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Reference/Links: For Kids

Environmental Education for Kids - EEK!, an online magazine for grades four to eight created by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is packed with short articles and activities about animals, plants and environmental issues. The name might sound scary, but the site is lots of fun -- it's a place to share stories about your outdoor experiences, make nature-inspired art projects and find out about seasonal events.

EPA Student Center - This Environmental Protection Agency site keeps things simple, but manages to include information on a wide range of environmental issues. If you're serious about helping the environment, check out the section on environmental careers. Or, click on "Fun Activities" to play environmental games.

Kids taking action for greener,
healthier schools

The Green Squad - This NRDC website (also available in Spanish) shows you how to identify and solve environmental problems. Guided by four environmentally conscious students known as the "Green Squad," you can can explore a colorful virtual school room by room, and use the mouse to locate potential hazards. Parents and teachers will find the site useful as well -- the school's library and parent-teacher room offer a wide range of fact sheets and environmental resources.

The Greens - Izz and Dex are green -- literally! These animated characters not only have green skin, they've got lots of great ideas about protecting the planet. Visit this site to watch short cartoons about environmental issues, and find out how your daily actions affect the earth.

Nature Challenge for Kids - Junior environmentalists will find this David Suzuki Foundation website a great jumping-off point for all kinds of fun activities. The site starts out with ten simple ways you can protect nature, followed by four challenge activities that offer first-hand experience with the natural world. The "Cool Links" page connects you with other environmental websites, games and quizzes.

Planet Slayer - "Greena, the Worrier Princess" is an animated Australian teenager with a sense of purpose -- she's going to save the earth. This website promises not to give you any environmental guilt trips, but it does provide lots of fun facts and a greenhouse Q & A. Grown-ups might have a hard time following Greena's Aussie-accented slang, but younger visitors will have fun watching cartoons about her environmental adventures and playing the Planet Slayer game.

Tunza - Each issue of this U.N. Environment Programme magazine for young people focuses on a specific topic related to sustainable living. Read articles written by and for teens around the world.

Be, Live, Buy Different -- Make a Difference - Headed to the mall? Take a few minutes and visit this website first. A project of the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for a New American Dream, the site was created to inform young people about how everything we buy and use affects biodiversity. Discover the hidden connections between products and the environment, take the Buy-O-Diversity Quiz and visit the Buy Different Action Center to "make some noise."

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All-Star Endangered Critter Cards - This Why Files collection of printable trading cards is a great introduction to endangered species around the world. The front of each card features an animal photo; move your mouse over it to read about the species and how it is threatened.

Animal Diversity Web - Written by students at the University of Michigan with the help of professional biologists, this website features information about thousands of animal species, including detailed descriptions and photos. Some records even include audio and video, like these frog sounds.

Bug Bytes - Looking for a website with lots of underground music and downloadable sound clips? Here's one, but it's probably not what you'd expect. Instead of up-and-coming musicians, the site features audio recordings of insect sounds, many of which are recorded using subterranean microphones. Where else can you hear a fruit fly's song or listen in as a mole cricket burrows through the soil?

Central Shark - Which are cooler, dolphins or sharks? After being plagued by this question for years, the folks at the Oregon Coast Aquarium set out to answer it. The result: this website, which compares dolphins to sharks in 14 categories. By the time you read the final verdict, your brain will be full of fun facts about both creatures. Before you leave, test your newfound knowledge by taking the shark quiz in the "Activities" section.

The Electronic Naturalist - This online education program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade features a new environmental unit each week of the school year. Each lesson includes reading material, artwork, activities and related resources. Recent topics covered: where insects go during the winter, why animals in the North and South are different sizes and how a spider subdues its prey.

Going Bug-gy - Did you know daddy longlegs aren't really spiders? Or that some butterflies have tongues almost as long as their bodies? Find out more by reading the question and answer section of this Scholastic website, which offers "facts and fun about insects." Read up on spiders, bees and butterflies, and then try the Build Your Own Caterpillar game -- it invites players to choose physical attributes that might help a caterpillar face particular threats, and analyzes their choices at the end.

