Recommended Websites for Kids
Youth Services recommends these websites to help you explore more on a variety of topics and interests. Need additional assistance? Call Youth Services at (847) 725-2167.
- Animal Diversity Web
- Animal Planet
- Animals at the Oakland Zoo
- ASPCA
- Bagheera (endangered species)
- Defenders of Wildlife
- Journey North (migrations and seasons)
- National Geographic for Kids
- Natural History Notebooks
- North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE)
- Ranger Rick
- World Animal Net Directory
- Activities for Kids
- Artists Helping Children
- Blue Mountain Arts
- Color Matters
- Coloring.com
- Crayola Crayons
- Donna's Day Activities
- Draw and Color with Uncle Fred
- HGTV Kids Crafts
- How to Draw
- Idea Box
- Joseph Wu's Origami Page
- Kaleidoscope Painter
- The Paper Boat Page
- Party Invitations
- Printable Crafts for Kids
- The Spruce Crafts for Kids
- String Figures
- Adler Planetarium
- Astronomy.org
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
- Challenger Center Online
- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Mars Exploration Program
- Moon to Mars (NASA)
- NASA
- NASA Kids' Club
- Nine Planets
- Space.com
- Space Camp
- The Space Place (NASA)
- Space Science and Engineering Center
- Space Weather
- StarChild (NASA)
- Stardate
- Your Sky
- Academy of Achievement
- African Americans
- America's Library
- Anne Frank
- Betsy Ross
- Biographies for Kids
- Biography Channel
- Fact Monster Biographies
- Famous Explorers
- First Families of the White House
- InfoPlease Biography
- The Nobel Prize
- People by Group (Biography.com)
- Presidents of the United States
- Saints and Angels
- Time Magazine 100
- Web Gallery of Art (artists)
- Who's Who Biographies
- American Rivers
- Blue Planet Biomes
- Coral Reef Facts
- Coral Reef Research Foundation
- Desert Animals
- Desert Plants and Wildflowers
- Desert USA
- Everglades Foundation
- Geography of Belize
- Habitates/Biomes
- Health of the Great Barrier Reef
- Journey into Amazonia
- Montreal Biodome
- Oceanography (ONR)
- Rain Forest Action
- Rain Forest Explorer
- Reef Relief
- Wetlands, Marshes, Swamps (National Park Service)
- Wetlands Protection and Restoration
- The World's Biomes
Authors & Illustrators
Award Winners
Book Lists
- 75 Authors and Illustrators Everyone Should Know
- Book Reviews by Kids for Kids
- Book Spot
- Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University
- Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's Literature Resource
- Monroe County Public Library Staff Picks for Kids
- New York Public Library Book Recommendations for Kids
- Picturing Books
- UK Children's Books
- Aesop's Fable Online Collection
- Candlelight Stories
- Children's Storybooks Online
- Picture Books
- Short Stories
- StoryPlace: the Children's Digital Learning Library
Favorite Characters
- American Girls Series
- Arthur
- Baby Sitters' Club Page
- Betsy-Tacy Homepage
- Captain Underpants
- Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Curious George
- Dr. Seuss
- Franklin the Turtle
- Goosebumps
- Hank the Cow Dog
- Harry Potter (MuggleNet)
- Harry Potter (Scholastic)
- Harry Potter by All of the Top Cartoonists
- Harry Potter Lexicon
- Judy Moody
- Lemony Snicket
- Little Critters
- Little Golden Books
- Little House on the Prairie
- Magic Eye
- Magic Tree House
- Maisy
- Mother Goose
- Narnia
- Peanuts
- Reading Rainbow
- Redwall
- Spot
- The Tolkien Trail
- Winnie the Pooh
- Adler Planetarium
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Blackberry Farm Pioneer Village
- Brookfield Zoo
- Cantigny Park
- Chicago Bears
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Chicago Botanic Garden
- Chicago Bulls
- Chicago Children's Museum
- Chicago Cubs
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Chicago Fire
- Chicago Historical Society
- Chicago Kids
- Chicago White Sox
- Chicago Wolves
- Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra
- Choose Chicago
- Cuneo Museum and Gardens
- Donley's Wild West Town
- DuSable Museum
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Fox River Trolley Museum
- Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
- Illinois State Parks
- Illinois State Museum
- Illinois Railway Museum
- John G. Shedd Aquarium
- Kane County Cougars
- Kohl Children's Museum
- Lambs Farm
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
- Midwest Young Artists
- Museum of Broadcast Communications
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- Museum of Science & Industry
- Navy Pier
- Oaklee's Family Guide
- Oriental Institute
- Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
- Ravinia
- Schaumburg Boomers
- Six Flags Great America
- Terra Museum of American Art
- Willis Tower
- Volo Classic Car Museum
- Yerkes Observatory
- Around the World in 80 Clicks
- Blank Maps of the U.S. and Other Countries
- Country Studies Collection at the Library of Congress
- CountryWatch
- Earth Calendar
- Festivals.com
- Flags of the World
- Holidays on the Net
- International Currency Converter
- Kids Web Japan
