6 Free Resources for Your Budding Scientist

The following is a guest post from Leslie at Homeschool Helping Hand. Check out her site for tons of great homeschooling resources. Interested in contributing to our blog? Email us!Do you have a budding scientist in your house? Whether it's a 7-year-old asking “why...?” and “how...?” or a teen with a passion for astronomy, we want to give our children the tools to satisfy their curiosity and learn with enthusiasm.These websites are terrific resources for curious minds – places where your children can safely explore and learn about science and the world around them. (Because they're free, most of them have some advertisements, but they seem to be obvious enough to avoid accidental clicking if you're careful!)

1. Science Kids is a wonderful site for elementary and junior high age students. They can read up on science facts or take quizzes to see what they already know. There are experiments and projects to try, and a library of videos and pictures to explore. You can let the kids have fun with interactive games, or use the lesson plans for more structured learning.
2. Rader's Network of Science and Math Sites is another great tool for young scientists. It's actually six related websites: Cosmos4Kids, Biology4Kids, Chem4Kids, Geography4Kids (this is physical geography, not the maps and cultures kind!), Physics4Kids, and NumberNut. The sites are set up so you can follow a guided tour through the topics, or explore on your own. Each topic (there are hundreds in the six sites!) includes some text, pictures and a video. At the bottom of each page are quizzes, related links to the other Rader sites, and resource links for books and online articles. There's a search function to help you find specific information, or just turn the kids loose and let the learning happen!
3. NASA's Mars Exploration website will provide hours of learning and fun. There are facts about the red planet, information about human missions to Mars (past, present, and future) and a multimedia section with pictures, videos and interactive activities. The kids page includes online games, coloring pages, and a computerized scientist to answer questions! And check the educators page for projects, lesson plans, and helpful links.
4. Windows to the Universe is another site focused primarily on space and astronomy, with pages and pages of informative text and images. It also includes animations, videos and interactive activities. There are sections about the history of science and the place of science in culture and myth. All of this information is available for free, but you can also purchase an affordable annual subscription to get rid of the ads and get access to some extra features.
5. Neuroscience for Kids is the place to go for any questions you have about the brain and nervous system. There are hundreds of engaging pages of information on this site. You can explore the question and answer section to see what other kids have asked about, or try out some experiments for hands-on learning. And the links page will give you even more sites to investigate.
6. Kids Know It is another network of educational websites. The science sites are Kids Astronomy, Kids Biology, Kids Dinos, and Kids Geo. You'll find hundreds of pages of information with pictures, animations and videos. You can also print worksheets, play online games and listen to educational songs!

Take a look at these websites, add bookmarks to your “science” folder, and incorporate them into your science curriculum. Or just let the kids get started, sit back, and pat yourself on the back for being a homeschool super-mom!Do you have some favorite science websites or resources? Share them in the comments below!Happy Homeschooling!