Contact Blog Hand-Made Mac Tips Learning Links Creative Works Photos Movies Aboutcontact.htmlhttp://themacmommy.blogspot.com/http://themacmommy.blogspot.com/search/label/Hand-Made%20Mac%20Tipscreative.htmlhttp://picasaweb.google.com/themacmommyhttp://www.youtube.com/TheMacMommyabout.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6shapeimage_1_link_7
Learning should be fun! Try these out with your little one. This is a kid-friendly page, but you should always supervise children on the computer.
Some sites may have annoying banner advertising although I try my best to avoid those whenever possible.
These are my hand-picked favorite resources. They are all FREE. I have personally witnessed children
ages 5 through 10 use many of these links for education. I hope you find them helpful! Links to Explore with Kids Starfall
This site is great for really little ones. My son and I played on this site every day and he learned to say the entire alphabet before the age of two! My favorite is the sign language section. TumbleBooks
This link will take you to a site where you can access a TumbleBooks database, not the actual site!
This is a fantastic resource for interactive e-books that will read aloud to your child.
They can also choose to mute the sound and read it themselves. The graphics are rich and the narrators are superb.
Certain titles even feature key words you can click on for further mastery of speech and language skills. It’s probably one of my favorite online resources right now. Of course, no interactive website can take the place of a good old paper book, and we have plenty, but this is certainly a really great alternative. Since it’s digital it doesn’t waste space or trees. When I listen to the voice actors read the stories, I feel it makes me a better narrator for when I read paper books to my child. I take cues from the voices and styles I hear and then it makes reading aloud more enjoyable for me. Here’s the deal though. The TumbleBooks service is NOT free, however, you can access it for free by clicking the link on a library website of your choice. The libraries pay for the service, so naturally they want you to access this service from their website. For that reason, I can not provide you with a direct link to a free TumbleBooks database here on my site. Here are a couple of public library sites I found that I can link for you: The New York Public Library’s Digital Collections section: see the third text link down on far right column.
Phoenix Public Library for Kids: look on the right side of the page, you can’t miss the graphic link!
Library System of Lancaster County has a graphic link on the left side column about half way down. Sometimes these sites become strained with heavy traffic so if one link doesn’t work, try another. The best thing to do is find the website for your local Library and use that as your resource. I know this sounds like a pain, but please trust me, IT’S WORTH IT! Once you locate a library site and bookmark it, then you’re only one more click away from TumbleBooks and just seconds away from a truly enjoyable reading experience with your child. My son just loves the little music that plays for the intros to each story. His face lights up and he starts wiggling. We highly recommend “One Duck Stuck” by Phyliss Root, Illustrated by Jane Chapman. We hope you enjoy it just as much! Zoopz.com
Problem solving skills — great site for Kindergartners. Math Magic
This is a great Math resource. Kids can print out a certificate of achievement.
This is great for 1st and 2nd graders. Noah's Ark Memory Game
This is a fun little game that tests your memory. It’s addictive and it sharpens your memory! Dance Mat Typing
Keyboarding skills are so essential and kids really love this site! It’s so much fun! Touch Typing
This is a great site for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. You can customize typing lessons. Peter's Online Typing Course
I used this will all of my computer lab classes. Mrs. Davis’ rule: “Less than 10 errors and less than 100 seconds before moving on to the next level.” Here is a tip: Pay close attention to when it wants you to press the space bar. A lot of kids get stuck on when to use the space bar. Also, make sure they’re not using the Caps Lock key in lieu of the proper way of using the shift key for capitalization! How to Evaluate a Website - ‘QUICK’
Great introduction for teaching kids how to use the internet for research.
(This is different than the link on my bookmarks page.) SafeKids.com
This is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the internet and discuss online safety. Family EDUCATION Network
This is a great site that covers a broad range of topics for all different age ranges. Be sure to check out the Girls’ and Boys’ Guide to Life where they discuss topics like how to communicate with your friends OFF LINE! (like, oh my gosh! is that even possible?) Don’t Gross Out the World!
From the makers of the link above comes a quiz that 4th and 5th Graders will take over and over if you let them! (Great resource if you’re planning a family trip outside of the country.) Jan Brett's Home Page
This is one of the most adorable sites I have ever seen.
