewster Rocket.
Pre-k to eighth grade, free, ad-supported, funbrain.com
Mr. Nussbaum
Boasting more than 3,500 pages of content, including plenty of learning games on a variety of subjects, Mr. Nussbaum is free educational gaming website created by a school teacher named Greg Nussbaum. The look and feel of many of the games are decidedly old school, but unexpectedly addictive. Students can learn math skills, language arts and geography, among other subjects, through engaging interactive games and activities.
Pre-k to sixth grade, free, ad-supported, with paid ad-free memberships coming soon, mrnussbaum.com
Multiplication.com
Imagine playing Super Mario Bros. and in the middle of collecting coins, you have to answer a multiplication question in order to move on. That’s a little bit like the experience of playing the interactive multiplication games on Multiplication.com. Which is to say, the gameplay is super-fun—at least for students who like math and gaming. Although the website has a generic look and feel, the games are engaging and effective. Most games are free, and a paid subscription removes ads.
Second grade to sixth grade, subscription plans start at $9.45/monthly, multiplication.com
National Geographic Kids Games
National Geographic’s free gaming hub for kids is chock-full of more than 100 fun, interactive games and activities themed around science and geography. Gameplay range from quizzes to puzzles, as well as videos and beautifully photographed stories and essays. Parents and kids can register for a free subscription to monitor and save progress on the website, and a link to Nat Geo’s online store sells neat educational products like STEM toys and science- and geography-related books.
The appeal of PBS Kids online game hub is the free access to a huge number of browser-based gaming experiences based on popular character franchises like The Cat in the Hat, Curious George, Sesame Street, and more. Online games are organized by subjects that include math, healthy habits, science, reading, and teamwork.
Prongo.com is an educational website that offers fun, interactive, and educational games for kids. In addition to engaging interactive games and activities, the website also features free downloadable clip art, wallpaper, kids jokes, screensavers, and more. Online games are sorted by age groups, ranging from matching and memory games, mazes, puzzles, tic-tac-toe, and more. Brain Teasers are timed quizzes that cover topics such as dinosaurs, the human body, outer space, and inventors.
Preschool to fifth grade, free, ad-supported, prongo.com
Scholastic Games
Education publishing house Scholastic’s online hub offers a fun place for kids to spend time and learn while they play. With content organized by age and interest, the site features web-based games and quizzes as well as links to Scholastic’s growing catalog of mobile apps. Much of the content is geared toward parents and teachers, but there’s plenty of fun stuff for kids that’s interesting and engaging, including Scholastic book-themed games, like Captain Underpants, Goosebump, and The 39 Clues.
Kindergarten to fifth grade, free web games, with additional purchase options, scholastic.com/kids/games
Sheppard Software
This barebones educational gaming website features a collection of hundreds of interactive games aimed at young learners. From science to math to language arts and more, the Flash-based gameplay lets players click-and-drag through different activities that will engage young students with sounds and visual effects to make learning fun and more memorable.
Funded by the Starfall Education Foundation, a publicly supported nonprofit organization, the Starfall website was created in 2002 as a free, public service to help teach children to read wtih phonics. Using audiovisual interactivity, games on the website are suited for kids in preschool through second grade. An optional membership expands the free content to include additional music, math, and reading activities.
Preschool to second grade, free with additional membership options, starfall.com
We made it through 2020… almost! Wondering how to celebrate safely? We’ve got you covered with the best virtual events, festive DIY activities and socially distanced family outings.
Join Lang Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific for Noon Year's Eve, a family-friendly virtual event. Kids will create a fish party hat, meet a live Ambassador Animal, and dance your way to the Noon Year’s countdown with the Pacific Pals puppets!
If you've got older kids or serious night owls, you might just be able to stay up late enough to join Grand Park's live dance party celebration, featuring Steven Aoki. The virtual event will be streaming on Fuse TV and Grand Park's YouTube channel.
Tickets to LA's best holiday drive-thrus may be sold out for New Year's, but you can still load the kids in the car, put on some festive music and do your own drive-thru around these neighborhoods. The houses on these streets go all out, with spectacular, can't miss displays.
