MetKids

MetKids, a component of The Metropolitan Museum of Art website, is a resource "made for, with, and by kids." This highly-interactive website features pieces curated by the museum, a wide selection of videos, and a plethora of fun facts.

The main three menu options invite users to "Explore the Map," "Hop in the Time Machine," and "Watch Videos." The map is an illustration of The Metropolitan Museum of Art with embedded links and instructions which pop up to guide users through the interface. The links hosted within the map lead to photographs of displays in the museum and give general descriptions of the featured items, including origin, importance, and fun facts. The descriptions also highlight key terms which users can hover their mouse over to view the defini­tions. The great thing is that it doesn't stop there. MetKids goes even further to provide opportunities for interaction, learning, and creativity. Spread throughout the entries on the site are short "Imagine" sections which provide excellent, ready-made writing prompts to use in the classroom or library. Also included are "Create" prompts that encourage users to tap into their creative side and make a model or diorama with materials that are commonly found around the house (such as toilet paper rolls, tape, and crayons). Many of the links also have videos to accompany the artifact or section of the museum. Some videos feature kid reporters sharing information or interviewing a staff member of the museum, while other videos are shorts created by kids themselves. An example of this in­cludes a stop-motion video made with paper & Play-Doh characters interacting with a mummy. The Time Machine page presents a more focused way for users to explore artifacts, allowing them to select from lists of different time periods and locations. Navigating to the Videos page allows users to search and filter all of the videos on the site. My favorites of these were the ones found under the "Create" and "Made By Kids" options, which include videos of kids demonstrat­ing how to create models as well as the aforementioned kid-created shorts.

MetKids is a fantastic tool to use with grades 3-6 and possibly higher depending on curriculum. It is simple enough for students to navigate and explore on their own, but also has enough content and extensions for educators to use it in their instruction. The only thing that could make this resource better would be adding a built-in accessibility feature that would allow for text-to-speech functionality. Adding in an option to have the text read aloud could make this resource even more user-friendly for young students to use independently.