For this and many other free downloadable dot to dot printables, visit: spoonful.com.

Whyville is a virtual world geared for pre teens and teens. The site is designed for users to come learn, create, and have fun together. Whyville has its own newspaper, its own Senators, its own beach, museum, City Hall and town square, its own suburbia, and even its own economy- citizens earn "clams" by playing educational games. Try it out at www.whyville.net.

Here's a fantastic list of free educational apps compiled by: kidsactivitiesblog.com.

Language Apps

(letters, phonics, grammar)

Android

50 languages by 50 languages.  Learn 50 languages for free using your native language! 50languages.com contains 100 lessons that provide beginners with a basic vocabulary. With no prior knowledge, you will learn to fluently speak short sentences in real-world situations in no time. The 50languages method successfully combines audio and text for effective language learning.

Dictionary.com Flashcards by Dictionary.com.  Study, learn and master words on your phone. Create and play fun, tailored study programs anywhere, anytime. Create your own or choose from over 70,000 flashcard decks, customize your study by grade level, standardized test, or subject, select your study method – audio pronunciation or definition matching, sync your online and mobile app progress, and study offline without an internet connection.

iStorybooks by iStorybooks. Free story books with fun pictures, text, and audio for your little ones ages 2-8.

Practice English Grammar – 1 by CrowdUni. Practice English Grammar (Beginner Level) helps you learn English grammar by practicing interactive grammar exercises.  Practice English Grammar (Beginner Level) contains many pages of grammar lessons explaining the grammar topics of the tests. With over 500 questions in 16 topics, this app helps you practicing the basic usage of English grammar in elementary level.

Speak Spanish by Holfeld Apps.  Most Apps or classes try to teach you 1000s of words you will never need. This App teaches you all the phrases you will very likely need! If you want to save time and money and just learn what you’ll actually need while traveling, this App is ideal for you! Hear & Learn the basics, how to say Hello,Thanks,Goodbye and more.

iPad

Beginning Sounds Interactive Game by Lakeshore Learning Materials. Kids match words that share the same beginning sound! Children just “grab” fun picture balls and drop them into the correct spots on the board. For ages 4-7 years. Free

Letter of the Day Interactive Activities by Lakeshore Learning Materials.  Kids explore the whole alphabet—from every angle! Animated lessons cover letter formation, letter sounds and more. For ages 4-6 years.

Phonics Genius by Innovative Mobile Apps.  This app is loaded with content. We are talking over 6,000 professionally recorded words carefully grouped into 225 categories by phonics. Ages 1 – 6 Years Old.

Phonics Tic-Tac-Toe Interactive Game by Lakeshore Learning Materials.  Children build language skills in a fast-paced game of tic-tac-toe! Fun, interactive game explores vowel sounds, syllables and more. For ages 6-8 years.

Sight Words List – Learn to Read Flash Cards & Games by Innovative Mobile Apps.  Help Your Child Learn to Read. Sight Words, also known as the Dolch List are an integral part in learning how to read. The Dolch Word list contains 315 words that are broken down into appropriate age groups. It is important for young readers to be able to instantly recognize these high frequency words in order to be proficient and fluent readers.

Math Apps

Android

Geometry Eye by iauro Technologies.  Play this game and see how accurate your eyes can observe the things.GeometryEye shows series of geometry figures which needs to be adjusted to make geometry shapes or to find out some geometrical properties like angle bisector,in-circle of a triangle,line midpoint etc.

Kids Math Lite by Explore in Android.  Kids Maths Lite is a great app perfect for preschoolers to learn about numbers and counting. The kid can have hands on following activities: Learn Numbers- Choose from Play mode, previous and next buttons, Count and tell, Find missing number, Find bigger number, Find Smaller number, Learn number names, Find a match- play the popular fun memory game to match numbers, Draw and Learn- Practice to draw the numbers within the stencil with color of your choice.

Kids Numbers and Math by Intellijoy.  Wouldn’t it be just wonderful if there was a simple game for children that made learning numbers and basic math skills enjoyable? There is! It’s called Kids Numbers and Math. This app is great for learning numbers, choosing max/min number, addition, subtraction, finding a match, and even advanced exercises.