Infrared Zoo - Even if you already know which zoo animals are warm-blooded and which ones are cold-blooded, it's still fun to look at these pictures taken with a thermal infrared camera at NASA's Infrared Processing and Analysis Center. Scientists use infrared to study how well feathers, fur and blubber insulate animals, but you don't need an advanced degree to appreciate a rainbow-colored tiger!

Journey North - Track the migrations of birds and mammals at this website, which maps wildlife sightings across North America. If you'd like to add your own data, click the owl icon on any wildlife page to report a sighting.

Kids' Planet - This fun site is packed with kid-friendly environmental information. Learn about animals around the world, play animal-themed games and find simple ways to help protect the environment.

National Geographic Kids - You'll find lots of articles and games about science and nature at this website. Like what you see? Additional web features for kids are available in the National Geographic Explorer section.

National Zoo AnimalCams - The National Zoo has so many webcams, it's hard to decide which one to watch first. (The pink flamingos were putting on a good show when we visited.) Whatever animal you choose to spy on, you'll find streaming video of that creature in action and a few paragraphs of background information on the animal and its natural habitat.

Planet Arkive - The U.K.-based Wildscreen Trust created this website specifically for children aged seven to eleven. It offers species profiles, wacky wildlife facts and habitat-themed games and activities.

Pup's Supper Interactive Book - Small children will love this new online storybook (available in English and Spanish) about a mother sea otter and her pup. Although the story is very short, the Monterey Bay Aquarium website offers several related activities for kids to do offline. Print a few pages from the underwater coloring book, make a sea otter puppet out of a lunch bag and play a memory game with the printable "critter cards."

Shark School - How sharp is your shark knowledge? This kids' site from the San Diego Natural History Museum offers a shark FAQ, a glossary, profiles of sharks that live off the California coast and an overview of a shark's anatomy. If you think you've already got the basics down, test yourself with the quizzes in the "Fish and Games" section.

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Biology of Plants - This Missouri Botanical Garden website uses simple explanations, Flash animations and time-lapse videos to teach kids in grades K-3 about plants and how they grow. Sidebars offer definitions of plant vocabulary words, answer common questions and suggest plant-themed song lyrics.

My First Garden - Visit this website for help planning a kid-friendly garden. The University of Illinois Extension site uses simple, fun language to explain each step, from choosing a location to deciding what to plant. Don't forget to come back in a few months to submit a photo to the garden gallery!

Treetures - Websites don't get much cuter than this! The "Treetures" are tiny guardians of the forest who'd love to teach you about trees and how important they are to the environment. Visit the adorably illustrated website to try out tree-themed activities, listen to the Treeture theme song, or send a TreeMail message to your favorite character.

Who Wants to be a TREEllionaire? - If you think you know everything there is to know about trees, try your luck at this National Arbor Day Foundation game. Some of the questions are pretty tricky, but you can always ask "Treegis" for help if you get confused!

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A Walk in the Woods - As kids click through this photo-filled University of Illinois Extension website, they'll discover that a walk in the woods is a great way to learn about and appreciate nature. If your computer has speakers, turn them on to hear an enthusiastic voice read the text of each page.

Biodiversity: Everything Counts - If the word "biodiversity" makes you think of exotic habitats and endangered species, this website from the American Museum of Natural History will help bring the meaning closer to home. Find out how biodiversity affects your everyday life (even if you live in a city) and then click on "Stuff to Do" for biodiversity-related activities to try after you've turned off your computer.

Disappearing Wetlands - In early 2005, scientists from the JASON Foundation for Education led a team of students on an expedition to Louisiana's wetlands. Share the experience online through a series of hour-long webcasts, photo galleries and journal entries about the bayou and the critters that live there. Then, try the "Frogs in Focus" Flash activity to collect your own data during a virtual visit to a Louisiana pond.

