Fun & Interactive Government Web Sites for Kids

Having been a parent for 23 years, I know that by the second week of summer vacation, someone will be whining, "Mom, what's there to do?" For those times when my daughter and her friends are bored, I've bookmarked a selection of kid friendly and mother-approved web sites that are chocked full of fun activities.

Two of my favorite web sites are www.kids.gov and www.bensguide.gpo.gov . Both sites are kid's portals leading to dozens of federal kid's sites and other organizations. While some of them are better suited for school research papers, there's lots of great links in there that are a surprisingly amount of fun.

From the main page of Kids.gov, there 20 different subject categories to click on, each leading you to dozens of related topics. Ben's Guide has much of the same listings, but has the advantage of sorting the sites by age. As you click on the age categories listed on Ben's kite, a small chalkboard will pop up with a list of topics. Click on the link that reads "U.S. Government Web Sites for Kids" for the complete directory.

There's dozens of listings at "Ben's Guide", and many of them just excellent. My favorites, however, include:

The National Zoo and their animal cam. Learn about the animals at this fabulous zoo and watch them on live cameras.

The National Gallery of Art has one of the best kid's interactive web sites I've seen. There's all sorts of terrific interactive art projects you can such as creating mobiles, 3-D twirlers, painting with pixels, creating landscapes and decorating an old Dutch doll house.

Girl Power by the Department of Health and Human Services is a fabulous web site for girls 9-12. There's games and puzzles, activity books and scrap booking, and some candid discussions about feeling good about yourself.

Department of HUD also has a great site for younger children where they learn about their neighborhoods. There's interactive field trips plus a scavenger hunt.

For the James Bond in your family, visit the FBI's terrific web site. Go under cover, read about past cases, and play some terrific games. This has different levels of activities based on age, and is appropriate for grades K-12.

Visit the web site of The National Park Service and learn how to be a ranger! Or stop in at the Bureau of Land Management and download a booklet to take in the car on your vacation.

For a web site that is sure to entertain even the most bored child this summer, visit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for space related games and the chance to visit with an astronaut. For older kids, sign up to join a Live NASA quest event and chat with space experts.

From coloring pages to activity books, scavenger hunts, satellite cameras, treasury games, a visit to the White House, the Smithsonian, and more, there's plenty of fun at "U.S. Government Web Sites for Kids." It'll keep your kids entertained (and learning) for hours.