Wildly creative and great for crafts of all kinds. Buy ink for your printer now. ASL Browser
If you are teaching your toddler Sign Language, this is a great resource. Look up a word you want to sign and an interpreter will sign it for you in a Quicktime movie right on your screen. Before You Know It
This is a fantastic way to learn a language or other subjects using flash cards that even track your progress. They offer both free and paid versions but the free version is really great. HowStuffWorks
Pretty self-explanatory. Free Software You Can Easily Install for Your Kids Tux Paint
Free, Multi-Platform Computer Drawing Program. Think Photoshop for Preschoolers. I have implemented it on an image in 2 different elementary schools on over 200 Mac computers. I have taught many lessons using Tux Paint. It is a great tool for introducing very small children to the computer. Children of all ages enjoy using Tux Paint. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever want any tips or ideas for lesson plans. Please check out the Gallery and you will be amazed at
how creative children can be when they use this software. Of course, nothing will ever replace traditional crayons and paints, but this is a wonderful tool for beginners that facilitates the introductory of muscle memory and simple hand-eye coordination while learning the basic computer skills that are so important in today’s learning environments. I hope you’ll check it out, play and enjoy! AlphaBaby
If a toddler is near, launch this and never fear! I love this app and it should be installed on every Mac that a toddler has access to. I usually keep it handy in my Dock for times when little fingers are a threat to a freelance project that is up on my screen. You can customize it and turn it into a great teaching tool for your infant or toddler. Teach them how to recognize other family members with photos, shapes, colors and letters. I did a review on my blog of this software if you would like to see it in action. Littlefingers Online Games
This site now works on intel machines with Adobe’s new Shockwave plugin. Links for Parents, Early Childhood Educators & Advocates Moms Rising
Good political resource for those who want to be “in the know” Classroom 2.0
A Social Network for Teachers and Educators. Very passionate individuals Time for Kids
A good home-school or early childhood education resource for parents and guardians Sesame Workshop: Initiatives
Tools for parents and guardians for helping prepare children for challenges and life lessonshttp://www.starfall.com/http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/kids/http://www.nypl.org/digital/http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/kids/http://www.lancasterlibraries.org/http://www.amazon.com/One-Duck-Stuck-Phyllis-Root/dp/0763611042http://www.zoopz.com/zoopz/zoopz2.htmlhttp://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/Mathmagician/cathymath.htmlhttp://milescooley.com/mc/ecards/cards/2http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/http://www.typing-lessons.org/lesson_1.htmlhttp://www.quick.org.uk/menu.htmhttp://www.safekids.com/http://www.fekids.com/kln/index.htmlhttp://www.fekids.com/kln/girls_guide/http://www.fekids.com/kln/boys_guide/http://www.fekids.com/kln/girls_guide/friends.htmlhttp://www.fekids.com/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swfhttp://www.janbrett.com/http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htmhttp://www.byki.comhttp://www.howstuffworks.com/http://www.tuxpaint.org/mailto:themacmommy@gmail.com?subject=Tux%20Paint%20Questionhttp://www.tuxpaint.org/gallery/http://www.kldickey.addr.com/alphababyhttp://themacmommy.blogspot.com/2008/08/toddler-tech.htmlhttp://www.little-g.com/games/games1.htmlhttp://get.adobe.com/shockwave/http://www.momsrising.org/http://classroom20.ning.com/http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiativesshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11shapeimage_2_link_12shapeimage_2_link_13shapeimage_2_link_14shapeimage_2_link_15shapeimage_2_link_16shapeimage_2_link_17shapeimage_2_link_18shapeimage_2_link_19shapeimage_2_link_20shapeimage_2_link_21shapeimage_2_link_22shapeimage_2_link_23shapeimage_2_link_24shapeimage_2_link_25shapeimage_2_link_26shapeimage_2_link_27shapeimage_2_link_28shapeimage_2_link_29shapeimage_2_link_30shapeimage_2_link_31shapeimage_2_link_32shapeimage_2_link_33

If any links are broken and you care to let me know about it or if you would like your link removed,
you can do so by emailing me. Links last checked and verified 11-2008.

Pointer Practice Exercise for Little Onesdownloads.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0
My Favorite Links for New Motherslinks.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0