Primer

All ages

Ages 12–16

Secondary-age courses, practice and tools that treat a teenager as a serious learner, not a younger child.

Reading and writing 9

  • CommonLit

    A large library of stories, poems and non-fiction for lessons, with questions and teacher guides attached to each text.

    8–12, 12–16 · texts · classroom · website

  • ReadWorks

    A nonprofit library of reading passages and question sets, written for classroom use and organised by grade and topic.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · texts · classroom · website

  • ReadTheory

    Adaptive reading-comprehension practice that adjusts the next passage to how a student just did.

    Free reading practice

    8–12, 12–16 · practice · website

  • Newsela

    News and non-fiction rewritten at several reading levels, used widely in schools. Most of the library sits behind a school or family plan.

    8–12, 12–16 · news · texts · website

  • Time for Kids

    News written for children, with editions at different reading levels. Some stories are open; the full magazine is a school subscription.

    8–12, 12–16 · news · website

  • Open Library

    An Internet Archive project that lends digitised books, including a large children's shelf, with a free account.

    Free to borrow

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · library · website

  • Project Gutenberg

    Public-domain books to download or read in the browser, including a long list of children's classics.

    Free to download

    8–12, 12–16 · library · open licence · website

  • Poetry Foundation Education

    Poems, lesson ideas and recordings chosen for classrooms and for reading with children.

    Free to read

    8–12, 12–16 · poetry · classroom · website

  • Libby

    The public-library app for borrowing e-books and audiobooks with a library card, including plenty of children's titles.

    Free with a library card

    2–5, 5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · library · app

Maths 12

  • Khan Academy

    Free courses and practice from early maths through school and exam prep, with videos and mastery challenges. Science, computing and humanities sit here too.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · courses · practice · video · website · app

  • Desmos

    A free graphing calculator and a library of classroom activities for algebra, geometry and statistics.

    Free graphing calculator

    12–16 · calculator · classroom · website

  • GeoGebra

    Interactive geometry, algebra and graphing tools, plus a large set of ready-made classroom activities.

    Free to use

    8–12, 12–16 · geometry · classroom · website · app

  • NRICH

    Rich maths problems and articles from the University of Cambridge, for classrooms and for children who like a puzzle that doesn't give up at once.

    Free problems

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · puzzles · classroom · website

  • Youcubed

    Tasks, films and advice from Stanford's Youcubed, aimed at building a more open, less fearful way of learning maths.

    Free tasks

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · classroom · families · website

  • Mathigon

    Interactive maths courses and tools (including Polypad) that treat courses like a tour rather than a worksheet.

    8–12, 12–16 · courses · tools · website

  • Art of Problem Solving

    Textbooks, an online school and a large community for students who want challenge well beyond a standard textbook.

    8–12, 12–16 · courses · community · website

  • IXL

    A large practice site covering maths and other school subjects, sold mainly as a subscription to families and schools.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · practice · website

  • Illustrative Mathematics

    A full, openly available maths curriculum and task library used by many schools, with problem-based lessons.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · curriculum · classroom · website

  • Maths Is Fun

    Plain, illustrated explanations of maths ideas, from fractions to early calculus, with practice questions on many pages.

    Free to read

    8–12, 12–16 · explanations · practice · website

  • Estimation 180

    A bank of estimation challenges, each a photograph and a question, designed for a short daily classroom routine.

    Free tasks

    8–12, 12–16 · daily · classroom · website

  • Open Middle

    Problems with a closed end and an open middle: many ways to reach a right answer, sorted by grade and standard.

    Free problems

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · puzzles · classroom · website

Science and nature 10

  • NASA Kids, Earth

    NASA Science's children's pages about Earth and climate, which now gather what used to live on Climate Kids.

    Free to use

    8–12, 12–16 · earth · climate · website

  • PhET Interactive Simulations

    Free, research-based simulations of science and maths ideas, from the University of Colorado Boulder, that you can run in a browser.

    Free simulations

    8–12, 12–16 · simulations · maths · website

  • Exploratorium

    The San Francisco museum's online experiments, videos and articles, including things you can try with what is already in the house.

    8–12, 12–16 · museum · experiments · website

  • Exploratorium Science Snacks

    A catalogue of short, well-explained hands-on experiments, each with a list of ordinary materials.

    Free activities

    8–12, 12–16 · experiments · website

  • The Kid Should See This

    A carefully chosen feed of short, wonder-first videos about science, art, nature and how things are made.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · video · curation · website

  • Science Museum

    The London Science Museum's website, with stories from the collection and things to try at home or in a classroom.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · museum · website

  • Journey North

    A citizen-science project that tracks migrations and seasons, with classroom investigations children can join.

