Good Sites for Introducing Children to World Current Events and Critical Thinking

Good News and Current Events Web Sites for Young Children

Children who don't pay much attention to current events may feel blindsided when asked questions about current events.

It is really confusing to find simple news for children out there on the net.

Most sites claiming to provide news for children seem more interested in offering music, cd's and entertainment, selling subscriptions and advertising.

CNN is about the best for clarity as to easily locating most current headline news.

Sit with your child and introduce him or her to cnn.com headline news, or the news media of your preference.

Make it a habit to spend 5 to 10 minutes per day together reviewing the current news headlines.

Tectonic Activity of the Earth

Here are a few oversized maps showing Earth's fault lines and volcanic activity.

• Earthquakes
• U.S. Geological Survey for geological news around the world
• Earth Fault Line Map
• World Map

Current Events

• News Briefs - cnn
• Classroom Resources - Current Events for Kids
• Headline Spot for Kids
• PBS Newshour
• Student News Net
• Headline News Summaries

Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Review critical thinking tips to help your child to more easily form opinions and ask questions.

• Encourage Questions - ask what they think
• Don't criticize - understand your child's thinking process, how he or she learns
• Respect Your child's opinions -
• Let the child think for themsleves
• Practice stress management skills
• Teach the child to trust their instincts
• Take into account how the child learns, whether creative, logical, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal or naturalistic

Critical Thinking Sites

• Improving Your Child's Thinking Skills
• Enhancing Critical-Thinking Skills in Children: Tips for Parents
• Critical Thinking

Recommended Free Craft Web Sites for Young Children

• Paper Toys Wonderful paper toy models, patterns and designs. (not affiliated with scissorcrafts®)
• Mom's Thrifty Deals deals, frugal finds and thrifty tips.
• freekidscrafts.com search 1000's of crafts here
• HP Holiday Theme Printables
• First Palette Your step-by-step guide to kids' crafts
• Hewlett-Packard's pre-colored printable's
• Kids.gov
• Taking the Mystery out of Copyrights
• Snow Crafts on HowStuffWorks.com
• Here are some cool Specifications for Frosty the Snowman at the US Patent and Trademark Office, Kids Pages.
• African Paper Masks
• African Masks ArtyFactory.com
• Insect Mask
• Teaching Mom
• Sir Cumference and the First Round Table
• Use Well The Days
• Free Printable Mandala Coloring Pages (Scroll down the page for the freebies)
• FreeKidsCrafts.com: A new free craft every day.
• Killer Freebies: The Free Site With Free Samples And Deals!
• Family Friendly Sites ^TM
• siddals.com - millions of snowflakes links to lots of good snowflake sites
• The Snowflake Story Keith Bonnstetter's paper snowflakes

Stan 'N' Isaac

Artist Jeff Swensen illustrated Paper Snowflakes's Snowflake and Snowman cartoon.

Too Cute Video

Wonderfully cute 'You Tube' videos of puppies, kittens and other animal sweethearts.

Green Web Sites on Wikipedia

These sites may spark some ideas for children's green activities and projects

• World Turtle Day sponsored by the American Tortoise Rescue to help turtles and tortoises.
• World Environment Day Green Cities - Plan for the Planet
• World Ocean Day
• International Youth Day
• International Talk Like a Pirate Day
• World Animal Day
• America Recycles Day
• Monkey Day
• International Children's Day Observances celebrated in many places around the world.
• Need an Excuse for Celebrating? these links go to every day of the year and list all known observances
• Ratcatcher's Day who can resist the Pied Piper of Hamlein tale?
• Evolution Day
• Holidays of the US