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Science
NASA StarChild
NASA StarChild is a small astronomy site with two levels of material on the solar system, the universe and space exploration.
Each topic is written at a simpler and a more detailed level, so a child can move up without switching subjects. Glossaries explain unfamiliar terms, and classroom and question sections add other ways in. It is reading-based rather than game-based.
- Ages
- Ages 5–13; two reading levels
- Works on
- Web browser
- Topics
- Science, Reading
- Languages
- English
- Listed
- 2026-10-11
What kids do
- Compare two reading levels
- Explore solar-system topics
- Read universe explainers
- Look up astronomy terms
Who it suits
NASA describes it as a site for young astronomers aged 5–13. A child who enjoys reading may take to it more than one hoping for games.
Notes for parents
The simpler level is the natural start for the younger end of the range, with the detailed level there when the questions get bigger.
In these guides
- Why does the Moon change shape? Space apps and websites for kids’ big questions: Seven space apps and websites for curious kids, matched to the questions children often ask about the Moon, seasons, planets and stars.
More Science
- Solar Walk: Space Simulator 3D: A 3D model of the solar system to move around in, with scale comparisons and animations about Moon phases and tides.
- Science for Kids by Tappity: Interactive science videos, questions and a science journal, covering topics such as magnets and volcanoes.
- MarcoPolo Weather: Children adjust wind, temperature and precipitation and watch a landscape and its characters react.
- MarcoPolo Ocean: Reef building, a submersible to assemble and marine animals to find, with narration that introduces ocean words.
- Coral Reef by Tinybop: Children explore a reef food web, hide an octopus and follow food through a jellyfish to see how ocean life connects.
- Star Walk Kids: Astronomy Game: Cartoons, narrated facts and quick quizzes guide children around a moving solar system and a mobile observatory.
- The Earth by Tinybop: Volcanoes, earthquakes, fossils and shifting sediment, all on screen, showing how the Earth’s surface changes.
- Space by Tinybop: An interactive solar system model where children compare planets, tilt the Earth and follow the phases of the Moon.