Want to get out of the house in a safe, socially distanced way? Tickets are still available on Dec. 31 to explore GLOW, a nighttime light exhibit at South Coast Botanic Gardens. See the lush oasis transformed into an underwater ocean world, with thousands of lights twinkling to a curated soundtrack.
Cost: $34.95 per person for non-members; free for children 4 and under Time: At publication, timed tickets were still available from 6:15p.m.-8:30p.m. Online: southcoastbotanicgarden.org
Make the occasion more fun by getting all gussied up for your at-home celebration, and going all out with your NYE decor. Visit local party boutique Bonjour Fete's online shop for a stylish selection of festive garlands, paper goods and more.
Insider tip: Bonjour Fete offers delivery via Postmates!
Pop to It
Ring in the year with a bang (or a pop), and make your own confetti poppers with this DIY tutorial.
Say Cheese!
istock
Take photo-snapping to the next level with our guide to creating your own at-home photo booth.
Family game night, anyone? Enjoy some friendly competition and play some of the best games of 2020.
Park It
istock
Sure, you could do a regular at-home movie night. Or you could take a cue from this year's drive-in resurgence and create your own in your living room or back yard parking lot. Ready to ride? Here''s everything you need to host a drive-in movie night.
Forts and tents make everything more fun. Construct one that's totally epic with our roundup of 19 next-level indoor forts!
Freeze Time
You know what they say about parenthood: the days are long, but the years are short. That's never been more true than this year. Be sure to memorialize the best (and not-so-best) of 2020 with this time capsule tutorial, the perfect NYE family activity.
Look Ahead
Gabby Cullen
What are you and your crew most looking forward to in 2021? (Um, where to begin?) To get your started thinking about the future, create a family vision board that showcases all your dreams and goals for the year ahead.
One major perk of celebrating NYE in LA? We get to see the iconic Times Square ball drop at 9p.m., perfect timing for families with little ones. And this year the all-virtual festivities start at 3p.m. (PST), and will be webcast live and commercial free.
New York-based children's entertainers Story Pirates are inviting kiddos to their virtual bash, complete with games, songs, surprises, a thrilling caper involving dragon magic, and more.
Join the Schulz Museum (located in Santa Rosa, CA) for a virtual version of its annual New Year’s Eve celebration. There will be Peanuts-themed crafts, special appearances by Snoopy and Woodstock and a countdown to the up-down balloon drop at noon.
Want to put a smile back your your kids’ faces? Get them laughing with a little word play. Nothing shifts a post-back-to-school bad mood like sharing some cheesy jokes. But we’re not talking about slinging just any joke, Your Portland kiddos will love learning some new Portland jokes. We’ve rounded up our favorites for you. Read on to find out more.
Dr. Emma Byrne, author of Swearing is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language, explained to Romper that kids as young as eight months old will attempt to make their parents and caregivers laugh. The best thing parents can do in return? Let out a good chuckle! Kids tell jokes and do funny things in an effort to make you happy, which means it comes from a place of pure altruism, not a place of just attention-seeking.
Rewarding that behavior by laughing and showing enjoyment from their actions will therefore encourage your kids to be more empathetic as they grow older, Byrne explains. Basically your kids just want to make you happy by making you smile so when you smile and laugh in return, they are encouraged to continue doing things that make others feel good.
Byrne said the key here is “Showing that you appreciate their effort, that you recognize that they…are trying so hard to make you happy, to make you smile.”
Raising kids to be humorous has plenty of other benefits as well. Studies have linked having a sense of humor to higher emotional intelligence. Research has also shown that being funny can lead to positive perceptions by others and an increase in self-confidence. Laughter and humor have also been linked with stability in relationships and marriage.
Looking for something to keep the kids entertained on a rainy day or maybe to add a fun twist into the family game night? Alexa has your back with tons of fun ways to play. These are our favorite Alexa skills and games for kids.
Brain Teasers
Amazon
“Alexa, play Beat the Intro.”
