Top 10 Websites for Preschoolers

I’m sure most of you can remember your pre-school days. Caring parents found myriad methods to educate their children while entertaining them. This was the “new way” back then, as opposed to the limited techniques our grandparents were exposed to. In a way, the older generation had literally wider view of the world. Before the advent of educational programming, folk would simply read books, sing songs or take kids to parks, zoos, museums and fairs to expose their young to tidbits of the broader world ahead.

You can say it was a little more personal then, but with today’s vast array of selections for preschool learning, the 21st century parent is gifted with an oftentimes taken-for-granted token of the times: options. Yes, we still have parks, play places, zoos and bigger entertainment centers, but we also have television, more literature and the songs of yore still endure (think Itsy Bitsy Spider came out in publication in 1910!). So this “wider view” is continually expanding. And now, as evidenced by you reading this article, we have the world wide web, and with it, cutting-edge websites to help your preschooler get the edge up on learning.

With all of this in mind, it is up to you as parents to make all these modern experiences as personal as they were when your great grandmother read your grandfather a story book with fervor, letting mighty kings and dragons come to life! Blend the old with the new, and integrate. These ten websites are nothing but educational fun, and a great way to bond with your child and allow him or her to learn not just the very basics, but offer a positive experience with modern technology!
 

The Top Ten (In no particular order of charm):
 
1. FISHER PRICE, PLAY AND DEVELOPMENT
A trusted brand and a toddler tailored website doing justice to their good name.  Filled with enriching games and puzzles, and a smart pairing of ABCs and cute animals will keep your child amused.
 
2. AOL KIDS
Enticing shape games, that are virtual versions of the traditional block games still around now are great ways to get your child acquainted to not just regular three dimensional perspectives, but with two dimensional ones as well.  This is a sort of cross training drill for perception and crayon drawings.

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Read on to see more top websites for preschoolers.

 
3. SESAME STREET
A perennial favorite goes online!   All the familiar characters we were fond of as children, now come alive for this generation.  It’s the same basic themes from TV.  Counting, the Alphabet and stories.  Something this classic emphasizes in entertaining repetition.
 
4. PROFESSOR GARFIELD
Art, music and comics dominate the site of everyone’s favorite fat orange tabby.  Although it’s slightly catered to older kids, your toddler will enjoy the colorful flash videos and listening to rhymes.  This is something really great to do together, as it will prompt our child to point and ask you many questions.
 
5. A “BUBBLE WRAP POPPING SITE”
Ultra simple, and yet an amazing tool for teaching the use of the mouse, and an effective stress reliever for tired Moms and Dads too!
 
6. ART PAD
This site is much like using a standard color pad program, but it’s kid-friendly interface using a paintbrush and a pad is an intelligent introduction to the world of digital arts.
 
7. TEACHERS
Nina, the Naming Newt helps children in the areas of naming and sorting.  Although not as vivid and artful as the other pages, it manages to incorporate identification of familiar things and places with the necessary skill of sorting and putting things in their proper places.
 
8. MR. ROGERS
The late, great Mr. Fred Rogers continues his legacy of teaching and entertaining the very young through songs, games and coloring pages.  
 
9. NICK JR.
Nickolodeon.  A brand name most children recognize very early and life and therefore trust, does not disappoint, utilizing favorite characters such as Dora, Diego, The Backyardigans, and my personal favorite, Yo Gabba Gabba as sublime learning tools.  Since your toddler can relate to them with ease, this site will be an instant favorite for most.
 
10. KNEE BOUNCERS
A whole caboodle of age appropriate game, with characters, though yet unfamiliar, are full of life and appealing. They not only teach basic skills, but they empasize good manners and behavior without being overbearing. Created by Jim Robinson, who calls himself the “Chief Knee Bouncer” out of necessity when his three and four year olds discovered the internet and the whole family thought they wanted more out of it. Masterful!
 
There you have it! The ten best in my opinion, out of the web. May you have a great time surfing with your toddler, and with all this in tow, the moments spent online together will prove to be worth much more than we think!


Photo from commons.wikimedia.org