Field Trip Earth - You don't need a school bus to take a field trip! Travel the world with your web browser at this site, which offers interviews, discussion groups, field reports, essays, slide shows and educator resources. Start on the "Choose a Field Trip" page, and use the airplane cursor to select a wildlife conservation project you'd like to visit.

MBGnet - This Missouri Botanical Garden website offers an introduction to six terrestrial biomes and six aquatic ecosystems. Each section includes a descriptive overview of the featured habitat, answers to frequently asked questions and facts about the animals and plants that live there.

Nab the Aquatic Invader! - Developed by NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program, this website invites kids in grades four to ten to become "Sea Grant Super Sleuths." Use the site's resources to track down aquatic invaders in U.S. waters. Full of colorful illustrations and creative text, this online activity is an entertaining way to learn more about invasive species. Don't miss the list of suspects, a collection of wanted posters for characters like Louie "Sucker Mouth" Sea Lamprey and Wilma "the Creeper" Watermilfoil.

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The Big Blue Bus - Protecting the world's water sources is serious business, but this Canadian government website finds a way to make it fun. Kids ages 8 to 16 can sign up as Water Wizards, and there's a Small Fry Club for the little ones. Cartoon characters like Maximus Octopus and Polly Perch introduce games and activities while teaching you about "all things watery."

Global Rivers Environmental Education Network - The GREEN website was created as a place for young people and water monitors to store and share the data they collect about the water resources in their communities. Read about water monitoring projects in your area and learn how you can start one of your own.

Water Busters - This Flash game from the Saving Water Partnership invites you to help a little blue guy explore his house and find ways to save water and help the environment. A friendly salmon named Bert offers advice and encouragement along the way.

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Marine Biology: The Living Oceans - At this website, scientists from the American Museum of Natural History take you beneath the waves to explore ocean ecosystems. The site uses simple games and activities to explain how sea organisms depend on each other, why researchers believe life developed in the oceans and how adaptation helps animals survive. Check the Stuff To Do section for hands-on activities to try away from the computer.

MarineCareers.net - So you want to be a marine biologist, an oceanographer or an underwater filmmaker? Make a splash in your chosen career with the help of this site, part of the National Sea Grant College Program. You'll find job descriptions and salaries, detailed profiles of marine professionals, and tips to help you earn the necessary qualifications and get hired.

Ocean Life - A joint project of Scholastic and the Earthwatch Institute, this website sends you on a virtual expedition to study sea turtles and dolphins in Costa Rica. Use your investigative skills to learn about the animals and discover how they are being affected by human activity. Then, watch a few dolphin video clips and try the Turtle Hurdle quiz.

Planet Ocean - You don't have to get wet to learn lots of fun facts about the ocean at this Discovery site. Find out how creatures like the tubeworm and blue whale survive in their underwater world, and vote for your favorite "Marine Megastars."

Rock and Reef Homes - This Monterey Bay Aquarium feature offers a fun introduction to the sea creatures that live on rocky shores and coral reefs. Short rhymes, songs, games, and video clips describe the two ocean habitats, and the site is packed with colorful photos.

Secrets@Sea - Set up like an interactive cartoon, this website invites you to play the role of Ace, an investigator assigned to explain the unusual behavior of local whales. Created as a joint project of the Vancouver Aquarium, Science World and Pacific Space Centre, the site takes you through a series of ocean-related learning activities as you attempt to solve the case. There aren't many instructions to help you along, but keep clicking and you'll find the clues.

The Truth Behind SpongeBob - If too much TV-watching has you thinking that sea sponges are square, yellow and talkative, this Ocean Futures Society website will help you get your facts straight. It uses the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon characters as a basis for introducing the fascinating creatures and coral reefs that really live under the sea.

Women Exploring the Oceans - Considering a career in oceanography? Find a role model -- or several -- at this website, created by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the National Science Foundation. The site features remarkable women working in marine science, including scientists, professors, an engineer on a research vessel and an illustrator of oceanic data. Each woman's profile includes an interview, a list of her educational and professional experience, an overview of a typical work week, examples of projects she's working on and photos of her in action.

