Whether kids are at home or in their after school program, learning should remain a priority outside of the classroom. Luckily, with hundreds of websites available, kids can learn about a variety of topics, from reading to personal finance, while having fun.

Whether kids are at home or in their after school program, learning should remain a priority outside of the classroom. Luckily, with hundreds of websites available, kids can learn about a variety of topics, from reading to personal finance, while having fun.

These five websites are not only free to access, but offer a large assortment of games, courses, documentaries and online books children can enjoy. Check them out, bring them into your after school program and recommend your favorites to parents.

Starfall

This free, online learning website offers dozens of games that encourage students to read and learn about math while having fun.

Set your students up with the Who Am I game, listed under “It’s Fun to Read.” This game, best for young children, prompts the game player to choose their gender, age, hair color and more. Every time a choice is made, the choice is said out loud, reinforcing pronunciation and reading.

Whooo’s Reading

This online reading log needs to be set up by the school, their after school program or a teacher. Once that’s done, children can log reading from home, write responses to CCSS-aligned questions and interact with their peers.

Students are motivated to read more every day thanks to a variety of social and gamification features. For example, after logging reading, they earn Wisdom Coins, which can be “spent” on virtual accessories in the Owl Store. These accessories, including hats, shoes and clothing, go on their Owlvatar, which is seen by their entire class.

Learn Out Loud

This library of free audio and video resources has more than 10,000 educational titles for students to browse in their free time. The coolest part about Learn Out Loud is their library of documentaries. Kids can watch titles such as The Secret, Hoop Dreams and The Weight of the Nation—with such a wide variety of titles to choose from, kids have an opportunity to explore their own interests and discover what they’re passionate about.

There are 1,200 self-guided courses as well, ranging from technology and business to travel and literature.

E-learning for Kids

Send kids to this website and rest easy knowing they’re spending their time on something educational. The website, which has seven categories to choose from (including math, computer skills and life skills), gives kids of all ages an opportunity to learn while playing.

What makes this site unique is the inclusion of “life skills” games/courses. Students can play the Microsoft Excel game, which teaches them how to “calculate expenses for their mom”—a skill that not every student gets a chance to learn in school.

Code Academy

STEM is becoming more and more important in our high-tech society, so much so that STEM jobs are growing at 1.7 times the rate of non-STEM related jobs, according to the Department of Education.

Coding is a STEM skill every kid will be thankful they learned at a young age, and Code Academy makes that possible. This free website gives kids a leg up by offering courses that turn them into programming experts—check out this feature about two teens who learned how to code a calculator.