National Geographic Kids

Kid-friendly science and social studies info via videos, games, and more

Learning rating

Community rating

Based on 36 reviews

Privacy rating

Expert evaluation by Common Sense

Grades

Pre-K–8

Subjects & Skills

Character & SEL, Critical Thinking, Science, Social Studies

Price: Free
Platforms: Web

Pros: An amazing array of learning resources from a trusted, expert brand.

Cons: Teaching resources and search options are limited, and the quality level of games varies.

Bottom Line: Large collection of approachable, fun multimedia resources about animals, habitats, countries, and cultures.

While National Geographic Kids isn't well organized for teachers, it's a fantastic resource for students to use to explore their interests and follow their curiosity. Though it isn't a comprehensive site and has some gaps in the animals and countries it covers, its offerings keep expanding. The site would be a great way to introduce the diversity of life on Earth: Encourage students to learn about new animals, watch the various science and geography series, or explore the U.S. states or countries of the world. The Homework Help section can provide additional assistance with light research papers or projects. Teachers can also search for resources that match topics they're working on in the classroom.

Teachers of younger students will find this educational tool a great way to increase engagement and add extension activities for science and social studies lessons. There are also closed captions on videos for accessibility purposes. Note: Though the site content is free, there are a number of links to subscribe to the National Geographic Kids and National Geographic Little Kids magazines, as well as a link to the National Geographic store.

By building on National Geographic's reputation for breathtaking photography and in-depth reporting about the world's cultures and exotic wildlife, National Geographic Kids provides an overwhelming number of high-quality visual learning tools that focus on the natural world and on world cultures. Profiles of animals and countries include videos, photos, maps, and facts. Videos are brief (one to five minutes) and include excerpts from National Geographic's nature films and themed exploration and information shows. The reading level is probably too advanced for the youngest readers but might provide some motivation for reading instruction in class.

In the extensive animal section, students can browse for animals by type of animal, discovering animal species from the luna moth and desert tortoise to the caracal and wolverine. Listings give overview information, scientific name, habitat, range, endangered status, and plenty of other details. Informative articles add more utility to the site's offerings, and students can travel the world and the United States through the country- and state-specific entries. Along with the more traditional educational material, National Geographic Kids also has a games section that allows students to explore topics such as code breaking, national parks, settling in Jamestown, recycling, Greek gods, and, of course, animals. There are also sub-sites for Nat Geo Kids book series, such as Explorer Academy and Zeus the Mighty, along with focused education topics. Keyword searches can uncover resources like crafts how-tos, learning about gemstones, and plenty of science experiments.

Some standouts include features like Funny Fill-Ins games; video series like Weird But True!, Best Job Ever, and Try This!; deeper dives into topics such as Native Americans, African American Heroes, and Women Heroes; and a Kids vs. Plastic section encouraging plastic-free crafts with downloadable toolkits.

The National Geographic Kids site is easy to browse and is filled with fun and fascinating resources for students, though some of the material isn't logically organized and may be difficult to discover. Clicking on menu options at the top of the screen takes you to a related page, but hovering over that same option provides additional possibilities that aren't accessible if you just click. Keyword searches and teacher-provided links will come in handy here. For instance, the site  includes resources like a Homework Help area that teaches students how to be an expert fact-checker, write an animal report, and more, but it's not entirely clear how to get there unless you search for it directly. And there are hubs for Women Heroes, Native Americans, African American Heroes, and U.S. Presidents, and other resource articles on topics such as the U.S. government and the coronavirus. Younger kids will be excited about the "Moment of ..." content that includes moments of "aww," "huh?," joy, "eww," and more. Most of these areas aren't directly accessible from the main menus, however, and might be overlooked.

A number of in-depth sections include video series or themed articles, along with countless educational photos and videos, articles for deeper learning, and activities for use offline. Allowing kids to browse on their own in addition to using the site for targeted lessons or homework help keeps students engaged and guiding the direction of their own learning, making for lifelong learners.

The section on animals really shines, with many specific animals to study, especially mammals. Students are bound to find a favorite creature among the hundred or so profiled. For social studies lessons, the site also profiles dozens of countries all over the globe -- along with U.S. states -- with entries that are objective and informative, designed to captivate students with images, maps, and videos. National Geographic has created a one-stop shop for elementary and middle school kids interested in the cultural or natural world. The main page also links to the parallel Nat Geo Family site filled with ideas for parents to help kids explore their world.

Learning Rating

Overall Rating
Engagement

Video clips, regular series, cartoons, games, and hands-on activities are sure to captivate elementary and middle school students as they explore animals and people across the world and in their own backyard.

Pedagogy

A vast array of resources includes instructional videos, hands-on experiments and maps, games, homework help resources, and profiles of animals, habitats, and countries, if you can find them on the site.

Support

Content is accessible to younger students through many resources that don't require reading, along with age-appropriate guidance. There are few teacher resources, however, and search and navigation aren't sophisticated.

Community Rating

A fun way to introduce kids to the real world.

I loved reading some of the articles, and this is coming from someone that does not like to usually read. I got really hooked on the Endangered Species Act. It was user-friendly, engaging, and entertaining. The games were fun while also testing of knowledge, definitely a top website!

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Privacy Rating

Data Safety How safe is this product?

  • Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users.
  • Unclear whether personal information can be displayed publicly.
  • User-created content is not filtered for personal information before being made publicly visible.

Data Rights What rights do I have to the data?

  • Unclear whether users can create or upload content.
  • Processes to access or review user data are available.
  • Unclear whether this product provides processes to modify data for authorized users.

Ads & Tracking Are there advertisements or tracking?

  • Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.

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