Free Educational and Fun Online Games for Kids

JumpStart has a well-earned reputation for their educational games, and have expanded that line to include a safe online multiplayer world for kids. In this 3D world kids can create their own avatar, explore, play educational games, watch videos, find treasure, do quests and interact with Frankie and the other characters they may already know from JumpStart's educational software.

Part of the world is free, and part of it takes a monthly fee or yearly membership to access. If your kids are like mine, they'll love the free areas and put getting access to the rest of the world at the top of their wishlist. I did eventually buy them a membership, and appreciate that the one fee covers the whole family, so all three of my kids can have their own avatars and experiences in the game.

With membership, you also get progress reports for what your kids are learning or attempting to learn, and can download several full JumpStart games your kids can play on your computer.

Try it Free - Online 3D World of Learning & Fun for Kids!!

PBSKids.org has games, stories, coloring pages, and video clips from the educational children's shows shown on PBS. You can find fun online games featuring Curious George, Clifford, Between the Lions, Sesame Street, WordWorld, Cyberchase, and more, all free to play.

All our old friends from Sesame Street appear in learning games and videos here. Parents can find advice articles on parenting topics, printables, and other fun stuff at the parents section.

Disney Preschool has fun learning games featuring characters our kids know and love from Playhouse Disney and the Disney movies.

For older kids, check out Disney Games. They're not all directly educational, but they're fun, quality online games.

Nick Jr

Games feature well known Noggin/Nick Jr characters like Kai-Lan, Dora, Diego, Backyardigans, and Max & Ruby. They have a few premium games, that you can try for free then they want you to buy, but most games are free.

There are videos, crafts, printables, and a parents area with recipes and articles, as well.

National Geographic Kids has educational online games, activities, videos, and articles.

For younger kids, check out National Geographic Little Kids

Funschool has animal games and other early learning games and activities for the preschoolers. For older kids they language games, art games, math games, geography games, sports games, and activities.

FunBrain has educational online math games, word games, and more. Among the skills focused on are place values, fractions, spelling, and grammar.

Starfall is a great site for teaching kids phonics, or helping beginning readers strengthen their skills.

iKnowthat has standards-based learning games for pre-k through 6th grade. They have games for all subjects in each grade level's area, or your child can go into the bee hive, which is a multiplayer area where they can interact with and play games with kids from all over. They earn points as they play that they can use to decorate their house in the hive.

The site is free, with ads, or you can pay $5.95 a month and have an adless version. Premium payers also get progress reports and personalized accounts for the whole family or class.