    Free to join

    8–12, 12–16 · citizen science · classroom · website

  • Zooniverse

    Real research projects that anyone can help with, from spotting animals in camera traps to classifying galaxies. Some are designed with schools in mind.

    Free to take part

    8–12, 12–16 · citizen science · website

  • NOAA Education

    The U.S. weather and ocean agency's education pages: classroom resources, data and explanations of climate, oceans and forecasts.

    Free resources

    8–12, 12–16 · weather · oceans · classroom · website

  • EPA, students

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's pages for students and teachers, on air, water, waste and the living world.

    Free resources

    8–12, 12–16 · environment · classroom · website

Coding and computing 16

  • Code.org

    A nonprofit that runs full computer-science courses from the first years of school upward, plus the Hour of Code / Hour of AI puzzles.

    Free courses

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · courses · blocks · website

  • Scratch

    MIT's visual programming language and community, where children snap blocks together to make games, stories and animations, then share them.

    Free to use

    8–12, 12–16 · blocks · community · website

  • Tinkercad

    A browser tool from Autodesk for 3D design, basic circuits and block coding, widely used in schools and clubs.

    8–12, 12–16 · 3d · circuits · blocks · website

  • Swift Playgrounds

    Apple's app for learning Swift by steering characters through puzzles, then writing real code, on iPad or Mac.

    8–12, 12–16 · app · swift · apple

  • Blockly Games

    A small set of puzzle games from Google that introduce block programming, ending with a simple JavaScript step.

    Free to play

    8–12, 12–16 · blocks · games · website

  • micro:bit

    A pocket-sized board and a set of lessons for learning to code physical things: lights, buttons, radio and sensors.

    8–12, 12–16 · hardware · blocks · website

  • MakeCode Arcade

    Microsoft MakeCode's browser editor for making retro-style games with blocks or JavaScript, then playing them on the web or a device.

    Free to use

    8–12, 12–16 · blocks · games · website

  • Raspberry Pi projects

    Step-by-step projects from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, for the Pi, for the web, and for other kits, written for beginners upwards.

    Free projects

    8–12, 12–16 · projects · hardware · website

  • MIT App Inventor

    A block-based tool for making Android (and some iOS) apps in a browser, used in many school and club projects.

    Free to use

    12–16 · blocks · apps · website

  • Hour of AI

    The current home of what used to be the Hour of Code: one-hour activities that introduce computing and, now, AI ideas. Still run with Code.org.

    Free one-hour activities

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · one-off · ai · website

  • Teachable Machine

    A browser tool from Google that lets you train a simple image, sound or pose model with a webcam or microphone, then export it.

    Free to use

    8–12, 12–16 · ai · website

  • Khan Academy Computing

    Khan Academy's computing courses, including introductory programming, web pages and a look at how computers work.

    8–12, 12–16 · courses · website

  • Tynker

    A commercial coding platform with block and text courses, Minecraft and Roblox projects, and a paid path beyond the free starter activities.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · courses · blocks · website · app

  • CodeCombat

    A game in which the character moves when you write real code (Python or JavaScript). A free tier covers early levels; the campaign is paid.

    8–12, 12–16 · games · text code · website

  • Bootstrap

    A curriculum that teaches algebra through programming (and data science, in later modules), aimed at school classrooms.

    Free curriculum

    12–16 · curriculum · classroom · website

  • LEGO Education

    Official lessons and software for LEGO education kits (including SPIKE and robotics), used in clubs and classrooms.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · hardware · robotics · website

Arts and music 7

  • Chrome Music Lab

    A set of tiny, joyful experiments for playing with sound, rhythm and melody in a browser, from Google.

    Free to play

    2–5, 5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · music · experiments · website

  • Incredibox

    A beat-boxing mixer that lets you build a groove by dressing a choir of characters. Some versions are free on the web; the full app is paid.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · music · games · website · app

  • Google Arts & Culture

    High-resolution tours of museums, artworks and historic sites, with experiments and stories that work well on a sofa as well as in class.

    Free to use

    8–12, 12–16 · art · museum · website · app

  • Hoffman Academy

    A structured piano course on video, with a large free lesson path and a paid premium plan for more songs and support.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · music · piano · video · website

  • Yousician

    A paid app that listens as you play guitar, piano, bass, ukulele or sing, and coaches you through songs and exercises.

    8–12, 12–16 · music · app

  • flowkey

    A piano-learning app that follows what you play and teaches songs step by step. A few songs are free; the library is a subscription.

    8–12, 12–16 · music · piano · app · website

  • Carnegie Hall Education

    Listen-and-learn resources, classroom activities and digital music labs from Carnegie Hall.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · music · classroom · website

Languages 1

  • Duolingo

    Short, game-like lessons in many languages. The core course is free with ads; Super removes ads and adds extras. Fine for older children who will stick to a streak.