Math Formulary by anjokes.  Simple access to all math formulas with the Math Formulary App! Math Formulary covers all mathematical formulas that are usually used in the school and the university. Where necessary graphics are included to depict and explain the topic better. The content is organized into following groups: Basic Arithmetic, Algebra, Analysis, Geometry, Trigonometry, Analytical Geometry, and Logic.

Pocket Math by synQroid.  Pocket Math is a unique quick reference android application that gives the user a list of all basic quant concepts and formulae with brief explanations. Concepts are grouped for easy reference.

iPad

Ace Kids Math Games HD by Brain Counts.  Easily teaches kids how to Count, Add, and Subtract VISUALLY using fun animations with a prize reward system for completing each level.

Motion Math Zoomby Motion Math.  Motion Math Zoom’s zoomable, stretchable number line is missing some numbers – it’s up to your child to put the numbers back where they belong. The new game uses concrete objects to represent abstract numbers: from dinosaurs in the thousands down to amoebas in the thousandths. Fun animal animations and sound effects help elementary school children master the number line.

Pizza Fractions: Beginning With Simple Fractions by Brian West. Ranked a top 100 iPad education app in the United States, May 2011, Pizza Fractions offers a simple, visually-based introduction to fractions for elementary school kids. In chef’s pizzeria your child masters the concept of naming simple fractions using pizza picture examples. Designed for grade levels 2-6, Pizza Fractions provides introductory practice with fractions in an approachable game-like environment.

Rocket Math by Dan Russell-Pinson.  Math can be fun! Build your very own rockets and fly them to the stars with Rocket Math! While your rocket is floating weightlessly in space, the real fun begins! Play one of the many fun math missions. Each mission has touchable objects floating in space, including stars, coins, 3D shapes and more! Earn a bronze, silver or gold medal and also try to beat your high score. Missions range in difficulty from even/odd numbers all the way to square roots, so kids and their parents will enjoy hours of fun while learning math.

Tangram XL by NG.  Simple version of popular Tangram designed with kids in mind. Avoids unnecessary design and decoration to keep kids attention over important geometric concepts that the game develops. The pieces are handled naturally following the movement of fingers as much to move them or turn them both at once.

Science Apps

Android

3D Brain by Dolan DNA Learning Center.  Use your touch screen to rotate and zoom around the interactive brain structures. Discover how each brain region functions, what happens when it is injured, and how it is involved in mental illness. Each detailed structure comes with information on functions, disorders, brain damage, case studies, and links to modern research.

Fun Science Facts by Heybuzz.  This application features fun science facts you did not know. Provides snippets of information on animals, humans, space and the weather, for children and everyone. We have collected them from various sources over the years. This is a must have app for everyone.

NASA by NASA.  Come explore with NASA and discover a huge collection of stunning images, videos, mission information, news, NASA TV and featured content with the new NASA App for Android.

Nature Facts by SusaSoftX.  Contains thousands of nature related facts. (Animals, Astronomy, Biology, Bugs, Earth, Oceans, Human Body, Trees, Weather)

Science Facts by SusaSoftX.  Contains thousands of science related facts. (Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Biology, Inventions …)

iPad

Animal Fun by Brian Pfeil.  Animal Fun is a simple animal learning program for children. Children learn about animals by seeing and hearing the sounds an animal makes. It combines an easy-to-use interface and fun sound effects to entertain children while they learn.

GoSkyWatch Planetarium – the astronomy star guide by GoSoftWorks.  Easily and quickly identify and locate stars, planets, constellations and more with a touch or by simply pointing to the sky. Have fun with family and friends discovering the images in the night sky. Go outside and explore the night sky.

Periodic Table of the Elements by Kevin Neelands.  This is a standard periodic table of the elements – a necessity for anyone interested in or even exposed chemistry. However, the version differs in that instead of cramming all the information for an element into one little square, you can select a chemical attribute and have the entire chart color coded to plainly show how the different elements vary with regard to the selected trait.

