Google Races
How quickly can your kids get the info?
ADDED October 12, 2009
Length: Ten minutes to half an hour.
Parental Involvement: Explain the idea. Pose some questions. Monitor internet searching a little bit.
Kids Should Be Able to: Use the internet on their own. Type in words a bit. Think of ways to frame questions and perform basic internet searches.
Have you ever heard people complaining about the internet? I have. Some people say that the internet makes kids lazy. They argue that the internet makes it too easy to look information up. These people say that kids no longer need to memorize important information. Kids, they say, don't need to access information in their minds any more, because they can just look everything up on the internet.
Well, those people might have a point. Or maybe they don't. People can disagree. We're not going to choose sides on this one.
But the internet is here to stay. So whether you love the web or not, we think that you should get your kids comfortable using the internet and get them accustomed to finding answers on it.
Today, we suggest that you set up some "Google races" for your kids. That is, set up "questions" for your children to answer using the computer.
It's easy to create fun and stimulating questions for your children:
- Can you find a list of farm animals?
- Can you find information about your favorite character in books or TV shows? (My kids rather enjoy Scooby Doo, for instance.)
- How many teeth does a shark have?
- Can you find logos for your favorite sports team?
- Where is Saskatchewan? What is Saskatchewan? What is its capital?
- Are there instructions for on-the-stove popcorn you can find?
- What is the Newberry Medal? For what is it awarded?
- How much wood can a woodchuck chuck? (Yes, even silly questions can bear fruit via Google searches.)
- What words rhyme with "quilt?" Or "porcupine?"
- What is the Queen of England's birthday?
- What is 4,313 plus 671?
Even if your kids are already relatively comfortable on the internet, this can make for a fun activity. It's also a great opportunity for some at-home learning.
(The name of this post is "Google Races." By "races," you don't need to pit the kids against each other. Instead, the race here should be an individual competition. How quickly can each child find the answer to the given question on their own? But there is a skill in choosing the best search terms, to be sure, and children who do well at this should )
Of course, you should tailor the questions for your kids' ages. And as a parent, you should have a plan to make sure that your kids are seeing "safe" websites and appropriate information.
If you want to search for "fun, free activities for kids," you probably don't need to use Google. Just check back here tomorrow!
| good for home, |
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