    8–12, 12–16 · app · website · practice

History and the world 12

  • BBC Bitesize

    The BBC's free study site for UK schools, covering almost every subject from early primary through GCSEs and Nationals, with short explainers and activities.

    Free to use

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · courses · revision · website

  • CBBC Newsround

    A daily news service written and presented for children, from the BBC, including the week's harder stories handled with care.

    Free to watch

    8–12, 12–16 · news · video · website

  • Ducksters

    Plain, textbook-like pages on history, geography, science and biographies, often used as a first stop for a homework question.

    8–12, 12–16 · history · geography · website

  • Google Earth

    A globe you can fly around, with Voyager guided tours of cities, nature and history. Works in a browser or as an app.

    Free to use

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · maps · geography · website · app

  • Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government

    A clear, official introduction to how the U.S. government works, written in three age bands: 4–8, 9–13 and 14+.

    Free to use

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · civics · website

  • Mission US

    Free historical role-playing games in which you take a character through a moment in U.S. history, made for classrooms and for home.

    Free games

    8–12, 12–16 · games · history · website

  • U.S. National Archives, education

    Primary sources, lesson plans and document-analysis sheets from the U.S. National Archives.

    Free resources

    8–12, 12–16 · history · classroom · website

  • Statistics in Schools

    Classroom activities from the U.S. Census Bureau that use real population data, for maths, geography and social studies.

    Free activities

    8–12, 12–16 · data · classroom · website

  • National Geographic Education

    Lesson ideas, maps and encyclopedic explainers for teachers and families, from National Geographic.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · geography · classroom · website

  • ABC Behind the News

    An Australian news programme and site for school-age children, explaining the week's events in short, clear films.

    Free to watch

    8–12, 12–16 · news · video · website

  • CBC Kids News

    News written for Canadian children, with videos and articles on current events.

    Free to watch

    8–12, 12–16 · news · video · website

  • DOGO News

    Current events, science and sports articles written for children, with quizzes and a classroom mode.

    8–12, 12–16 · news · website

Shows and video 2

  • TED-Ed

    Short, animated lessons on almost any curiosity, with questions and, often, a chance to go deeper. Free to watch.

    Free to watch

    8–12, 12–16 · video · lessons · website

  • BrainPOP

    Animated curriculum videos and quizzes used in many schools. A school or family subscription opens the library.

    8–12, 12–16 · video · lessons · website

Typing and study skills 11

  • Typing.com

    A full typing course with lessons, tests and games. A free path is there; schools can pay for a classroom dashboard.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · typing · website

  • TypingClub

    A popular, lesson-by-lesson typing tutor that you can start without an account. The title on the site calls the basic course free.

    Free typing course

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · typing · website

  • Nitro Type

    A racing game that uses typing as the throttle, useful once a child already knows the keyboard a little.

    8–12, 12–16 · typing · games · website

  • Freerice

    Multiple-choice questions (vocabulary, maths and more) where each right answer contributes rice through the World Food Programme.

    Free to play

    8–12, 12–16 · quiz · vocabulary · website

  • Kahoot

    A quiz platform used in classrooms and at home. Anyone can play; making and hosting more quizzes sits on a free or paid plan.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · quiz · classroom · website · app

  • Wordwall

    A maker of interactive classroom games and printables. Teachers can play a set number of activities for free; more is a subscription.

    5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · quiz · classroom · website

  • Blooket

    A quiz site that wraps questions in several different games. Popular in classrooms; a paid plan adds more modes and limits.

    8–12, 12–16 · quiz · games · classroom · website

  • Quill

    Free, sentence-level writing practice (grammar, combining sentences, proofs) from a nonprofit, designed for classrooms.

    Free practice

    8–12, 12–16 · writing · classroom · website

  • NoRedInk

    Adaptive grammar and writing practice used in schools, with a free starter set and a paid curriculum.

    12–16 · writing · classroom · website

  • Vocabulary.com

    A dictionary plus adaptive vocabulary practice, usable for free with limits, and as a school or family subscription.

    8–12, 12–16 · vocabulary · website

  • Canva for Education

    Canva's free education plan, which gives verified teachers and their students the paid design tools for classroom work.

    8–12, 12–16 · design · classroom · website

For parents and teachers 2

  • CK-12

    Free, adaptable digital textbooks and practice (FlexBooks) for maths and science, used by teachers and by students working on their own.

    Free textbooks

    8–12, 12–16 · textbooks · maths · science · website

  • Outschool

    A marketplace of live online classes for children, covering a very wide range of subjects. Teachers set their own prices; the site's own title states ages 3–18.

    2–5, 5–8, 8–12, 12–16 · classes · marketplace · website

Other ages

Ages 2–5Ages 5–8Ages 8–12

New resources, checked

One short email when we add to the list. Nothing else.