The Smithsonian’s online IdeaLabs bring American history, science, and culture to life for children! These dynamic and interactive sites are a safe and authoritative place for your children to learn about everything from rock collecting to American Presidents to the Apollo 11 space mission.
In Sizing Up the Universe, you choose objects, like a basketball, to represent objects in the universe and use these to explore relative sizes in outer space.
Sizing Up the Universe
In Prehistoric Climate Change, your kids will use fossils as a thermometer to read temperatures 55 million years ago. They can also watch a video of a fossil digger at work.
Prehistoric Climate Change
U.S. Rationing during World War II is an introduction to primary sources as well as an introduction to life on the home front. Students examine a ration book, morale posters, and an Office of War Information film to learn how Americans lived in a time of sacrifice.
U.S. Rationing
Play the question-and-answer game Digging for Answers. The game is aimed at kids, but the questions are challenging enough for the whole family to compete. With every question, the player has the option of racing against the clock to find the answer on a web search. Digging for Answers
Visit Smithsonian Kids to explore lots of fast, fun, cool, scary, patriotic, and beautiful things from the Smithsonian and send E-cards to your friends! Smithsonian Kids
Visit Walking on the Moon to journey back in time to experience the incredible Apollo 11 mission! Walking on the Moon
Visit Mr. President to learn the facts about each of our nation’s presidents. It’s a great place for browsing, research, or homework help! Mr. President
Visit Kids Collecting and explore the riches of the Smithsonian’s collections, learn how to start your own collections, and see what kinds of things other kids collect! Amazing Collections
Related Publications
Browse Smithsonian publications to share with your family.
In Sizing Up the Universe, you choose objects, like a basketball, to represent objects in the universe and use these to explore relative sizes in outer space. 
In Prehistoric Climate Change, your kids will use fossils as a thermometer to read temperatures 55 million years ago. They can also watch a video of a fossil digger at work. 
U.S. Rationing during World War II is an introduction to primary sources as well as an introduction to life on the home front. Students examine a ration book, morale posters, and an Office of War Information film to learn how Americans lived in a time of sacrifice.
