Summer Activities and Reading for Kids in Preschool

If you’re like me, summer can be hard. Yes, we get to spend more time with our kids when they are out of school. But, we have even more responsibility to be proactive in their education.

One of the things I try to teach my children about, is the world around us. For this, I turn to local/national print publications, podcasts, and kids news .com sites like spacescoop.org.

Each forum can help kids develop a range of skills, from critical thinking to media literacy, to empathy.

Each story they read (or I read to them) they have the opportunity to discuss people from different backgrounds, cultures, and situations. Thus promoting respect, compassion, and tolerance.

News stories can also be linked to various subjects in their preschool curriculum, such as history, geography, science, and social studies. This connection helps children see the relevance of their studies and the real-world application of their knowledge.

For content and application, I turn to the following websites:

Source: Med Kharbach- Educators Technology.com (link)

1. TIME for Kids

Time for Kids offers news for kids as young as K-1. Simply select your kid's age and start browsing and reading material. They also have content for kids between the age of 7 to 12 years old. Various topics include science, art, media, books etc.

Time for Kids also gives you the option of printing these articles on the go. That way, if you’re visiting a specific place or monument, you’ll have content to discuss with your kids.

2. Newsround

Newsround from the BBC offers daily news stories for kids covering topics such as climate and environment, science, space, entertainment, and many more. Newsround also offers news shows, quizzes, games, and puzzles making news reading fun and engaging.

My favorite aspect of the site is the video content. Allowing my kids to see other kids in action.

3. Space Scoop

Space Scoop provides news related to space and the universe. “The articles cover all the most exciting cosmic events in a language that’s easy to understand. With Space Scoop you can learn about the latest missions aboard the International Space Station, watch as new planets are born and travel with us to the early Universe.”

4. Science Journal for Kids

Science Journal for Kids features a huge collection of scientific articles written for kids and teens covering topics in technology, social science, physics, chemistry, biology, and many more. 

The journal also offers various educational resources for teachers including podcasts, translated articles, interviews with researchers, lesson ideas, tutorials, read along versions of articles, and more.

5. News for Kids

News for Kids is a website created by a teacher to make news accessible to young learners. It offers a wide array of news stories covering world current events written in a simple language accessible to struggling readers. News categories include: world, US, science, sports, and arts.

6. KidNuz

KidNuz offers daily news podcasts for kids covering news from all around the world. Besides news, podcasts also feature games, puzzles, learning challenges, and several other interesting educational materials to use with your kids and students. 

KidNuz mission, as is stated in their homepage, is to “engage kids in current events, encourage critical thinking, and spark meaningful conversations.”

7. Scholastic Kids Press

Scholastic Kids Press is a service from Scholastic where talented kid reporters share news stories covering various topics including politics, breaking news, sports, entertainment, the environment, and more. Students from all around the world aged 10-14 can apply to become Kid Reporters in Scholastic Kids Press.