Science 360 by National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Science360 for iPad provides easy access to engaging science and engineering images and video from around the globe and a news feed featuring breaking news from NSF-funded institutions. Content is either produced by NSF or gathered from scientists, colleges and universities, and NSF science and engineering centers.

Self_Assemblyby Cacciuto.  Design your own molecules and watch them self-assemble into complex two-dimensional structures. The idea is to provide a simple and direct tool for nonscientist to experience first hand the beautiful world of physical chemistry. Figure out how to form interesting structures by manipulating the shape of the molecules, the concentration of the solution, and its temperature.

This is such a fun game. Kids will love it! Just give everyone a sturdy paper plate and a pencil, have them put the plate on their head and then give them the following instructions to draw while the plate is on their head:

1. Draw a line for a floor.
2. Draw a Christmas Tree.  Add decorations if you feel so inclined.
3. Draw a star on top of your tree.
4. Draw a fireplace with a mantel next to the tree.
5. Draw a stocking hanging from the mantel of your fireplace.
6. Draw a present below the tree.

After the six steps have been given, let everyone look at their masterpieces.

Get ready for a serious giggle fest.

Then have players count up how many points they received by following this rubric:

1. 2 points if the tree touches the floor.
2. 2 points if your stocking is touching your mantel.
3. 1 point if your star touches your tree.
4. 1 point if your star is above your tree.
5. 1 point for every Christmas ornament ball that is ON your tree, etc.
6. 1 point if your fireplace doesn’t touch the tree (it’s a fire hazard!). 
7. 1 point if you actually drew something decorative on your stocking (or something cute, like a tiny kitten peeking out).
8. 2 points if your present is under your tree.

(Taken from: happyhomefairy.com)

Check out some of these Kwanzaa online games and coloring pages at thekidzpage.com.

Pucker up....this game requires skill, speed and raw straw-sucking power.

What You Need

• Straws

• Construction paper

• Bowl

Instructions

1. Before the party, ask your kids to help you cut ten Halloween shapes, such as ghosts, bats and pumpkins from construction paper. Each shape should be about the size of a silver dollar. Place the shapes in a pile beside a small bowl.

2. Using the straw as a vacuum, each contestant tries to pick up a shape and place it in the bowl to create the Witch's Stew. Time the players to see who can get all ten in the bowl the fastest.

Tips:

               Cut out several sets of shapes and let the players race head to head.

(Taken from: familyfun.go.com)

Who knew a roll of masking tape could be so fun? Whattoexpect.com gives several ideas of fun games to do indoors with just a little masking tape.

Hopscotch:

Bulls-eye Bowling: 

Tic-Tac-Toe: 

Balance Beam: 

Long Jump: 

Great fun for when the weather turns!

Pull out a camera with a timer for this twist on a classic party game that produces priceless keepsakes.

 Instructions

1. To Play: The first player sets the camera timer for the longest setting available and starts the countdown. He points the camera at himself for a couple of seconds, then passes it to the person on his left. The other players do the same until the camera snaps a shot. The person whose photo is taken must share it with the group, then perform a forfeit or tell something funny about himself before play resumes. The last person to avoid having his picture taken wins.

What kid would not love this idea? Make a tape ball using masking and duct tape on the inside and clear packaging tape on the outside.  Tape small prizes inside, like little toys and candy. Have everyone who is playing get in a big circle. One player gets the tape ball and the player in front of them gets a pair of dice.  The player with the ball removes the tape as fast as they can and anything they can get out is theirs to keep.  The player with the dice tries to roll doubles as quickly as they can so they get a turn.  As soon as they get doubles, they pass the dice to the person next to them and then they get the tape ball. To put a little more academic spin on the game, have the kids add up the sum of the dice when they're rolling.

Idea from: imacubmasterwhatnow.blogspot.com

We all know that the wait for food at restaurants with kids can taint the experience. Repeatcrafterme.com has 10 great waiting games that can make eating out much more enjoyable. Some of them include:

Origami Fortune Tellers

Sugar Packet and Penny Trick

Straw and Sugar Packet Tic Tac Toe

Dot Game

ABC Spy

Disappearing Objects

Table Football

For more games and complete directions, visit their website.