Cities Under the Sea: Coral Reefs - Did your family like the movie Finding Nemo? At this Ocean Future Society website, Jean-Michel Cousteau invites kids to visit Nemo's home and learn what real coral reefs are like. The site explains what corals are, describes the importance of reef biodiversity and lists the environmental threats reefs face. Each section includes photos, video clips and audio narration.

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Air Quality Index - Learn about the Air Quality Index and what it means at this EPA website. You'll find information about air quality and health, and actions you can take to help reduce air pollution. Think you know it all already? Test your knowledge with the air quality games.

The Know Zone - Want to learn more about air pollution and smog? This California Air Resources Board website links to lots of air pollution resources. Visit the student section for fact sheets and an air pollution glossary.

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Dr. E's Energy Lab - A monkey named Dr. E will teach you about renewable energy and energy efficiency at this U.S. Department of Energy site. Dr. E offers up online resources for everything from alternative fuels to solar energy.

Energy Hog - According to this website, energy hogs are "nasty critters that hide all over your home and pig out on wasted energy." Battle the energy hogs online (and pick up a few energy-saving tips) by playing games at this website; completing all five games earns you the title "Hog Buster."

Roofus' Solar Home - At this site, meet a dog named Roofus who's an expert on solar energy and energy efficiency. As you visit different parts of Roofus' energy smart house, you'll find energy saving tips and simple experiments to help you understand how energy works.

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Climate Change in Your Garden - If cold weather is keeping you indoors, use your mouse to explore the interactive garden on this U.K. Phenology Network website. Click on the plants and animals to learn how climate change could affect them. If your speakers are on, you'll hear an audio introduction to each section.

Global Warming Kids Site - This EPA site explains what global warming is and what causes it, and what you can do to help stop it. Educational but not overwhelming, the site provides definitions of each scientific term used and features simple global warming-themed games.

Polar Action Guide - Want to help protect the polar ice cap? Download this PDF guide to find out what you and your family can do about global warming's impact on the arctic.

Professor Polar Bear's Education Center - This website, created by the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, explains global warming in simple, straightforward language. Featuring a polar bear that's concerned about melting ice and the warming environment, the site offers up facts on the causes of climate change, quizzes, an "ask a scientist" section, and links to other global warming resources.

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The Adventures of Vermi the Worm - This Flash website from California's Integrated Waste Management Board is your chance to accompany a vermicomposting worm on a variety of compost-themed adventures. Think you're too grown up for that stuff? Skip the cartoons and head straight for the site's composting instruction pages.

Clean Sweep U.S.A. - At this Keep America Beautiful website, you'll meet the citizens of "the cleanest town in America." Get to know the town's residents, and you'll find games and videos about recycling, saving energy and reducing waste.

Recycle City - Want to learn more about recycling and reducing waste? Click on this site's colorful maps and illustrations to explore a virtual town and pick up a few tips from the locals.

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WebRangers - Planning a family trip to a national park? Sign up as a WebRanger before you go. You'll get an overview of the National Park Service, and pick up a few facts about the individual parks while trying out the games and activities.

Windows into Wonderland - Designed for students in grades 5 to 8, this Yellowstone National Park website offers "eTrips," virtual field trips that use audio, video and Flash animation to teach kids about the park and its animals. Recent features cover Yellowstone's wolves, the shifting shorelines of Yellowstone Lake and the microorganisms that live in the park's hot springs.

Rainforest Heroes - At this Rainforest Action Network website, you'll find tips for taking action to protect forests, success stories from other young activists and forest-related activities. Don't miss the "About Rainforests" section - it's packed with facts and photos.

Global Response - Got a few minutes? Write a letter to help protect the environment. This activism site focuses on environmental issues around the world, and includes all the background information you'll need to write a great letter. If you get inspired and want to do more, visit NRDC's Earth Action Center.

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