There's never enough appropriate, interactive, educationally sound websites for early childhood classrooms. This week I bring together a recommended list of sites that help bridge this gap. I especially tried to go off the beaten path and find some sites you may not have encountered before. For past recommendations, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/innovative-teaching/message/299? to see my April 2000 newsletter on early Childhood resources. Thanks to Jerry B as always for his input. Enjoy!

• 4Kids2Play - http://www.4kids2play.nl/eng/
  This Netherland's-based website for the preschool/kindergarten set contains a handful of Flash-based games and learning tasks that can be easily adapted to the classroom. The Brainwork page offers a tangram puzzle, memory and a shuffle game, while the click and drag page allows children to actually manipulate the screen as they dress characters, search for differences and put together puzzles. There's an online coloring book too.
• Barney Online - http://www.barneyonline.com/html/kids/kids.asp
  Hey don't scoff! This site provides classroom ideas on a monthly basis, perfect for primary students. There's art and music activities, stories you can listen to and follow along, games you can play right on the site, and a monthly calendar you can print and customize for your classroom with clip art. The site is fast loading, colorful and easy to use.
• Boowa and Kwala - http://www.boowakwala.com/
  This Flash-based site boasts some 500+ online games for primary-ages students. Games include colors, mazes, guessing/predicting, art, music, shapes, choices and a whole lot more. The creative games, for example, include "make your own jungle," "construction" and "tropical flower arranging." They have just introduced links to an online toyshop that you'll want to avoid in the classroom, but the worthiness of the content makes this site more than worth exploring.
• Enchanted Learning Early Childhood Activities - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/categories/preschool.shtml
  This is a great directory of online learning activities focusing largely on Math and the Language Arts. It's extensive enough that it would even be a great start page for a primary classroom computer's browser. There's also printable activities that you can make use of offline with your children.
• Game Goo - http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/gooeyhomelo.html
  Ok so they have to work on their marketing approach. But the games here are highly educational and easy for kids to follow. They are constructed using Flash so there is lots of animation and narration to support them in successfully participating and learning. I like the way they use sound and graphics to teach early listening and reading skills in effective ways.
• Kid's Psych Games - http://www.kidspsych.org/index1.html
  The sound files are a little intense, but overall these animated activities are ideal for younger children. There's a set of tasks for ages 1-5 and another for 6-9. The games reinforce logic and reading skills in fun and engaging ways. None of the tasks are very time consuming, and there's always room to experiment and try again. Games include mazes, I spy, and treasure hunts.
• Literacy Center - http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm#
  The Early Child Education Network sponsors this wonderfully simply site that allows children to explore letters and sounds, numbers and their meanings, and shapes and colors. Design using Flash, this crisp, clean site allows students to quickly load and practice basic skills for the Kindergarten classroom. Very easy to use and nicely reinforces skills all young learners need.
• Primary Games - http://www.primarygames.com/
  This is one of the best designed set of games for primary children I have come across, offering dozens of Java-based activities kids can complete right online. It assumes less and offers more support for teachers just getting their feet wet in integrating the Internet into their primary classroom. The games are visually pleasing and are easy to follow, and there's specific sections for Math, Language Arts and Social Studies.
• Seussville Games - http://www.randomhouse.com/seussville/games/
  This section of the larger Random House site is full of Shockwave-based games that will delight young children as they interact with some of their favorite Dr. Seuss book characters. There's the Cat in the Hat, Sneetches, the Lorax, Horton, Sam I Am and more. There are also new printable games that you can use offline with students. Definitely worth your consideration.
• Squigly's Games - http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/Games/index.html
  Squigly offers all kinds of early childhood appropriate online games for little ones, most which run using Java applets and will work on browsers version 4 or higher. Games include mazes, word finds, jigsaw puzzles, logic puzzles, picture matches, memory games and even sliding tile games. Because the page is so non-descript, you'll want to screen a game yourself to see how it works before offering it to your children.
• Thematic Units for the Primary Grades - http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/unitlink.htm
  Students at the University of South Carolina's Materials for Early Childhood class over a three year period. Each unit includes the framework and resources (both traditional and digital media) for teachers in the primary grades. Topics include Ancient Egypt, Colonial Life, Holidays, Native Americans, Seasons, Transportation and much, much more.
• Wiltiky - http://www.wiltiky.com/
  Wiltiky offers Java-based games that help children learn content, practice thinking skills, and enjoy themselves all at the same time. There are games for learning how to tell time, problem solving, coloring, and word and number recognition. While the games aren't numerous, the ones offered are well done and motivating for kids. There's even a stickers page where they earn recognition for completing tasks successfully.

Click here for the Innovative Teaching Archive!

Next week's topic: "Thanksgiving"

Please send in URL's of high quality sites which may be of interest to our readers to walter@surfaquarium.com! Also, I'm always looking for new topic ideas and input!

Find More Great Resources at the Innovative Teaching Website: http://surfaquarium.com/it.htm.

Archive	http://groups.yahoo.com/group/innovative-teaching
Subscribe	innovative-teaching-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe	innovative-teaching-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List Owner	walter@surfaquarium.com

This newsletter may be forwarded or copied provided the header and signature information remain intact. Show a colleague what you have found in Innovative Teaching! =D ©2001 Walter McKenzie