Online resources are essential to our homeschool, and my kids love to use videos to supplement their curriculum. SmartKidz Media gave us the opportunity to try their SmartKidz Media Library for Homeschoolers for our latest review.
SmartKidz Media
For $10/month or $99 for the year, SmartKidz Media Library for Homeschoolers is a homeschool supplement that provides hours of entertainment and educational content to families. The content is streaming on their website and can be accessed from any device with internet access. Folks interested in seeing what there is to offer can take advantage of their free 14 day trial.
There are more than 1,000 educational videos included in the membership price. Each video is grouped according to the topic, so you could go into the Animals & Wildlife: Collection 1 and watch “Animal Journeys: Part 1”, or head over to Science to watch “Bizarre Science” (parts 1-3 of course!) like my kids did at their first chance. There are tons of documentaries, including things such as “Mysteries from Ancient Times” and “Miracles of Nature”. There are even fitness videos for kids and adults.
They are constantly adding new content, as well. There are several History titles that I am eagerly awaiting as they are advertised as “coming soon” in the History categories for now.
SmartKidz Media provides more than just videos. There are also flash-animated eBooks. Children love to be read to, and this is an exciting way to hear new stories. I loved the classics, like Aesop Fables and Beatrix Potter books. There are science books, reading readiness books, and even some quite sing-along Bible stories.
Also included is a huge selection of music to supplement your fine arts curriculum. Enjoy classical composers such as Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, and Mozart.
Cultural music is also included in the musical offerings on SmartKidz Media Library for Homeschoolers. As you teach about different cultures around the world, why not give your kids a taste of the music from that place? Germany, Brazil, China, Russia, and even the African Desert all have a rich culture, and their music can be explored with a few clicks on this website.
Quick Find Study Guides are another resource available with your SmartKidz Media subscription. There are many interactive learning guides and lessons available, from learning language arts basics, to math concepts, to social studies, to science. Foreign languages and accounting are topics that are coming soon.
As shown below, a specific topic is introduced, and then it is taught or reviewed through an interactive outline of information. Simply click on a title and it expands to show topic matter related to that title. These are great for brushing up on information that has been studied, or giving a good overview for something new.
Other fun features included are Ready-Set-Sing Songs albums, Easy Learning for Special Needs, a really sweet My Animal Family Program, games in the Fun Zone, and the Baby Signs® Program. It even includes the Baby Signs potty training video that got my 3rd child interested in using the potty years ago. I lost the DVD in a move, but now I have access to it through this membership. That alone is worth the cost for me! 🙂
What did we think?
My kids and I used the SmartKidz Media membership a few times a week. Sometimes, the kids just wanted screen time and I wanted it to be educational rather than fluff. They steered more toward the science programs. They also liked the games in the Fun Zone, like the puzzles, the “Dress the Divas!” game, and “Wise Cracks from the Guru” because they love jokes!
They even watched the “Bravo! Chef” series and watched how different foods are prepared. My daughter is always trying to get into the kitchen to cook with me, so she enjoyed watching these because they showed techniques that I have never tried myself to make a variety of dishes. Let’s face it, she won’t be learning that stuff from me! I like that she was able to watch experts in the field show her how it’s really done.
I liked letting my kids loose in the ebooks part of the website, because there were plenty of quality books for them to explore. My children love to be read to, so it was a time saver for me and a learning moment for them.
I also had the kids use one of the Quick Study Guides for a project we were working on. They used the one on the 50 States and liked having a new resource to check out. They were able to see a snippet of information about each state for the assignment, and it was quick and easy to use.
Overall, I do like this resource. For someone very structured, it might be too much. While the videos and books are grouped into specific categories, I didn’t find a way to search for specific topics. For example, if I wanted to look and see all of their videos and other resources on sharks, there is no way to do that. However, if I kept a more open mind and less narrow focus, I could find plenty of videos that featured sea life.
Are you curious to see what other families thought and how they used this homeschool supplement? Click the banner below to read more.