- Map Collection at the University of Texas
- Mexico
- National Geographic Maps
- National Geographic Travel
- Peace Corps
- Scandinavia
- The World Clock
- World Fact Book (CIA)
- World Flag Database
- The Age of Dinosaurs
- Age of the Reptiles
- All About Dinosaurs
- Curse of the T. Rex
- Dinosaur Art of Joe Tucciarone
- Dinosaur Eggs
- Dinosaur Floor
- Dinosaur Jokes
- Dinosauria
- Dinosaurium
- Dinosaurs of Hawaii
- Discovering Dinosaurs
- Fighting Dinosaurs--New Discoveries from Mongolia
- Site of Historic 1858 Dinosaur Find
- Sue the Dinosaur
- Zoom Dinosaurs
- Billboard
- Becky's Campfire Songbook
- CartoonNetwork
- Children's Music Network
- Cirque du Soleil
- Discovery Channel
- Disney Movies
- Dove-approved Movie and Video Previews
- Harry Potter
- Kindermusik
- The Learning Channel (TLC)
- MoJo's Musical Mouseum
- MuggleNet
- Nickelodeon
- NOVA
- PBS Kids
- Popular Songs in American History
- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
- San Francisco Symphony Kids' Site
- Sesame Street Videos
- Star Wars
- Walt Disney
- American Girl Magazine
- Atari
- Chateau Meddybemps
- Comics
- Danger Mouse
- Dragonball Z
- Fun Brain Kids
- Fun Zone
- Games Kids Play (rules for games)
- Game Spot
- HBO Family
- JigZone
- LEGO World
- Name that Candybar (Science Museum of Minnesota)
- Nelvana
- Nick Jr. Games
- Online Games (Children's Museum of Indianapolis)
- Free Paper Toys.com
- Rooney Design
- Sealife Jigsaw Puzzles
- Snoopy
- Spark Island (learning resources for children, teachers, parents)
- TVO Kids
- U.S. Chess Online!
- Warner Brother's Games and Apps
- Yo-Yo Universe
World & General
- Best of History Websites
- Browse through History with Mr. Dowling
- Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History
- Canadian Museum of History
- Highlights of the British Museum
- History Channel
- The History Place
- On This Day
- This Day in History (History Channel)
- Timeline of Art History (The Met)
- Timeline of the 20th Century
- Today in History (Library of Congress)
Prehistory
African
- African History and Culture
- African Voices Exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History
- Ancient African Empires Web Resources
- Internet African History Sourcebook
Asian
- Ancient China Web Resources
- History of China: Table of Contents
- Internet Indian History Sourcebook
- Japanese History
- National Museum of Japanese History
- Timeline of India
European (Ancient, Medieval, Modern)
- Ancient Greece
- Ancient Greece Web Resources
- Ancient Roman History Revival
- Ancient Rome Daily Life
- Ancient Rome Web Resources
- Build a Medieval Castle
- Christian Catacombs of Rome
- Greece (History for Kids)
- Holocaust Timeline
- Know the Romans
- Medieval Knights Facts for Kids
- Medieval Recipe Translations
- Medieval Resources (NetSERF)
- Middle Ages Web Resources
- The Middle Ages Interactive
- Museum of London
- Renaissance Interactive
- Renaissance Fair
- The Romans
- The Vikings (BBC)
- The Vikings (NOVA)
- World War II Web Resources
- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Middle East
- 10 Facts about Ancient Egypt
- Ancient Egyptian Photographs
- Ancient Mesopotamia (UChicago)
- Ancient Mesopotamia Web Resources
- Browse through History: Mesopotamia
- Discovering Ancient Egypt
- Explore Ancient Egypt
- The Glory of Byzantium
- Guardian's Egypt
- Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology
- Islamic History Sourcebook
- Mysteries of Egypt
- Timeline of Ancient Egypt
- The Virtual Mummy
South & Central America
- Ancient Mayan Web Resources
- Aztec, Olmec, Mesoamerica Web Resources
- The Inca Empire (Timeline Index)
- Maya Adventure
- Maya Civilization
- Maya Ruins
- Mayan Majix
- Mayan Math
- Pre-Columbian Americas
United States
General
Specific
- Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
- CDC Museum Public Health Academy
- Coronavirus
- Fast Food Calculator
- Food Timeline
- Fresh for Kids
- Fuel Up to Play 60
- Girls Health
- Healthfinder
- Human Body Explorer
- Human Body Systems
- Kids Health
- MooMilk
- Neuroscience for Kids
- NIDA Back to School
- The Human Bod Facts and Worksheets
- West Nile Virus
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
- Abraham Lincoln Timeline
- Birds of Illinois (iNaturalist)
- Birds of Illinois (IOS)
- Chicago History Museum
- Chicago Tours and Attractions
- Fort Dearborn
- Illinois Facts and Links
- Illinois History Resource Page
- Illinois State Historical Society
- State of Illinois Homepage
- State Symbols of Illinois
- American Sign Language
- Babel Fish
- Enchanted Learning Search
- Esperanto
- Handspeak
- Hieroglyphic Dictionary
- Hieroglyphic Typewriter
- Hebrew Alphabet
- International Music and Culture
- Let's Learn English
- Morse Code and Phonetic Alphabets
- Omniglot (Alphabets of the World)
- Online Living Dictionary
- Russian Alphabet
- Rhyme Zone
- Secret Language
- Spanish Flashcards
- Spanish Grammar
- Spanish History and Culture
- Vocabulary University
- Word Central
- Your Dictionary
- Absurd Math (pre-algebra)
- AplusMath (Varsity Tutors)
- Cool Math
- Figure This!