It’s “Name That Tune” in a whole new format. How quickly can you guess these popular songs—and their artists?
“Alexa, play Would You Rather for Family.”
Ah, the game of impossible choices—now in a totally family-friendly version.
“Alexa, open Kids Categories.”
Players are given a category and given 30 seconds to name as many things as possible replaced to the topic.
“Alexa, launch Guess the Number.”
Alexa will “think” of a number between 1 and 100 and your kids have to guess it while she directs them “higher” or “lower.”
“Alexa, start the spelling game.”
Your future Scripps’ Spelling Bee champion can brush up his or her spelling skills with this fun spelling bee Alexa skill.
“Alexa, open Hinky Pinky.”
Players are given a silly clue and have to solve the riddle by coming up with a pair of words that rhyme before time’s up.
“Alexa, play Jeopardy.“
What is, “How to keep my kid occupied while I cook?” for 100, Alexa? You can also ask, “Alexa, play Teen Jeopardy” for your teenaged aspiring game show stars.
Favorite Characters
LEGO
“Alexa, play Justice League Adventures.”
Team up with Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and more as you work your way through this choose-your-own-adventure style game and save the day!
“Alexa, open Sesame Street.”
Use the clues to find out where Elmo is hiding.
“Alexa, start SpongeBob Challenge.”
This voice-activated memory game tests your wits as you try to take meal orders at the Krusty Krab from the residents of Bikini Bottom.
“Alexa, start Loud House challenge.”
Help Lincoln Loud navigate his chaotic household while you gather supplies for an epic sleepover, remake a birthday cake that fell on the floor, and get the youngest Loud family member to take a nap.
"Alexa, open LEGO DUPLO stories."
Alexa will launch a story game designed for kids ages 2-5. The game invites kids to use their DUPLO blocks to help tell an interactive story where they choose all the pieces (literally). Toddlerscan choose between five vehicle or five animal stories, and define the route of the story, while guided by Alexa.
The Classics
Amazon
“Alexa, open Speak Spell.”
Modeled after the classic toy, down to the original word lists, players can win by mastering commonly misspelled words.
“Alexa, open Simon Tap.”
Like the classic game from Hasbro, following the right pattern is the name of the game. Instead of the study stream of beeps, however, you’ll hear Alexa naming colors in a pattern to repeat. (You’ll need four Echo Buttons to play.)
“Alexa, open Battleship Tap.”
Play against another player or Alexa while you try to sink those battleships by guessing their locations. (You’ll need four Echo Buttons to play.)
“Alexa, play Twenty Questions.”
This one is just as much fun for parents as it is for the kiddos. See how smart Alexa really is as she figures out what you’re thinking. It’s uncanny.
"Alexa, open Bingo."
You'll need to go online to print out free BINGO cards, but then all you'll need is a pen to mark off your BINGO cards when Alexa calls out each square, one by one.
Family Fun
Amazon
“Alexa, play Head’s Up!”
Now you can play the popular game from The Ellen DeGeneres Show with your Alexa-enabled app. As Alexa gives you clues, try your best to guess from superstars, celebrities, movies, fictional characters and more.
"Alexa, open Smarty Pants trivia."
Test your family’s knowledge on Movies, Places, History, Music, TV, Superheroes and Disney.
“Alexa, open Trivial Pursuit Family Edition.”
More trivia fun perfect for family game night.
“Alexa, play Would You Rather for Family.”
Ah, the game of impossible choices—now in a totally family-friendly version.
“Alexa, start Kids Court.”
Have a sibling or family argument you need to settle right now? The Kids Court Alexa skill takes the kids to court, where they can duke it out within the structure of the U.S. judicial system in a manner that’s surprisingly fair.
Lighten the mood with a joke! Your kids will love interacting with Alexa, and she’ll wait for them to say “Who’s there” before spilling the silly punchline. You can also ask, “Alexa, tell me a joke” but be prepared for some pretty terrible puns.
"Alexa, open Kiddie Jokes."
You'll find a wide variety of family-friendly jokes that will give kids and parents a good chuckle.
