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>> SOME WEB SITES OFFER COOL (AND FREE) FAMILY FUN, ESPECIALLY DURING THE CHRISTMAS BREAK SEE OUT-OF-SIGHT WEB SITES

Web sites offer fun, free activities for kids and families this holiday season

Date published: 12/25/2008

By COLLETTE CAPRARA

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

After a busy holiday season that may have involved miles of travel and a bustle of activity for area families, many look forward to the remaining vacation days as a time to savor quality time together in the comfort of their homes.

What better way to do that than through a host of world-class entertaining and educational family activities that are offered, free of charge, at the click of a home computer, on Web sites of national cultural organizations?

It's no wonder that the National Geographic Web site for children (kidsnationalgeograph ic.com ) garnered the prestigious Parents' Choice award. In keeping with its mission of "inspiring kids to care about our planet--its animals, people and places," the site offers a spectrum of mind-tingling interactive activities that expand and deepen with each click of the mouse.

"Our site provides edu-tainment" said Michelle Sullivan, National Geographic's digital media producer. "Kids learn from it, but the core purpose is to spark that curiosity and love of adventure and learning as well as an appreciation for the world from a global perspective."

The site's offerings range from interactive video games and animated stories to daily-updated blog accounts from peer world-travelers.

Two exemplary interactive games on the site are Pluto's Secret and the Tomb of the Unknown Mummy. Both of these games pose a challenge for players to solve, and present options to click for deeper background knowledge on topics ranging from astronomy to ancient history--all with vivid and exciting visual imagery.

Another section features animal videos, clickable by photo, with narratives of creatures and their natural habitats.

In addition to capturing the often humorous antics of the animals, options to peruse include maps of native environs and Fast Facts about the various species.

In addition, the site hosts numerous Q-and-A sessions under the title of Quiz Your Noodle, and photo/word-scrambles titled What in the World.

Another page, tailored for younger viewers, features videos of the cartoon character Iggy Arbuckle, the chief ranger of Kookamunga National Park, whose fun-filled adventures include lessons about the environment and its care.

Perhaps the most popular and impressive pages on the site are those featuring writings, photographs and videos by kids for kids.

National Geographic kids' pages are at kidsnational geographic.com. The National Gallery of Art's children's activities are at nga.gov/kids.

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Date published: 12/25/2008