No matter if your child goes to public or private school or is homeschooled, there’s plenty of things parents can do at home to encourage critical thinking skills. One way is to encourage kids to think about how to apply their academic knowledge to the real world — and there’s some great news websites for kids out there that can help with that.
Kids, after all, soak up more about their surroundings than we think, as I learned last week:
“Mama, what’s a recession?” my almost 5-year-old asks me, stumbling to get the words out as the news channel plays in the background. He, like most 5 year olds, is completely unaware of the world outside of his home and school. And he’s pretty sure Spiderman can save us all from whatever evil villain Recession is.
That must be nice, I thought. I’d love to live in that little bubble for a day!
So, how do I go about explaining complicated current events to a child that still believes in Spiderman?
According to the experts at Common Sense Media, a go-to source for parents looking for advice on media & technology, I may be off the hook for a few more years. Age 7 is typically the youngest a child should be formally introduced to current events — any younger than that and they may not be able to grasp the difference between real and fake or the concept of geography.
“They might hear news that’s happening in Africa and feel like it’s a threat to the family next door,” Maria O. Alvarez, vice president at Common Sense Latino, told the New York Times.
But when your child is old enough to develop their own news habit, you may want to find a news source specifically for kids. These news websites for kids generally have a calmer tone with less distractions, provide a lot of background context, and allow the opportunity for your child to go deeper into a subject he or she may enjoy.
Podcasts are a great option too, Dr. Jenny Radesky, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan tells the NYT.
“It could be about the slave trade, or the experience of immigrants,” she said. “It could be told from the perspective of the child, or you can dig into it from the perspective of a child.”
Here’s the top rated news apps and podcasts designed specifically for kids:
- News-O-Matic: This is one of the most popular news websites for kids. It’s a subscription-based, interactive news source for kids aged 6 to 14. According to Common Sense, stories are written by experts and reviewed by a child psychologist. Parents can also adjust the age range and reading level for their children. This app includes videos, infographics, and games to help children engage more with the content. Price: $34.99 for yearly subscription
- TIME for Kids: It’s not a surprise that TIME Magazine also makes one of the best news websites for kids. This mini-magazine is chalk full of history, current events, and even animal news! It’s primarily aimed at kids in kindergarten through 6th grade — and the topics and articles are easily filtered by grade level. There’s also videos and interactive games and quizzes to keep kids engaged. There’s also a podcast called Time for Kids Explains, featuring kid reporters. Price: starts at $3.25 per student.
- Mystic Land World Discovery: Mystic is an interactive app with a storyline that is set in a fictional world where the characters go on a daily learning journey. The app includes a global newspaper about current events which includes science & tech, business, and sports. There’s even an AR game, puzzles, workbooks, and quizzes to keep the kids engaged. Price: free
- The NYT’s Learning Network: This takes NYTs articles and makes them more digestible for kids. However, this source tends to tackle trickier topics — like war and death — in a more direct manner than other kid-friendly apps, so it’s one of the news websites for kids that may be better for older kids, like tweens and teens. Price: Free
- KidNuz: A podcast designed for kids aged 8 to 14 produced by award-winning journalists who also happen to be moms. It’s a five minute podcast delivered daily at 7 am and includes a wide variety of news stories ranging from politics and science to health and entertainment. Price: Free
- ABC KIDS News Time: Based in Australia, this podcast is fun and light-hearted and geared toward preschool aged kids (most of the stories involve animals!). Children are “helpers” on the show and get to report on stories from their own point of view. Price: Free
- The Ten News Podcast: This is a bite-sized podcast designed for kids aged 8 to 12 and drops every Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each segment includes “ten things you need to know” and the hosts discuss a wide variety of topics from politics, pop culture, arts, and science. The hosts also encourage kids to develop their own opinions about the topics discussed. Price: Free