- Fractals
- FunBrain
- Let's Make a Deal Math
- Math Baseball
- Math Cats
- Math Projects
- Measurements Converter
- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- Practice Tests (Varsity Tutors)
- WebMATH
- American Indians and the Natural World
- First Nations Histories
- Flags of the Native Peoples of the United States
- Native American Conquest
- Native American Indians by History Link
- Native Tech
- On This Date in North American Indian History
- Powerful Symbols - Honoring Animal Spirits
- PowWows
- Tribes by State Map Index
Illinois Libraries
- Arlington Heights
- Bloomingdale
- Chicago Public Library for Kids
- Crystal Lake
- Des Plaines
- Downer's Grove
- Evanston
- Fox River Valley Libraries
- Glenview
- Grayslake
- Highland Park
- Lake Zurich (ELA area)
- Libertyville (Cook Memorial)
- Mount Prospect
- Morton Grove
- Naperville
- Niles
- Park Ridge
- Prospect Heights
- Rolling Meadows
- Roselle
- Schaumburg
- Wilmette
United States Libraries
- Baltimore County Public Library (Maryland)
- Berkeley Public Library (California)
- Canton Public Library (Michigan)
- Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania)
- Carmel Public Library (California)
- Charlotte Mechlenburg Library (North Carolina)
- New York Public Library (New York)
- Richland County Public Library (South Carolina)
- Waukesha Public Library (Wisconsin)
Libraries Around the World
- London Public Library (Ontario, Canada)
- Toronto Public Library (Ontario, Canda)
- Vancouver Public Library (British Columbia, Canada)
- Richmond Upon Thames (England)
- Wellington City Libraries (New Zealand)
General
Birds
- Bird Breed Profiles
- Hotspot For Birds
- Bird Rescue - How to Care for a Fallen Baby Bird
- Kaytee's Kids Zone
- Parrottalk
Cats
- American Cat Fanciers Association
- Cat Breed Descriptions
- Cat Breeds
- Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)
- Cat Fanciers Website
Dogs
Other
- The Complete Hamster Site
- Fish and Aquariums
- Fish Channel
- Hedgehogs
- Horse Breed and Disciplines
- Horsefun
- House Rabbit Society Rabbit Care Guide
- How to Care for Ferrets
- The Language of the Lagomorphs
- Petbugs.com
Reptiles and Amphibians
General Sites
Christianity
- Bible Gateway
- Bible Study Tools from Crosswalk.Com
- The Catholic Encyclopedia
- Catholic Information Center
- Catholic Online
- Catholic Online Saints and Angels
- Christianity Today
- Chronology of Christianity - From Jesus to Christ
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- The Episcopal Church
- DevoZine Just for Teens (a Methodist site)
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Jehovah Witnesses
- The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
- Online Church Services
- Orthodox Church in America
- Presbyterian Church in America Official Site
- Southern Baptist Convention
- Society of Friends (Quakers)
- Teen Missions International
- United Methodist Church Official Site
- The Vatican
Judaism
- Jewish History Timeline
- The Jewish Year
- Judaism 101
- Judaism and Jewish Resources
- Judaism.com--Jewish Kids
- Torah Tots
Islam
- Al-Islam
- Islamic Art, Music, & Architecture Around the World
- Islam at About.Com
- Islam--Empire of Faith
- Islamic Studies (from the Virtual Religion Index)
- Islamicity in Cyberspace
- The Nation of Islam Online
Eastern Religions
- The Baha'i World
- Buddhism--An Introduction
- Fort Panth Khalsa (Sikhism)
- Hinduism Today Magazine
- TempleNet (temples of India)
- Tricycle: the Buddhist Review
- Zoroastrian Overview
Mythology
Pagan Religions
Other Religions
- Asatru Pages (Religions based on Norse Gods)
- Rastafarian Religion
- Scientology Homepage
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- Universal Life Church
General Sites
- Bill Nye, Science Guy
- Brainpop
- Discovery Channel
- Exploratorium
- Extreme Science - The Ultimate Online Science Experience
- MadSci Network
- Magic School Bus
- Museum of Science and Industry
- Ology
- Questacon
- Reeko's Mad Scientist Lab
- Science Spot
- Science Timeline
- SCIENCE U
- Varsity Tutors - Practice Tests
Inventors/Inventions
- American Inventors & Inventions
- Inventor Now
- Inventor's Hall of Fame
- Inventors and Inventions from 1900-1950
- Lemelson-MIT
- Museum of Ancient Inventions
- Smithsonian Institution - Study of Invention and Innovation
- Spotlight Biography on Famous Inventors
Natural Sciences
- The Cell
- Cells Alive
- Envirolink
- Geologic Time Machine
- Global Volcanism Program
- Kids Habitat
- Instant Anatomy
- Maggie's Earth Adventures
- Life Along the Faultline--Life and Science in Earthquake Country
- Mineral Identification Key
- My First Garden
- National PLANTS Database
- NIEHS Kidspage
- NATURE - Interactive Games
- Rock Hound
- USGS Earthquakes for Kids
- Volcano World
- What Tree Is It?
Physical Sciences
- Agricultural Ideas for Science Fair Projects
- Building Big
- Cool Science for Curious Kids
- How Stuff Works
- Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
- MadSci Network
- Sandlot Science
- Science Buddies
- The Science Club
- Science Fair Central
- Science Fair Project Index
- Science Project Ideas from the USDA
- Science Projects
- Steps to Prepare a Science Fair Project
- Successful Science Fair Projects
- The WWW Virtual Library- Science Fairs
- Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Canada Sports
- CBS SportsLine
- Chicago Bears
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Chicago Bulls
- Chicago Cubs
- Chicago Fire
- Chicago White Sox
- Chicago Wolves
- ESPN
- Games Kids Play
- Hockey is for Everyone
- Judo Information Site
- Kane County Cougars
- Little League
- Major League Baseball
- Major League Soccer
- NASCAR
- NBA Basketball
- NFL Football
- National Lacrosse League
- Olympic Games
- Olympic Museum
- The Original Harlem Globetrotters
- PGA Tour
- The Professional Wrestling Portal
- Pro Wrestling Torch
- Rollerblade
- Rodales's Scuba Diving
- Schaumburg Boomers
- SkateWeb
- Skateboard Science
- Skateboarding
- Soccer (AYSO)
- Special Olympics
- Sports Illustrated for Kids
- Sports Science
- Sports Videos
- Table Tennis/Ping Pong
- United States Dressage Federation
- US Lacrosse
- USA Gymnastics Online
- USA Swimming
- USA Youth Rugby
- US Figure Skating
- WWE Wrestling
- X-Games
- 9/11 Digital Archive
- American History Timeline
- American Presidents Life Portraits
- America's Story
- Betsy Ross
- Blank Outline Maps of the Fifty States
- The Civil War - National Park Service
- Colonial Hall
- Fifty States.com
- First Ladies
- Lewis and Clark Expedition
- Liberty! The American Revolution
- Lonely Planet
- Meet Amazing Americans
- Patriotism
- Popular Songs in American History
- Project Vote Smart
- Timeline of U.S. Presidents
- Tourism (Concierge.com)
- Frommer's
- TripSpot.com--State Tourism Boards
- U.S. Civil War Timeline (History Place)
- US Census Bureau
- The US50
- United States History--General
- United States History--Pre Colonial To 1865
- The White House
- Who's Who -- Famous Americans
- US Flag
- 9/11 Digital Archive
- American History Timeline
- American Presidents Life Portraits
- America's Story
- Betsy Ross
- Blank Outline Maps of the Fifty States
- The Civil War - National Park Service
- Colonial Hall
- Fifty States.com
- First Ladies
- Lewis and Clark Expedition
- Liberty! The American Revolution
- Lonely Planet
- Meet Amazing Americans
- Patriotism
- Popular Songs in American History
- Project Vote Smart
- Timeline of U.S. Presidents
- Tourism (Concierge.com)
- Frommer's
- TripSpot.com--State Tourism Boards
- U.S. Civil War Timeline (History Place)
- US Census Bureau
- The US50
- United States History--General
- United States History--Pre Colonial To 1865
- The White House
- Who's Who -- Famous Americans
- US Flag
